The Man with Two Brains

Amusing spoof of mad doctor horror flicks with Steve Martin and Kathleen Turner

A brain surgeon and widower in Los Angeles (Steve Martin) unknowingly marries a malevolent gold-digger (Kathleen Turner), but stumbles upon a living female brain in Vienna in which he has an affinity (voiced by Sissy Spacek). David Warner is on hand as a mad doctor in Austria.

“The Man with Two Brains” (1983) is similar in style & humor to “The Jerk” (1979), obviously because it’s by the same director/actor team. It’s a nutty send-up of mad doctor flicks and is quietly amusing, but rarely laugh-out-loud funny.

The film scores pretty well on the feminine front showcasing voluptuous Turner in all her glory, tastefully. Randi Brooks is also on hand as Fran, but her voice is really annoying, lol (the voice of Fran, that is). There’s a little top nudity, but the film somehow eludes the rut of raunch.

I also appreciated the message at the end concerning the uncanny connection of soulmates that is so profound the physical no longer matters (much).

The movie runs 1 hour, 30 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles and Castle Green Apartments, Pasadena, California.

GRADE: B/B-