The Brain that Wouldn’t Die

Independent sci-fi horror with a rock-bottom budget (about $62,000), Joseph Green’s film – he even wrote the story and screenplay – indiscriminately regurgitates themes and situations lifted from the “Frankenstein” mythos and its countless twentieth-century imitators, first and foremost being Curt Siodmak’s “Donovan’s Brain” (1942).

When it comes to dealing with the ethical and professional questions concerning the boundaries of medical research and the legality of various methodologies, the story is frankly ludicrous, with the director merely serving up trite platitudes along the lines of: “Don’t try to play God. Some choices are not yours to make“; or: “The line between scientific genius and obsessive fanaticism is a thin one“.

Even so, the film works unexpectedly well as a product of pure entertainment. Perhaps credit goes to the morbid atmosphere and subtle eroticism that pervade the film, the surprisingly gruesome violence for the era, and the bizarre absurdity of certain situations (the cannibalistic monster conveniently locked in a lab closet, the telepathic powers that Jan’s head inexplicably acquires, the ridiculous dialogue between her and the mad doctor’s Igor-like deformed assistant, the fact that Jan can even talk at all without lungs and vocal cords…).

In fact, what with the non-stop gore and scenes showing sexy, scantily clad young ladies, “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” had a rough time with the censors, to the point that it took three years before it would even be screened (filmed in 1959, a cut version was finally distributed by AIP on a double bill with “Invasion of the Star Creatures” in 1962).

Several decades later, the most memorable scenes are undoubtedly still the ones featuring the monster’s violent rampage. The man behind the character was the gigantic Eddie Carmel, an actor with acromegaly, whose makeup for the role is reminiscent of the gross, schlocky style we’ll see in upcoming Troma films.

As for themes, compare and contrast with the West German film “The Head” (1959, original title: “Die Nackte und der Satan”), directed by Victor Trivas.