When AIP was at its peak they were releasing all sorts of
movies headed for drive ins and grindhouse theaters across the country. As
things began to slow down they reached out to other genres like the
Blaxploitation films of the seventies as well. So when you take the mad
scientist sci-fi film and combine it with that genre what do you get? Of
course, this movie.
Actor Ray Milland, who had seen better days and seemed to be
in several AIP movies to make money as he aged, is Dr. Maxwell Kirshner, a
scientist who no longer operates due to a degenerative disease he has acquired.
The institute he founded is the leading location in the country for transplant
surgery. But behind the doors of his mansion he has other experiments
progressing. Of course the main one involves transplanting the head of one
animal onto the body of another so that two heads are found, the replacement
head sharing the body until it takes over. At that time the original head is
removed, in theory.
Kirshner has performed this surgery on a gorilla and so far
so good. He brings in Dr. Desmond (Roger Perry) to assist, informing him at
that time that he doesn’t have long to live. With the surgery a success he’s
hoping to find a donor body so that when he dies he can have Desmond transfer
his head to a new body.
At the same time Kirshner welcomes a new staff member to the
institute he runs. Perhaps welcome isn’t quite the word though. The new doctor,
Dr. Fred Williams (Don Marshall), is black and Kirshner hem haws around at
first but his prejudice against blacks is soon obvious. Williams takes the job
for the time being with the intent of leaving as soon as possible.
Things escalate and Kirshner soon finds himself in dire need
of a donor. Desmond reaches out to a few political friends and they set up
offering the position to donate their bodies to science to the inmates on death
row. One inmate, Jack Moss (Rosie Grier) takes the opportunity as he sits down
in the electric chair. Transferred to the Kirshner mansion where Kirshner is
already on life support, the surgery begins.
Needless to say this is where the humor kicks in. As
Kirshner awakes while his “other head” is still sedated, he looks down to see
his hand is black. With a disgusted look he asks Desmond if this is some kind
of joke. Informed that this was the only donor available he learns to live with
it for the moment with the hope of changing bodies once again at a later date.
But when Jack wakes up to discover what has happened his
reaction is less favorable. His hope was to stay alive long enough to prove
that he was framed. Now he finds that he may not only lose his life but his
body as well. When the time is right, he sedates his nurse and escapes the
mansion. From here it becomes a lengthy car chase that offers nearly as many
car crashes and explosions as the hottest crash filled films of the time.
During his escape Jack took Dr. Williams hostage in the hope
he could remedy the situation. Finding plenty to laugh at in Kirshner’s
predicament, Williams agrees. What happens in the end offers a final commentary
on race relations when it comes to exploitation films.
This is not Oscar material here folks but what it is is a
funny movie that offers a great example of both genres that have been combined.
It never goes too far into either and details be damned when it comes to
surgery that can accomplish this feat in “less than 30 minutes”. Grier was
never a thespian of the highest order but he handles himself well here. Milland
had seen better days as an actor but his crotchety old man routine works well
in this situation. The effects are actually quite good for a movie with this
small of a budgeter. In the end all combine to make a movie that is actually
better than could be expected and one that would make a great night of drive in
style fun should you wish to schedule an evening of movies from that genre.
The Olive Films edition just released presents the movie in
blu-ray format with a solid picture quality considering the source material. As
with most Olive releases there are no extras involved, instead focusing on the
blu-ray release itself.
Click here to order.
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