Brain of Blood (1971)

It didn't take many brains to create this grind-house gore-fest which has some truly funny moments of delicious bad taste. The story is supposed to surround the leader of a Muslim country who needs a new body and ends up in a real madhouse that includes all sorts of Hollywood veterans whose primary goal it seems to be to make their absolutely worst movie. What they end up with is a total hoot, an amalgamation of political thriller meets science fiction mad doctor creeper to an obvious attempt to create an instant cult classic. Angelo Rossito, the temperamental dwarf side- kick to Bela Lugosi in Monogram potboilers of the 1940's, eats up his part with relish, spouting God awful dialog like a camp pro, garnering laughs every chance he gets. His role stands out over veterans Grant Williams, Kent Taylor and Reed Hadley.Mixing in car chases, dumb hillbillies, captured damsels in distress and several other creepy types, this has a sequence where a young girl is drained of blood that strangely looks like Ragu. Other than the actor playing the dictator's right- hand man, the others playing Muslims do not look the part in the least, particularly the bleached blonde who is obviously his mistress. At times, this tries to sound profound and fails miserably. An obvious toy spider is made to appear to be a real one. With visual howls like this, you have to wonder if the writers were attempting to make a spoof because such moronic plot devices just don't seem to have been accidental.Plot wise, this moves all over the place, developing so many different themes and moods that it seems like half a dozen different movies rolled into one. The operation sequences are rather gross, the face of what the dictator ends up looking like appears to be a combination of plaster of Paris and oatmeal. Hammy Rosito hadn't seemed to have had such fun since he danced across the table with a goblet in "Freaks". This ranks as being so bad that it comes off as irresistible, sort of like the wild animal that is so ugly, it's cute.

Since two of Al Adamson's previous monstrosities, "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" and "Horror of the Blood Monsters," both from 1971, are two of the very worst films that I have ever suffered through, it was with a distinct feeling of what I can only call cinematic masochism that I sat down to watch his 1972 offering, "Brain of Blood." And guess what? The impossible has happened, and I've finally seen an Al Adamson movie that I actually liked! While no one could honestly call "Brain of Blood" a good, well-made picture, at least it has a story that we can follow, hangs together fairly decently, and is actually fun and entertaining to watch, unlike the torture dished out by those previous films. The story here concerns one Dr. Trenton (Kent Taylor, the star of 1968's "Brides of Blood"), who successfully transplants the brain of Amir, leader of the fictitious country of Khalid, into a younger, stronger body. There is one catch, however: The only body available belonged to Gor, Trenton's hulking, imbecilic, acid-scarred servant. And that's when the fun and games begin! As if a deformed monster weren't enough, the film throws in a gross-out surgical sequence, a high-speed car chase, a well-choreographed rooftop dukeout, assorted murders, explosions, corpses, an over-sized spider and on and on. Three members of "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" return here: the maniacal little person Angelo Rossitto, who here delights in torturing some female prisoners in the basement; the blonde gargoyle known as Regina Carrol; and Zandor Vorkov, the blue-faced Dracula himself. Gor, it must be said, looks absolutely ridiculous, his scarred-puss makeup job resembling nothing more than a rubber bathing cap with a side flap. Still, despite everything, the film works, and coming from Adamson as it does, must be deemed a minor miracle. Now: Should I try his 1978 opus, "Nurse Sherri"?

This film revolves around an Arabian leader (Amir) who dies and wants to live on. So a Dr. Lloyd Trenton is being paid to transplant Amirs brain into a "willing" participant. But in the Doctors basement his dwarf assistant Dorro (Angelo Rossitto) drains young girls blood for the doctors purposes. So meanwhile Doctor Llyod pays a man to kill the people who assisted Amir into the country (Which is Reed Hadley, Grant Williams, and various unknown bodyguards.). Grant is the only survivor when his car crashes off the road. While this has happened the doctors other assistant Gor is sent out to get a body for amir and hurts him so badly Dr.Llyod cant operate. Meanwhile, Grant finds Amirs "girlfriend" Regina Carrol and tells her his story. Grant sees the man who drove him off the road and Dorro kills him. Then since Gor failed to get a body D.r Llyod puts Amirs brain into Gors disfigured body. Then Grant and Regina go to the Doctors lab an------------------------SPOILERS------------------------- find out his secret. Soon Amir (Gor) are prancing around killing people and in the muddle of what I think is plot Dr.Llyod has a brain-ray gun which hurts Amir on command. It turns out Dr.Lloyd wants a country in which all scientists can work without law. So then Regina dies. and at the end Amirs new body (I think) say that it shall be a new country blah blah.I still don't get the ending but overall this was a very enjoyable piece of smelly cheese.This film features Grant Williams in his second to last film roll. I recommend it for any fan of Al Adamson or if you like Brains.

Another winner brought to everyone by the great Al Adamson. It's a must see for all Adamson fans. I enjoyed watching it throughly. I rate Adamson's film Dracula vs. Frankenstien number one in my book and this one is probably second or third. I really enjoy Adamson's work. It all starts off with a foreign leader dying of cancer. He knows an American Doctor who can transplant his brain into a healthy body and with plastic surgery can go back and rule his country like nothing had happened. After his death they take his body to the United States for the transplant. They remove his brain and send their friend Gor alias John Bloom to get a victim for the brain to be put in. But, he injures his victim's body to the point they can't do the transplant. So, the Doctor decides to put the brain into Gor. Gor is like a Lenny off of Mice and Men kind of dude who gets battery acid poured on his face by a bunch of deranged good old boy's. If you watch this movie there is a scene in it where Xandor Vorkov AKA Roger Engel is in a car that is being forced off the road by another one. Notice his really extreme facial reactions of being scared. I laughed my butt off when I seen it and maybe you will to. Well anyway when the transplant is complete the foreign leader is upset over his appearance and starts going off. And what it all boils down to is the Doctor has implanted a chip in his brain that can induce pain by the use of a remote device. The Doctor finally uses it to control him and tells him he wants to rule his country and captures and the leaders Doctor friend and puts the brain into his body. With plastic surgery he is leader all over again. And in the ending it shows him greeting his country. And appointing the Doctor some kind of extravagant medical title leaving you to be believe the Doctor is in full control of the situation. A true cult classic!