Review of Brainstorm (1983) by Scott M — 04 Jan 2017

Better than most people give the film credit for. Natalie Wood's death didn't mandate "extensive" rewrites as the description claimed, but some scenes were shot with her sister as stand-in (probably long shots and over-the-shoulder reverse shots).

The real killer of this film was MGM's attempted to cancel the production as "unfinishable" and claim the insurance payout from Lloyds of London. The film was completed with completion funds, and Lloyds became a profit partner.

MGM released it with a lackluster promotional effort, and it lost money. Still, some good drama and ethical issues dealt with in the film. Walken and Fletcher are superb.