The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)


I don't know what it is about movies that feature disembodied heads or brains.  The idea has a certain prurient attraction, but only Re-Animator seemed to get it right.  Otherwise, the fear of being a helpless head - or the fear of that head not being so helpless - results in some rather dull films.  The Brain That Wouldn't Die almost got it right, but writer/director Joseph Green still managed to fumble in the end.

Dr. Bill Cortner (Jason Evers) is a brilliant doctor obsessed with prolonging human life.  He hopes to make transplants universally viable.  His father (Bruce Brighton) is concerned that he is going in directions he shouldn't, especially since amputated limbs keep coming up missing at the hospital.  It turns out that Cortner is using them for experiments at his family's country house.  When he gets an urgent call from his assistant Kurt (Anthony La Penna) he borrows his fiancé  Jan's  (Virginia Leith) car and takes her with him to see what is wrong.  While driving on a mountain road Dr. Cortner loses control and Jan is killed.  He is, however, able to rescue her head.

He brings the head back to the country home and brings it temporarily back to life, hoping to find a new body for her within the next 48 hours.  The problem is Jan is not happy about being saved and, once she discovers that Dr. Cortner's serum has given her certain mental powers, plots her revenge.  

This is one of the more famous movies that was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, being the first with Mike Nelson after original host Joel Hodgson departed the Satellite of Love.  No matter how serious Green was in making the film his main monster would forever be known as "Jan in the Pan" going forward.  Truth is, although Virginia Leith hated making this film, she is the highlight of the movie.  Her pleas of "Just let me die" are quite effective and she does a better job in her role than one would expect.

Jason Evers is also quite good as the amoral Dr. Bill Cortner.  He delivers his lines in a deadpan manner, particularly when Cortner is stalking young women to find the right body for Jan.  For someone so concerned about preserving life he has no compunction about ending it, and his attempts to convince a lonely lesbian woman named Doris (Adele Lamont) to submit to his experiments erases any sympathy one may have for him.  There is also the matter of a thing locked in a closet which Jan manages to make a connection with, which is the sum of all of Cortner's failed transplant experiments.  The reveal is surprisingly well done.

The problem with this isn't the lack of budget or some misguided attempts at humor, such as the fight between the two strippers.  It is, instead, that The Brain That Wouldn't Die is dialog-heavy.  Everyone wants to give speeches, and everyone gets to make their speech.  It goes on and on instead of any action.  It is a prime example of why one should show, not tell, when making a movie.  This was never going to be a great, world-changing film, and the need to restore life to a lost love is the basis for quite a few mad scientist movies.  This has some rather surprising gore effects for the time when things do happen, and it could have been an entertaining drive-in film, but too much time is wasted in conversation rather than in things happening.

It still isn't that bad and, when things do happen, it's pretty good for the low budget.  It is just that more things needed to happen and, since Cortner already is a cad, it would not have hurt to have him turn into a serial killer toward the end with several botched attempts to get a body.  It could have been played for horror, comedy or both.  It would have been much more entertaining than him and the rest of the cast bloviating throughout.

The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
Time: 82 minutes
Starring: Jason Evers, Virginia Leith, Anthony La Penna, Adele Lamont
Director: Joseph Green 



 

Comments

  1. PT DillowaySeptember 20, 2024 at 6:07 AM

    Brain in a pan would have been a good title too; just don't get it too hot or she'll start cooking. I think I have the MST episode on DVD from a set with one or more I wanted more. I think as well that Rifftrax did this some point recently with Mary Jo Pehl and Bridget Nelson.

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