Stream it now The Brain That Wouldn't Die 1962

 

A short B-movie with a very interesting story. The ending was refreshing because it wasn't just an average ending, it was a realistic ending that had a set up.

Not Rated

A cheap Frankenstein rip- off, that never really took off, the plot had potential to be interesting and thought provoking but it never was. I just hope that they won't remake this film in the near future

It's so amazingly bad that it could even be quite good. Unfortunately it doesn't bring us that kind of emotions that Ed Wood's films bring. It lacks in absurdity and in construction. All in all it's just bad, and really boring film. 30% for carrying the head in a towel:D

A short B-movie with a story and cheese. So easy to watch and entertaining is what makes this movie pure smart candy.

Not Rated

This is a movie that ANYONE into science fiction needs to check out!

The plot of the movie is pretty simple: a doctor's soon-to-be-wife nearly dies, so he decides to take her head back to a lab, revive it, and find another body as a replacement.

The supporting acting cast, while at first they seem cheesey, do a great job in their roles. Once in a while you will see some mistakes, but the overall quality is quite excellent.

This movie is a Z-budget film in the sense that the special effects are wierd at best, even for 1962. The wifehead just plain creeps me out, and the "it" creature is a mysterious piece of living history.

However, while the special effects are strange, the visual results are spectacular. Well-executed stuff.

As far as the music soundtrack goes, it's not bad. I wouldn't buy a CD copy of it right away, but it goes in tune with the movie. If you have ever listened to the soundtrack of "Lost Boys," you'll know what I'm talking about.

Hilarious and fun, this is a movie that is so original and well-done that it deserves credit. And hell, I'll give them mine!

My Rating: 7.6 Sliced Cheeks out of 10 (GOOD)

Well it seems some people believe the MST versions are more entertaining than the original and this is probably true. And all these old B movies can be critisized and mocked for many reasons but still some stand out and are more than the sum of their parts. Brain that wouldn't Die is one of these films which is bad but in an entertaining and powerful way.

How is this movie powerful? Firstly it has some powerful images, the decapitated head in the dish all bandaged up is a cinematic image I've known most of my life, almost up there with King Kong or Dracula I'd say it's worked its way into a good portion of the cultural subconscious.

Secondly it does have a mad scientist exploring controversial themes and subject matter. He is "playing god" as all mad scientists feel they have the right to do. He also keeps the head of his lover alive despite her wishes and then goes on a body hunt for her. Some twisted and demented actions here kiddies.

The acting is competant, I do like Virginia Leith as JAN COMPTON, great job!

I like the strange and twisted story and characters. I like the music in the film and overall found it a good watch. Some great lines, great images, interesting story, ok acting, some attractive ladies and a monster locked in a room. For a Drive In "B" movie this is a gem.

I enjoyed it mostly. Much better than The Atomic Brain. If this were shortened to the length of an episode of an anthology series, It might be more palitable to more folks.

The severed head being kept alive and the male lead looking to provide a new body for his fiancee' reminded me of Frankenhooker.

A hilarious classic... but really not that great of a movie.

This not only is a good candidate for an MST3000 movie, it was an MST3000 movie. Where else can you find a mad doctor who drives like a maniac, kills his girlfriend in a wreck, then carries her decapitated head wrapped in his sport coat like Ladainian Tomlinson, across the meadows and through the woods to grandmothers house he goes. Touchdown!

Then he places the head in a baking sheet filled with kool aid and it begins to talk -- without any supporting breathing apparatus; that always amazes me.

Then he goes shopping for a replacement body at one of the most bizarre fashion shows I've ever seen. What a sick, sick man he is.

Honestly, I don't know which is funnier, the original or the MST3000 version. Either way, you will get some good chuckles watching this stinker.

For an even better take on this story line, Steve Martin's "The man with two brains" is one of the best.

I was really looking forward to seeing this film. In fact, I had even planned out my day in order to have time to watch it. (And I never plan out my days!) But, alas, I found it a bit too trashy and wierd to enjoy. Sure, the idea and the gore were great, but it was not enough to make this a good film.

Doctor Bill Cortner (Jason Evers), against his father's will, is carrying out horrible experiments in a cabin far out of the way of traffic. After an urgent call from his assistant in the cabin to him, at the hospital, he and his wife, Jan (Virginia Leith) drive extremely hurridly to the laboratory. But during the drive, Bill crashes, and rolls out . . . but Jan was trapped inside, grotesquely decapitated. Bill saved her head in his jacket, and ran the rest of the way to his lab. Immediately upon his arrival, he brings the head back to life in a pan, with wires and experimental formulas rushing through her head. As Bill rushes to find a body for his wife, who he loves very much, Jan finds that she has a new and frightening power . . .

The first scenes of the film were promising. As Bill saved a dying man by using electricity, the gore effects and the acting were quite good. In act, I believed that it was introducing characters quite well. But after Bill and his wife drive down very dangerous roads at a ridiculously high speed, the film started to get too corny and stupid for me.

The direction of the film is fine. Actually, in some parts, it is excellent. Joseph Green had a unique vision of this story, and at times, he could completely pull you into the film. But being pulled into a film that is put together almost like a strange pornography movie is a little wierd and unpleasant. I found some parts a little too over-the-top for me, and some parts were heavily restrained, like they were afraid of showing too much gore.

The acting in the film was okay, but the two strippers and some of the other girls that Bill looked at couldn't act to save their lives. But they were beautiful enough so that it didn't hurt the film too much. But the film was hurt in a lot of areas. Some of the makeup used in the film, especially for the monster in the closet, looked too cheap to be shocking. But the scene in which Bill's assistant, Kurt (Leslie Daniels), "gets his" was made very well, and was effective.

But there were too many negative parts of the film to make it a good watch for me. It is a cult classic, but I am not part of the small group of people who love this film. But it may appeal to you.