Weird brain scanner nightmare thing on TV.

BlueSovereign

Project QL Intern
Oct 30, 2005
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UK
Just a quick message to you all:

I haven't been around much since the ezboard disaster and I'm hoping that that release of Season 2 of QL in the UK will spark more discussion. I look forward to future discussions !

Now to the gritty stuff:

Way back in 1998, around Xmas, I sat down in front of the television and something caught my attention. There was what looked like a blue room with a brainscanner and what looked like an operating table complete with surgical lamps. All of a sudden these surgeons burst in carrying a squirming guy say in his early 20's. He's trying to fight them off and appears terrified. As they lay him on the table and pin him down he continues to fight and is screaming something like "Help me ! Help me !."
Unexpectedly some of his veins start to burst out of his arms, legs and stomach. They stretch out and seem to either be going through the walls or sticking to them. One or two appear to go through the camera. The next shot shows him continuing to struggle as a few of the surgeons grabs the veins as they burst out, but look up helplessly as they go through the ceiling. By this time the guy is unconcious and just laying there as some more veins burst out of his forehead and enter the brainscanner. Some more appear to have come out of his throat. I was then disturbed and had to leave the TV, when I got back it had finished..
The guy was wearing blue jeans and a black and white speckled jumper.

It was shown in the evening in the UK, say around 9pm and I don't know what film or tv show it was and why this poor guy's veins were bursting, but it looked real and scared the living daylights out of me. Now it just sticks out in my memory and I want to see the whole thing, its a mystery to me and I love to solve a good mystery. Its not that I expect anyone to remember the airing I saw, just if you have seen this or something similar and what TV show or film its in.

I've told others and somebody said it sounded like something they once saw on Beverley Hills 90210 about someone having a nightmare, but that does not sound like 90210 material and the effects were really convincing. I think to pull something like that off and make it look so real - I think its movie material myself.

Does this ring any bells with anyone ? If so, is this in a 90210 episode ? Or have you any other ideas as to what other TV show or movie its in ?

BTW something tells me that I may have posted this ages ago, if I did then I'm sorry I posted it again.
 
No it doesn't, but thanks to your description I know what I *won't* be looking to see on TV. NASTY!!!!! (shudders) Good luck figuring it out. If you do, let me know so I NEVER watch it!!! :lol:
 
McDuck - Because it seemed to be one scene of something, I was left wondering what it was all about and its one of those things that does not go away until its been answered. It certainly caught me off guard because I had just got a cup of tea and started watching when the surgeon's brought that poor guy in. Not only did I nearly spill my tea all over me, I could not stop thinking about it because it was one of the scariest things that I have ever seen. What ever it was though, it was very convincing effects wise. I've been asking about it on other message boards and the only suggestion that I have had is Beverly Hills 90210 - which does not really fit with the material.

Al's Handlink - It may well be an episode of the X-Files since I have not seen them all - there is a whole bunch of eps that I have not seen. It was shown around 9pm, around the time X-Files was shown on BBC2 and for some reason I had the impression this scary scene was shown on channel 4, but I think I could be wrong. I'll try asking on an X-Files message board and see what they come up with. I'll post whatever I find back on this topic for those who are curious ( if you are a horror type :) ).
 
I've got a response from an X-Files board also saying that it does not sound like anything seen on X-Files.

Where do I go next ?

I managed to find a board on scifi.com - they seem to have many shows listed, including Outer Limits (another possibility). If I post it there in their General Topic forum, someone might have the answer.

I tried a search on Google with a number of words, but no results have produced any pictures or descriptions of this. I find it so weird that I can't find it because its not something you forget.

Its like that transporter accident scene in Star Trek: Motion Picture that haunted me for ages because it was so discusting.
 
Nightmare...

I'm a Horror type, but I never saw anything like that (on a TV series), so it definately was film material (TV series censorships don't let that happen on a scene):


Just two films where I've seen that kind of stuff are these ones:


1) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors.
2) Brainscan.


In both films, the guy's having a nightmare when the... painful... thing happens to him. Hope this helps.


In my whole horror life nothing traumatized me until I watched a scene from Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Child, where that guy Krueger force-feeds a girl with her own... God!, stomach... But well, there are from Horrors to horrors. Horror doesn't have to be like that all the time. I've come to the conclussion that "Nightmare on elm" movies are just garbage. Nothing compares with The Shining, for example, or The Sixth Sense, Salem's Lot, The Others, or a good psychological thriller/horror, like Misery. The point is, something really gross can scare you the first time you watch it, but it's something cheap... The people who make those things, like Craven, or Williamson (and all those slashers), don't know that real horror, real scares, real panic, are always caused by what you don't actually see.
 
That is why I think that the First Blair Witch Project was so brilliant. They filmed it in 16MM film and it was completely impov. It didn't rely on cheesy special effects. It relied on the phycological terror and therefore, for a time, was my favorite horror movie. The only problem with that type of movie, is that it is only scary once. Once you know what is happening, it's nothing.
 
Neat thing about Blair Witch, too is that each day the cast was given a sealed envelope with info about their character or situation or goal for that day's filming, and they were not to share any of it with the others except as situations called for in character.
 
Sauron -

1) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors.
2) Brainscan.

I don't think I've seen Elm Street 3, but I've seen one or two of them. I will watch for it.

As for Brainscan, it was suggested on another board and I ordered it on budget DVD so that I could find out and to see the film since the name is familiar. Someone else posted a reply on that board stating that it was not Brainscan, but if it isn't then at least I get to see the film since it does ring that bell.

It could be that I am crossing wires with Brainstorm which I have not seen since I was a kid and I think that contained a scene with some guy in a chair having nightmares like the one I described.

For the others who have answered since:

I watched Westworld not long ago and thought that it was a decent film, since I've seen Futureworld many times over the years. Westworld was better than expected. The first two Alien films are the best in my opinion and I was just entering my teens when I first caught Aliens - it was talked about a lot at school with most of my mates doing the knife-finger thing that Bishop did - or at least tried too :D.

I don't watch a lot of horror movies because they probably would play on my mind too much, but those that I do make time to watch I enjoy.

I have seen 95% of all Quantum Leap episodes and I think B**giemen is one of the episodes that I missed that I have never seen. I guess when the Season 3 set comes through the door I will end up watching that one first since I have wanted to see it for so many years. I heard its a good episode and things go wrong when people try to record it or there is bad reception when its aired. But I have Season 2 coming through the door in a day or so time, so that will keep me busy until then.
 
Thanks to the original "Alien", I am now able to control what happens when I'm asleep and dreaming like Neo does in "The Matrix" films. It took a week of being killed by the stupid alien before I said "no more".
IMO, the second film, "Aliens", is the best one of the franchise.
 
Horror...

I was confused with Brainscan, BlueSovereign. I saw it again last night, and there's not the scene you described. Elm Street 3 has veins too, but it has nothing to do with surgeons or brainscanners, I was so confused, sorry. The scene takes place in a hospital too, but it's a sleepwalking dream sequence, and with veins it's a little bit horrible, but if you're gonna watch it, judge by yourself.

As for the Horror genre in general, it's cool you mentioned The Boogiem*n, because thanks to that episode, I started to like it. I first started to search for that guy in the plymouth (King, Stephen) and wow, his books are amazing, then I tried movies, some other authors, modern and old... Awesome genre! It doesn't have so much credit because of the modern bad/cliched movies, and the slasher era (80's), and because when you mention something about liking the horror genre to anybody, the first thing they think is about Freddy Krueger, or Jason, or Mayers, but that's not all about.

Veteran horror fans know that Horror genre doesn't always mean blood or guts. It has to have something more, like a deep story. Something that involves human relationships. Something that can freak you out without even show you one single drop of blood or violence (Bradbury, Ray - Allan Poe, Edgar). That's why Night Gallery or the original Twilight Zone are some of the best shows ever.

The Boogiem*an was a good Mystery/Horror episode. Ruppenthal, Chris is a very good television writer. He also wrote some eps. for the X-files and The Outer Limits, and never misses the point (what some writers in OL do).

Another genre who's got a lot of horror incrustations (in fact, every genre, even Comedy, has; but this I'm gonna mention got more) is the Thriller. A great Thriller/Horror ep. in QL is Dreams. I just love the writer, Pratt, Deborah. The Boogiem*an can freak you out maybe the first time you watch it, but Dreams everytime you put it on. Why? Because it's something psychological. It gets on your nerves. Some films/books, can do that too...

PS. I have The Boogiem*n here, I can send it to you if you want.
 
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spaceflight101 - Although I'm all for another Alien movie, Alien 5: Whatever, it must be the last and have a large story line that could take place on a futuristic Earth. I think Alien 5 should continue from Alien 4: Resurrection with some eggs surviving the crash of the ship. It could be one of the best in the series if executed right because it takes place on Earth and here you have a whole planet of people to inpregnate with a large number of Queen's etc. It could culminate in a huge ending to the whole saga and must be grand in scope. Unlike the premise of the Alien 3 movie making out to be the final one with Ripley dying etc, this one must do it well so that there can be no continuation. I think after 5 movies it would be time to retire, but to me its because I've been watching them from time to time for 15 years.

Sauron - Its a shame that Brainscan wasn't the one. I find it so strange that no-one else seems to remember that scene I described because it is original and does really terrify you. It may not of taken place in a movie, but some drama that might not be sci-fi at all, just a nightmare sequence in any type of genre. I hope that with Google putting searchable TV clips on-line I could find it there when they do that.

" Elm Street 3 has veins too, but it has nothing to do with surgeons or brainscanners, I was so confused, sorry. The scene takes place in a hospital too, but it's a sleepwalking dream sequence, and with veins it's a little bit horrible, but if you're gonna watch it, judge by yourself."

Could you tell me more about this scene in Elm Street 3 ? It sounds like something similar to what I describe, but without the bells and whistles as you say.

Its a very large mystery to me because I was wondering why that guy was struggling with the surgeons and then these veins just start to burst out all over the place, even through his clothes and out of his heart. I really don't have any clue as to what its all about, just that it could be a nightmare.

I would be very interested to get my hands on B**giemen if its no trouble, since I have broadband, :cheers !
 
Elm Street 3 veins scene...

Well, all those kids are in a mental hospital, I guess. They're all too weird teens. This particular guy loves marionettes and that sort of things. He's a puppeteer... But he is also a chronic sleepwalker...

One night, he falls asleep and then one little marionette he has in his bedroom, turns into Freddy Krueger. Almost immediately, Freddy slices the guy open, making long vertical gouges across his arms and legs, while the guy lies helpless in bed. Freddy seems to dissapear, but his power makes the guy's veins go to the ceiling, or something like that (veins from legs and arms), and this makes him get out of the bed. Krueger's power is manipulating the guy like a marionette now... The guy starts to walk down the hall and towards one of the hospital bell towers, always with his dream veins up. He crosses the door without even opening it. Nobody (nurses, doctors, hospital security) seems to care, because they know he always sleepwalks..., except his weird teen friends, who know that something's wrong. But it's too late when they notice that, and once the guy gets to the hospital bell tower, all of his friends are reunited down there, in a window that's not close enough to the tower to save him, because it's in the other side of the hospital, but they can still see his friend, though. They all start screming to him to wake up, and not to continue walking or he'll fall from the tower, but the guy's still asleep, and a giant Freddy appears later over the tower, laughing and still manipulating the kid's veins, now with his own hands. He finally cuts the guy's veins with his glove and the guy falls from the tower, dying.

So now you see it's a death scene. The guy here never woke up again.

PS. Maybe the scene you described was in the new Twilight Zone. Search for it, the 2002 TZ series... Or maybe The Dead Zone.
 
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Sauron - Got B**giemen of internet, see PM.

That Elm Street 3 sequence sounds like it would make me sick, but would still like to watch it when they put it back on tv.

I will get to try those searches you suggested, I think since the scene aired on UK TV in 1998 it will be material released before then. Unless I caught a trailer or something, I think it was about a minute long though.
 
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I'll help you...

I'll try to search something too...

Oh, and Elm Street's scene, nah, it sounds like that, but it's pretty corny and lame, like all the Elm movies, really.
 
Sauron said:
I'll try to search something too...

Oh, and Elm Street's scene, nah, it sounds like that, but it's pretty corny and lame, like all the Elm movies, really.

I hope you manage to find something interesting, it may be an idea to try the same searches on different engines like altavista, yahoo and google - that should increase chances of finding something. All I got so far were photos of people in brainscanners and stuff - I'll keep going though, there must be something in a review or article that has been published over the past decade or so that might point a finger at what it can be.

As for Elm Street, its hardly ever shown on TV repeats anymore. We get a lot of sub-standard programming over here in the UK, with a few gems sprinkled here and there. Makes me wish I had Sky TV. I do remember one scene in Elm Street where that lad is watching TV and listening to music in his room and he gets pulled into his bed screaming for his mum with blood spurting onto the ceiling afterward - I don't know if its me but I find that one funny, especially when he takes the TV set with him wherever he goes.
 
Hi again, Sovereign, huh, I'll need some details, like, huh, names (cities, places, how they were calling the guy when he woke up and the next day he was with his friends or something, offices), well, that kind of stuff, if you saw something or heard something... The only title I've found with keywords like: "vein, brain-scan, surgeon, dream secuence, nightmare, nightmare-that-comes-true, dream, brain surgery" is THE EXORCIST. It doesn't make any sense, it's an early 70's movie, and there are not so much young people, nor the scene you described.
 
"Hi again, Sovereign, huh, I'll need some details, like, huh, names (cities, places, how they were calling the guy when he woke up and the next day he was with his friends or something, offices), well, that kind of stuff, if you saw something or heard something... "

Sidenote: Sovereign - a gold coin. a king or queen can be called a Sovereign. Not only that, I just like the word and my favourite colour is blue :)

I still have not found a thing. But one last place, askjeeves.com, is usually very good for finding things. I don't usually use that search engine, but I'll try anyway. When I have posted my request on other boards, people seem to be scratching their heads trying to give me an answer.

The thing is, what I have described in the first post is all I know and its not a lot to go on but then again what I saw on TV did not last very long and it must have been in the middle of a film or TV drama. When I had got myself a drink of tea and sat down, it just appeard in the screen with this blue room with a brainscanner in. A few seconds later these surgeons barge in carrying this squirming guy who appears to be very frightened and I thought they were about to operate on him and he was panicking. They pinned him down on the table in front of the scanner and then his veins (blue and red) burst out of where his heart is, then his stomach and neck and lastly his arms, legs and forehead. Some go though the camera which was a strange effect and the surgeons grab some of the veins as they are bursting and look in shock, especially as the ones bursting out of this guy's head were going into the scanner. He had blue jeans on with a white and black speckled jumper (which I distinctly remember) and appeared to be in late teens. The only dialogue that I can remember is the guy screaming for help during parts of the sequence. That's it, nothing else. It was a very scary scene in that it looked very real and it left me stunned with many questions about what it was all about. I would like to see it again, but from the start so that I have my questions answered - it won't go away.

"The only title I've found with keywords like: "vein, brain-scan, surgeon, dream secuence, nightmare, nightmare-that-comes-true, dream, brain surgery" is THE EXORCIST. It doesn't make any sense, it's an early 70's movie, and there are not so much young people, nor the scene you described."

I have one possible source, it could be in a film called "Brainstorm" a 1983 film about a device that can record dreams and allow people to experience recorded dreams.

"http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0085271/"

- is the link to what its all about and I know you can get it on DVD in Region 1 cheap, the thing is I'm in Region 2 and I can't get the R2 version anywhere to check.

I'll try askjeeves at somepoint anyway and see what I get.
 
Sauron said:
Watch "Brainstorm (1983)". Hope it is the one.

I've got a DVD retailer looking for the R2 version to sell to me, they are going to track down a copy for me.

I have read reviews about this film and it comes across as one to watch. I was going to record this off the TV one time some years back, but I was too tired to set-up the VCR and missed it. Hopefully if I don't get the DVD, it will be on TV again at some point in the future. Fingers crossed.