Some ideas about Peter Jackson's Braindead (1992) - a 'guts-exposed' rolling DEMO piece of writing.

 


(Picture - Vera Cosgrove's undead evolution: approaching final form. Calligraphy marker on paper - S. J. Bloxsidge, Jan 2026.)


BRAINDEAD (1992) directed by Peter Jackson.


I love this film. It's very, very silly. If you've not seen it, at the time of (re-)writing, a rip was up for free on YT (May 2026.)


I won't try to give a comprehensive synopsis here - there is a great one on the film's wiki page.


Why am I writing this? 

My reasons for writing this piece are many. Partly, expressing the joy of practical FX heavy horror films. Partly, a way to try and start writing regularly and posting stuff (that may be about anything) - to develop some writing skills. Also, to explore some of the many ideas that scurry around the back of my mind and cross-fertilise, to make a strange mix that expresses my eclectic and perhaps at time, juxtaposed interests.


I don't anticipate this piece to be too long. I am now however, after five months of writing and binning drafts, going to leave it as an 'open process' piece of writing, which I'll add to and update as I go. This is part of an experiment to overcome my struggles with self-doubt, procrastination and task paralysis. I want this to be a fun creative exercise, as well as an opportunity for me to share some of my thought process more broadly.


A framework for analysis.


There are a whole bunch of themes running through this film that I feel can be described by a cross section of psychotherapeutic theories, and maybe some other stuff I know about. I will highlight some in a section a few below this one.

I anticipate mostly drawing on Jungian concepts, as well as Kleinian and other Object Relations theorists, and more generally psychodynamic concepts. Maybe some Gestalt and Existential Therapy, or more broad Humanistic concepts. I would add that all of this would be held in an integrative framework, mainly inspired by Wilber's integral theory - but perhaps I'll learn about some other interesting stuff too add in.

Along with these ideas, I might try and scrabble at some of Deleuze and Guattari's concepts (possibly wildly misinterpreting them,) as well as some ideas from general philosophy, and in particular 'pessimistic' philosophers, mostly via the concepts of Eugene Thacker. Just to say, I'm not deeply informed on the philosophical side of things, so please pardon my misunderstandings, if you spot them (I'll try to be as accurate as I'm able.)
To this point, I would invite people to never take my word for anything, and pursue one's own reading. Then (if anyone reads this and wants to engage) you can come back and tell me what I've got wrong, or where you disagree - preferably in the spirit of friendly discourse (please.)

Am I going to explain any of the stuff above? - I'll try my best to in-line with the rest of this writing, without it getting too boggy, within what is below.  If it gets too long winded - maybe I'll try a separate blog post, as an appendix to this. (This feels like I'm already winding up to spit out something too long - as i say, this has already had multiple binned drafts.)


A bit about the film.


I sadly can no longer recall where I heard about Braindead. But I remember being very excited to watch it. It must have been somewhere around 2004. I was about 7 when it came out, so likely would not have had a clue at that age, in addition to probably being terrified by it, if I had seen it.

I got hold of a DVD copy from the HMV a few towns over from where I lived. I still have the same copy and have watched it multiple times and inflicted it upon many people. I still rewatch it at least once a year, and watched it a good few times over again, while trying to get some thoughts down for this piece.

Braindead was Jackson's third (full length) film - Bad Taste (1987) and Meet The Feebles (1989) coming before.

Both are beautiful low-budget 'splat-stick' flicks, with a load of irreverent humour.

Braindead carries on in a similar vein, but with a significantly higher budget.

He went on to make Heavenly Creatures (1994) with Melanie Lynskie and Kate Winslet, and The Frighteners (1996) with Michael J. Fox, which were both solid, but more serious / box-office friendly films (also a TV movie called Forgotten Silver in 1995 - which I've not seen,) before becoming a household name with the LOTR films from 2001.

Watching a few snips of NZ news spots for the film, Jackson was adamant that he wanted to make a film that captured the NZ sense of humour. There were some other nice anecdotal bits of info from these clips that I'll get to as they relate to the themes.


To come - the following headings I'll try to address as and when I get time.

Plot overview.


Main themes, with analysis.


If Lionel came to therapy - what might it look like?






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