The Brain That Wouldn't Die movie review

June 28, 2007 10:23 AM

The Brain That Wouldn't Die is the best public domain movie I've seen all week. Abe Baker's spooky original jazz score is a staple in sci-fi B movies. The monster is played by Eddie Carmel, subject of Diane Arbus' A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y. 1970, in his first screen appearance. And I can't overlook the feminist take on this postwar gorefest. See for yourself.
posted by Chinese Jet Pilot (21 comments total)

And it made an appearance in Episode 342 of the American edition of "Whose Line is it Anyway?"
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:29 AM on June 28, 2007

"Very well, the corpse is yours. Do what you want to do."

I'm going to enjoy this.
posted by Jofus at 10:33 AM on June 28, 2007

Mike: So, then, the director's whole point, if I'm not mistaken, is, in this often cold and lonely world, don't reach out for love and human understanding, or you'll only become part of a grisly lab experiment.
Crow: Well, I think you're selling it short, Mike. There's also the strong anti-women message.
Tom: But, mostly it is a celebration of betrayal.
posted by Staggering Jack at 10:37 AM on June 28, 2007 [7 favorites]

Gorefest? I remember little to no gore. I guess MST3k did a lot more editing than they let on.
posted by DU at 10:51 AM on June 28, 2007

When I was a kid this was the Scariest Movie Ever as far as I was concerned. If I found out that it was even going to be on TV (it was in heavy late night low-power UHF station rotation back in the day) my bedroom light stayed on all night until the broadcast date was safely past. A couple of years ago my older sister, who used to tease me mercilessly during these periods of terror, gave me the DVD; my teenage children watched it and had a ROFL-fest, but I got creeped out still.
posted by squalor at 10:54 AM on June 28, 2007

I can't find the MST version online, but if you get a chance and you haven't already, do yourself a favor and watch it. It's Mike Nelson's first movie, and one of his very best.

"He's at the 30, the 20...he's going to go all the way!"
posted by Rangeboy at 11:02 AM on June 28, 2007

Also at the archive.
posted by the dief at 11:14 AM on June 28, 2007

Holy shit, yes. Jan in the pan!
posted by cog_nate at 11:28 AM on June 28, 2007

"You've been wonderful." "I'd rather be a bride." You know this is a quality movie.
posted by Cranberry at 1:17 PM on June 28, 2007

I watched this movie for the first time about half a year ago, and it's certainly funny how a movie that is apparently deconstructing the nature of exploitation ends up being so obviously exploitative. Oh sure, you can use the tools at hand to satire those tools, but this movie takes a little too much delight in using the tools.

I imagine the scenario as something out of Ed Wood: the director has a keen and insightful script that they just have to put up on the screen for the whole world to acknowledge, and the producer just wants a boob flick.
posted by Paragon at 2:10 PM on June 28, 2007 [1 favorite]

ive always been a big fan of this movie. its a late night favorite of our household. heh.
posted by stackmonster at 4:00 PM on June 28, 2007

"See this brain? It won't die!"
posted by JHarris at 7:37 PM on June 28, 2007

"Doesn't she need lungs?"

"No, she's got neck juice!"
posted by dirigibleman at 7:48 PM on June 28, 2007

"Ah looooove this place!"
posted by ZachsMind at 7:51 PM on June 28, 2007

"Lucy, I'm home OH LUCY OHMYGOD!"
posted by Snyder at 1:06 AM on June 29, 2007

"Did I mention there were ways?"
posted by ZachsMind at 7:10 PM on June 29, 2007

"Thanks, but I'm too cool for emergencies."
posted by Snyder at 4:36 AM on July 1, 2007

"Who's to tell me to blow if I don't want to?"
posted by ZachsMind at 3:52 PM on July 1, 2007

"You're going out with me, varmint!"
posted by Snyder at 12:02 PM on July 2, 2007

"Stop sign? What stop sign? Curve? What curve?"

"The road is attacking me!"
posted by ZachsMind at 8:09 PM on July 3, 2007

"Mmmm, Honey roasted!"
posted by Snyder at 11:35 PM on July 3, 2007