The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971)

Director: Anthony M. Lanza

Writers: James Gordon White, John Lawrence, Ross Massbaum

Composer: John Barber

Starring: Bruce Dern, Pat Priest, Casey Kasem, Albert Cole, Danny Bloom, Berry Kroeger, Larry Vincent, Jack Lester, Jerry Patterson, Darlene Duralia, Raymond Thorne, Gary Kent, Mary Ellen Clawsen

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Two heads crafted on the body of a giant... The most fearsome living force ever created by man.

Plot:  Dr. Roger Girard is a rich scientist conducting experiments on head transplantation. His caretaker has a son, Danny, who, although fully grown, has the mind of child. One day an escaped psycho-killer invades Girard's home, killing Danny's father before being gunned down himself. With the maniac dying and Danny deeply unsettled by his father's death, Dr. Girard decides to take the final step and transplant the killer's head onto Danny's body. Of course, things go horribly wrong and the two-headed creature escapes to terrorize the countryside.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

This is the first of two AIP flicks that run with the gimmick of transplanting a second head onto a victim.  The other is THE THING WITH TWO HEADS (1972) which came a year later and it's a better film.  What you get with this one is Bruce Dern in an earnest performance.  I dig that guy.  I've never seen him phone in a role.  Of the two pictures this one is a straight up horror movie.  It's not as fun as the other but it's not as bad as the internet says either.  There are the predictable slow spots but it is entertaining with the interesting cast (Casey Kasen, Pat "Marilyn Munster" Priest and the impressively tall 7'4" Danny Bloom who plays the head/body creature) and there are a few non-bloody kills.  This one has more of a Frankenstein vibe but I dig that the other head is from a psychotic serial killer (looking like a freaky Warren Oates).  It's not all that bad and it would've been great to see this forty years ago at the drive-in (hell, I'd still go see it at the drive-in) but I can't see watching it again.  It's alright but, well, you know.  The MGM Midnite Movies double feature DVD has this on one side (anamorphic widescreen and with the anamorphic widescreen trailer) with THE THING WITH TWO HEADS (1972) (NON-anamorphic widescreen, also with the non-anamorphic widescreen trailer) on the other side.  I've had the DVD for over a decade and I'm glad I finally got around to seeing them both.