Brain Damage (1988) review

Brian (Rick Hearst) finds himself sick in bed because a purple talking turd named Aylmer (voiced by John Zacherle) is attached to him that feasts on brains and, in return, injects Brian with powerful mind-altering chemicals - he tries to break free of the parasite's control but it's difficult, and then his girlfriend Barbara (Jennifer Lowry) starts cheating on him with his roommate Mike (Gordon MacDonald).  The cheapo DIY effects are fun and casting Philly DJ (and horror movie host) Zacherle was a smart move (he sounds sophisticated instead of otherworldly), but unfortunately the acting is sub-par, there's way too much loud grunting and groaning and it fails to provide any sort of back story for Hearst's character (which would have provided context).  Although it was supposedly based on Henenlotter's problems with cocaine, it's really just a splatter film going for cheap thrills ... not some in-depth depiction of the insidious nature of addiction.