unbrokenmetal Steve (John Agar) and Dan (Robert Fuller) make important scientific discoveries and dangerous expeditions into the desert, because they are male, while Sally (Joyce Meadows), Steve's fiancée, just stays home in the kitchen and worries they may not be in time for dinner – that's the 1950s for you. When their Geiger counter shows strange radioactive readings which suddenly appear and disappear again, Steve and Dan go to Mystery Mountain where a cave has recently been blasted into the rocks. Soon they find traces of an alien, the brain from planet Arous, which looks like a painted balloon and is greeted by the Earthlings in the traditional way (with gunshots). When Steve returns later to Sally, he seems to remember nothing and acts strange. The big brain has an evil influence over him, obviously. Even Steve's kisses become threatening. Sally now goes to the cave with her father, where they find the body of Dan and another brain which politely explains it is chasing the first one because that brain is a dangerous criminal with plans to conquer the world...Typical B movie silliness, mostly good fun. The painted balloon aliens (superimposed, so you can see through them) are something to remember. Since the story is not simply men vs invaders, but also involves a helpful alien, the flick is more interesting than most of its kind.

Michael_Elliott Brain from Planet Arous, The (1957) ** (out of 4) Silly sci-fi tale of a scientist (John Agar) who goes into a new cave to see what made it and discovers that it was a large brain (with glowing eyes) from outer space. The brain takes control of his body in hopes of learning the various secrets of Earth but fear not because space also sends a good brain to help. Just reading a plot like that lets you know that you're watching a "B" movie from the 1950s that probably thrilled and scared thousands of kids who were taken to the drive-in by their parents. When seen today these movies certainly don't have the ability to scare and more likely than not they're laughed at due to how melodramatic their story lines are. THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS isn't a very good film but there are a few good things that make it worth viewing. Needless to say, with such a low budget the special effects really leave a lot to desire and this includes our friend, the deadly brain. The effect of the brain is quite simple but my one real question is why on Earth they decided to give the thing eyes. The site of a flying brain is silly enough but to then give it eyes wasn't really a smart move but it does provide a few laughs. Another silly aspect in the story is that Agar's character becomes possessed by this thing and is given the ability to blow things up with his eyes. There are scenes towards the end when he's showing the government his "power" and you have to wonder why they all just sit around and let him do this stuff without even attempting to stop him. Speaking of Agar, he's certainly the main reason to check this film out. Fans of the genre are certainly going to know him from his countless entries into the genre but this here is a rather unique way to see him. For the most part he was always playing the good guy trying to stop the evil monsters but here he gets to play a real jerk and he does a wonderful job with it. There are several scenes where he's abusing his girlfriend (Joyce Meadows) and they're actually quite effective. I thought the actor did a very good job playing bad and it's a shame he wasn't given more opportunities to do this. Meadows is decent in her role of the love interest but you have to admit that she's one of the dumbest girlfriends from this era of films. Robert Fuller, Henry Travis and Thomas B. Henry co-star. Fans of the genre will probably want to check this out simply for the silly nature of it but I'm sure most others will want to skip it and check out something better.

samhill5215 This is a surprisingly entertaining sci-fi flick from the 50s despite some very obvious shortcomings such as the actors walking off camera leaving us with no action or the brain suspended with visible filament. It's also refreshing when the military and politicians readily accept extra-terrestrial causes for some unexplained events. And with scant evidence to boot! All this is laughable but in a way charming in an innocent way, as if a child's imagination had been allowed to run wild.The main actors were rather enjoyable as well. John Agar plays his part with gusto and his evil genius laugh is classic. But it is the shapely Joyce Meadows who raises this movie above the pack. Her scenes with Agar exude sensuality, especially while Agar is inhabited by the evil brain. In the first one Agar becomes so passionate that Meadows wonders what has possessed him. This of course begs the question as to how he could have helped been passionate before. Meadows is not a classic beauty but she is hot! This is definitely a fun movie. It doesn't take itself seriously and when one comes into it with no expectations it proves to be a surprise find.

gnosticmanna This is yet another underrated John Agar Schlocko-Sci-Fi Movie from the Fifties and Sixties. Its pacing appears immediately as a problem(far too SLOW in building towards the film's plot points and overall plot), but, to paraphrase past video/movie reviews from "Video Review" magazine, of the no less SCHLOCKO and Rather-Reaganesque, uber-CONFORMIST 80's, ... if you're looking for some "Vegematic movie" Laughs, "The Brain From Planet Arous" will NOT let you down!"The EVIL Brain" of course, steals the cinematic show, even from the flick's star, Mr. Agar, whose body this "Salacious, and Sex-Starved, Fiend from The Deepest Fathoms of Space" has tragically, ... overtaken.Will leave the rest of the story of this again, underrated John Agar flick, to You, The Viewer, to decide IF this really is an underrated work by Agar, and this film's also, often too underrated Director, NATHAN H. JURAN.Mind you, Dear Viewer, this movie is not as effective as Agar's starring roles in such SCHLOCKO Masterpieces as "Tarantula," or "The Revenge Of The CREATURE," ... but still on my "Schlocko-B-Movie Scale," it's gotta rate, a well-earned 8 out of 10! Alright, so I have far less TASTE and "Culture" than that-there LEONARD MALTIN Lad! So what! I still appreciate the STRONG acting PERFORMANCES, in this Fifties Sci-Fi movie, as well as in many other such flicks, wherein the actors, the entire CAST is challenged by the truly cheesy "Special Effects"(well by our now, 21st Century Standards, of course they're cheesy!), to truly convince "We the viewers," that there IS indeed a real existential threat coming "right at us," from this "Womanizer-Wanna-Be' of a "Brain," ah-hem, from indeed, HIS{and it IS surely a MALE Brain, Folks!) Planet, of "AROUS"! Wonderful performances are turned in as well by JOYCE MEADOWS as the attractive source of the Ever-Loving Lustfulness, from this disgustingly, sexually AGGRESSIVE, from this "Interstellar SEX-ADDICT," really, from this Stinkin' Space CADET, ah-hem, I mean, from the "Space Brain," and yes, I do believe that IS, the notable B-Movie Actor Thomas B. Henry, who plays Ms. Meadows' Dad.Enjoy it! And it's NOT only for kids and CHRONICALLY-WACKY, Emotionally IMMATURE "Adults," like me, either, folks, believe me, ... it is not.