The Man With The Severed Head

THE MAN WITH THE SEVERED HEAD (DVD)
Arrow Video

Release date: October 10th, 2011
Certificate (UK): 18
Running time: 86 minutes

Year of production: 1973

Country of origin: France/Spain
Original language: Spanish with English subtitles

Writer and director: Juan Fortuny
Composer: Ennio Morricone

Cast: Paul Naschy, Sylvia Solar, Victor Israel

The name alone, The Man With The Severed Head, is cause for hope, and indeed, hopes were high. I wondered what kind of macabre story this obscure 1973 surgical horror film would yield. I even strained my brain to imagine what twisted images it would throw at me.

After a botched jewellery heist, Jack Surnett (Naschy) finds himself with a bullet in his brain. His friends can’t very well take him to a hospital as there’ll be too many questions; their only other option involves a highly experimental medical procedure.

Professor Teets’ (Ricardo Palmerola) idea is to transplant Jack’s brain to another body, but the only way they can even attempt this is with another body at their at hand, but no one of course is willing to volunteer. So they hatch a plan to kill two birds with one stone, they’ll dispose of their enemy, The Sadist, and use his body for Jack’s brain.

Once the procedure is carried out, Jack begins to experience some unusual side effects which don’t bode well for his friends.

Given the films outrageous premise, it really comes as a surprise to find The Man With The Severed Head a dull and eventful movie. I had hoped the transplant itself would hold my attention, but it could barely hold me in my seat as I sank lower and lower, becoming more and more restless.

The Man With The Severed Head fell so far below what I was expecting. Its story is so nonsensical, made worse by its cast and dialogue and given the title, there is really no reason to see this film, not even to laugh at it, which is something you can do even with bad films like The Room (2003) or Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959).

The press release exclaims “From the dusty vaults of Eurociné, the production grindhouse that’s left a permanent stain on cinema’s reputation, ArrowDrome brings you The Man With The Severed Head” and it’s something I won’t argue with. I should have taken that as an indication of what to expect. It is a trashy film, but the kind that has nothing at too recommend, not even gore or atmosphere.

For those looking for much better surgical horrors, feast your eyes on Eyes Without a Face (1959) or Horror Rises from the Tomb (1973)!