Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1984)

I've shown this film to friends WITHOUT the MST3K commentary and they LOVED IT!!! There was a time when I watched this film over and over because I was so addicted to it.Raul Julia really carries this film. His acting is charming and fun and it's probably my favorite performance by him! Yes the special effects are campy and the computer art is cheap but that only makes it better and more hilarious :)The perfect made-for-TV camp Sci-Fi movie. I really love what people are able to accomplish with a little imagination on a budget, and I also love the cheap 80's vision of the future that makes me want to visit.Love love love! This film also makes me want to read the short story it came from.Seriously, I really love this movie and so do many of my friends :) PS. I like the MST3K version as well, but one of the reasons it's such a great episode is because this film already stands on it's own.

Oh gosh, where to start with this one? Created for public television, this sci-fi thriller has the look and feel of a cheap made-for-TV movie. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, in this case it is sadly. The story is vaguely reminiscent of THE MATRIX. A computer programmer, Aram Fingal (oh right!), discovers he's trapped inside a computer program as a female technician named Apollonia James (huh, what's with the weird names?) attempts to bring him back to the real world. But all is not well, because Fingal discovers he can access restricted files in the system, which has drastic consequences on the outside world. So the chairman named Walenda Irving (seriously stop with the odd names!), along with his minions, try to stop him. The always wonderful Raul Julia masterfully plays his dual roles as Fingal and as Rick from CASABLANCA, with the right amount of humor and professionalism. Acting-wise, the other performances are mainly good. But still, it all feels like a waste of perfectly good talent. The special computer graphic effects are lackluster at best. But sometimes, they look downright atrocious. And the script is a mixed bag of flat humor, scifi techno babble, and inane conversations. But all is not lost, if the film is seen as an unintentional comedy. I particularly found the fat chairman very humorous. For anyone who has not seen MST3K's version of this film, get it right now. I swear, with their comments, the chairman is perhaps the funniest villain in movie history!

I'm giving this movie a 10, not because it's a classic, but because for the B-movie genre, it's one of the best I've ever seen. The cheesy computer effects are hilarious. It's one of those films where you wonder "How much weirder is this going to get?" If you can get into the mind of a sentimental dreamer, this won't disappoint. How can you resist Julia dressed as Humphrey Bogart? Pure, asinine genius. If you go into this with a sense of humor. It's a lot of fun. Even with it's obvious continuity flaws it manages to entertain. If you like anteaters, be forewarned. There's a lot of anteater bashing. The plot is like a low-budget "Total Recall." Heat the popcorn and get ready to laugh.

Dull! Ohmigawd, dull, dull, dull. This movie is so painfully slow-moving, you'll long for the action scenes in "Monster-A-Go-Go" Here's a tip, there aren't any.) Two things first: One, this movie was financed by your public dollars. Two, it was originally aired on P.B.S. And all I can say is, for Gods sake guys, stick to "Antiques Roadshow" or civil war documentaries, or..or..ANYTHING BUT THIS!!Rial or Raul or whatever the Hell his name is (I'm damned if I'm going to go through this thing again to find out)is "The Desk Jockey Of The Future!!" who is being punished for basically being a day-dreamer. So, his brain is put into an anteater to "give him some rest" Thats right, forget the verbal warning, we'll just transplant your brain! Only, a kid on a school field trip (Through a "brain-transplant" facility? We just went to the Hostess Twinkie factory.)swaps his tag, and wackieness ensues. Or, it would in a real movie. In this case, painful, skull-crushing, mind-numbing boredom ensues.Now, since God knows I wouldn't want to spoil the plot(?) for you...many homages are made to "Casablanca", his dead mother shows up, he robs a major corporation of millions of dollars (I'm sorry, "flavo-fibes" or whatever)and many poorly executed 80's computer effects are used.(All done on a Commodore-64, I think)And yet, through all of this, NOTHING HAPPENS!!! You'll find yourself wondering if you remembered to feed the dog, or wash out a clean pair of socks for work tomorrow, because your poor brain will be hiding in the back corner of your skull to escape the relentless tedium onslaught of this film.MST3K took on this film, and even they were beaten. Mow your yard then watch it grow, have a new drive-way poured and watch it set, paint a wall and watch it dry...If you can find a duller way to kill an hour and a half than this film I don't even want to know what it is.