The Brain (1964)

A stodgy retelling of the classic sci-fi novel, DONOVAN'S BRAIN. Disembodied brains were all the rage when this film was made, with the likes of THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE and various Hammer Frankenstein movies playing with the possibility of life after death. However, this being a UK/West Germany co-production, the narrative actually has far more in common with the German krimi genre than a typical sci-fi movie.The narrative sees a millionaire being blown up in a plane crash, and it soon transpires that there was a bomb on board. Novelty value comes from the millionaire's brain being used to hunt down the culprits responsible, and he does so by possessing the body of the man (Peter van Eyck) keeping him alive.The sci-fi elements are kept to a minimum here, with the emphasis instead on the murder mystery genre. As with many krimi films, stark black and white photography is the order of the day, with the cast populated by criminals, detectives and femme fatales. Director Freddie Francis contributes atmosphere to the narrative but this is one of his lesser pieces.The story just doesn't have much in the way of oomph or excitement to it, even though there are a handful of decent moments. There are a couple of familiar faces in the cast, including Miles Malleson and Bernard Lee, but no performances here to get excited about. Definitely a potboiler, this one, and not a decent one either.

With a stellar cast of British character actors I was looking forward to seeing this film.Alas I was very disappointed.There are certain similarities to The Scorcerers but they are all invidious.The problem with this film was that it didn't seem to know what it really wanted to be.A thriller or sci fi or mad doctor,and as a result it fell between all of them and quite frankly was both boring and silly.In any event the idea of being able to reclaim the living brain of someone who has died in an aircraft explosion is a bit fantastic.Good to see the likes of Cecil Parker,Miles Malleson and Bernard Lee but otherwise not much else to keep your attention.

Freddy Francis directs another retelling of Donovan's Brain.This is the story of a rich SOB industrialist who is killed, however his brain is saved. As scientists try to study the still living organ the personality of the "dead" man begins to exert itself on those around the brain tank.Good, with expressive black and white photography, this too is a bit unremarkable and slightly dull, which is odd considering Francis' films tend to have a bit more life in them, even when they are poor.Interesting to see Bernard Lee (M from the early Bonds) in a different sort of role. Not bad but not really the gripping drama I wanted at 2am to keep me awake...it put me out.

When I saw this movie it was, as you can assume from the language I'm typing this in, in English. Specifically, it was titled "The Brain." I personally thought that it was a good movie. However, I'm a fan of old science fiction movies in general. Many viewers who can't live without stunning visual effects and 3D surround-sound are doomed to disappointment with this one, and the fact that it was dubbed from German obviously detracts from the value of the movie somewhat, but in all it was a decent movie. The plot was somewhat more difficult to follow than that of other movies, but if you can follow (for instance) Buckaroo Bonzai, then it shouldn't be a problem.Still, I don't think I would mind seeing this movie turned into an episode of MST3K. It's just the type of thing that they would do.