Skip to main content
Comedy Cult Classic

A brain transplant turns high school into a horror-comedy experiment gone wild.

BIG MONSTER ON CAMPUS

He has an electric personality

1998 · 1h 32m · R · Comedy / Horror / Science Fiction · IMDB TMDB

A student receives a serial killer's brain in a transplant after being thrown into a pool with no water in it.

Quick Answer

What is Big Monster on Campus about?

Big Monster on Campus is a 1998 American comedy-horror-science fiction film directed by Mitch Marcus about a high school student who reanimates a classmate using a serial killer's brain, leading to chaos among students.

Programmer's Pick

What do you get when you cross teenage angst, a mad science hobby, and a brain labeled 'serial killer'? A Frankenstein riff that parties as hard as its reanimated antihero. Shelley Duvall and Judge Reinhold as the parents are the cherry on this twisted, undead sundae.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Set in Los Angeles, Big Monster on Campus follows Frank, a socially awkward high school student with a fixation on resurrecting the dead. When a prank at a house party ends in tragedy, Frank seizes the chance to put his obsession into practice by reanimating his deceased classmate Karl—with a brain pilfered from his scientist father's lab. As Karl returns to school with a new personality and unexpected popularity, Frank grows wary of the consequences of his experiment. The film juggles horror and comedy as it explores scientific ambition, high school rivalries, and the unpredictable results of tampering with life and death—all before prom night.

Details & Specs

Director
Mitch Marcus
Writer
Dave Payne
Release
1998
Runtime
1h 32m
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Also Known As
Teen Monster, Boltneck, Micul Frankestein

Why This Matters

This straight-to-video release is a teen comedy horror adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, notable for featuring a young Ryan Reynolds among its cast.
— SassyFlix Curator

Why Cult

Frankenstein High School

Classic monster-movie tropes get a teen comedy makeover as a brain transplant experiment goes spectacularly off-script in a modern high school.

Brain Swap Chaos

A serial killer’s brain ends up in a student’s head, turning a social outcast into the school’s most unpredictable wild card.

Halloween Party Hijinks

From house parties to Halloween mayhem, the film delivers gags and gore against a backdrop of school dances and teen drama.

Cult Cast Parents

Shelley Duvall and Judge Reinhold bring cult-movie cred as Frank’s quirky parents, adding a wink to genre fans.

Scene Gallery

Threat File

Trigger

Brain transplant after fatal accident

Threat

Student reanimated with serial killer's brain

Effect

Altered personality, violence, and chaos at school

Setting

High school and student parties

Questions from the Vault

Who directed Big Monster on Campus? +

Big Monster on Campus was directed by Mitch Marcus.

How long is Big Monster on Campus? +

Big Monster on Campus has a runtime of 92 minutes.

What genre is Big Monster on Campus? +

Big Monster on Campus is a comedy, horror, and science fiction film.

Where can I watch Big Monster on Campus? +

You can watch Big Monster on Campus on SassyFlix.

Whose brain does Frank use to reanimate Karl, and how does it change him? +

Frank uses the brain of a murderer named Skeeter Wayne Dobbs, which leads to Karl exhibiting new and dangerous behaviors at school.

Trailers & Clips