Film collaborations have become a recurring part of Brain Dead’s output, connecting limited clothing collections with anniversaries, restorations and special screenings. Co-founder Kyle Ng had moved to Los Angeles to work in film and music videos, and his interest in cinema later informed Brain Dead Studios, the repertory venue the brand opened in the former Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax in 2020. Concerned by independent venues closing during the pandemic, Ng intended it as a more inclusive home for repertory cinema. Several of the collections featured here were subsequently accompanied by screenings at the theatre.
1. Angel’s Egg
To accompany the 40th anniversary and new 4K restoration of Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano’s Angel’s Egg, Brain Dead hosted a free Fairfax screening on January 23, 2026. An exclusive T-shirt using artwork from the 1985 film was sold at the event and offered through a 72-hour online presale. The release placed the product within the film’s theatrical return rather than treating it as separate anniversary merchandise.
2. The Big Lebowski
During a month of Coen Brothers programming in May 2024, The Big Lebowski screened at Fairfax on May 17. One week later, Brain Dead and Focus Features released a three-shirt capsule featuring new illustrations by underground cartoonist Johnny Ryan. His involvement connected the collection to the underground comics that have long informed Brain Dead’s graphic language. The screening and clothing release were presented as parts of the same Coen Brothers program.
3. Being John Malkovich
August 2024 was designated Spike Jonze Month at Brain Dead Studios, beginning with a screening of Being John Malkovich and followed by a collection marking its 25th anniversary. For the Business Card T-shirt, longtime Jonze collaborator Geoff McFetridge revived graphics he had created for the film’s production company, where they originally appeared on business cards and crew uniforms. McFetridge also noted that his Malkovich-head drawing coincidentally resembled Brain Dead’s later profile-head logo. The design originated in the film’s production archive rather than its poster or finished scenes.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The 20th anniversary of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind brought Brain Dead and Focus Features together in March 2024. Its capsule launched online and at Fairfax on March 29, two days before a screening at Brain Dead Studios. The collection referenced both the film and its fictional Lacuna Inc. company. LAist attended the screening and documented the audience, marquee and adjoining cafe, capturing how the anniversary operated as both a theatrical program and an apparel release.
5. The Substance
Later that year, a partnership with MUBI applied the same format to a current release. Brain Dead held a sold-out Fairfax screening of The Substance and released a limited long-sleeve T-shirt. It also arranged a 30-day MUBI trial through which viewers could watch the film alongside Coralie Fargeat’s 2017 debut, Revenge. Appearing soon after The Substance reached the platform, the project connected the physical screening to the director’s earlier work while the film was still building its original audience.
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