The Brain That Wouldn't Die

1962 science fiction horror film
Rating: 4/20

Plot: An arrogant surgeon, the son of a level-headed surgeon, has been experimenting with reanimation and limb transplant in his father's summer cabin. He decides to take his gal up to the cabin. His reckless driving, however, leads to her decapitation. Oh, snap! The surgeon (completely unharmed, by the way) manages to save her head, but the rest of her is consumed by fire. Luckily for him, he's an arrogant surgeon who's been experimenting with reanimation and limb transplant in his father's summer cabin. That's lucky for the rest of us, too, since the movie wouldn't have much of a plot without all that. The woman, or actually just her head, sits in some kind of casserole dish and complains. Typical woman's head. The surgeon runs to strip clubs and lurks in the streets trying to find a brand new hot body for his woman. His assistant, a guy whose gnarled left arm is a reminder that the arrogant surgeon hasn't had much success with his experiments, and some creature (a creature who looks a whole lot like that ugly guy in The Goonies) locked in a closet are also involved.

Fantastic cinema. You know you're watching something brilliant when the credits can't even get the name of the film right. The end credits called it The Head That Wouldn't Die while the opening credits had the other title. Brilliantly written and acted, this gem (filmed in 1959 but released three years later because it was just too good for 1959) combines grace with more grace. And while the raw horror is enough to tweak my waxy nips, there's also subtle humor, ingenious effects, and great (possibly plundered) music. Inspired genius.