Leofwine_draca Steve Martin was certainly a quirky presence in 1980s Hollywood cinema and he was an integral part of some of my favourite movies, with PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES a strong contender for my favourite comedy of the decade. In THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS, he re-teams with THE JERK director Carl Reiner for a typically madcap story about an eminent brain surgeon who falls in love with a black widow.This is a joke-a-minute type of story that goes for broad laughs over realism. Martin is having a ball with his crazy character and his sheer energy is enough to win the viewer over from the very first scene. I've never been a fan of Kathleen Turner and she plays to type here as an ice-cold sociopathic character and when the two come together the sparks really fly.I enjoyed the bizarre aspects of the film and the references to previous 'disembodied brain' B-movies. Sissy Spacek's role is warm-hearted and thoroughly unique which comes as a real surprise. David Warner is full of quirkiness as the mad scientist type and the film's increasingly outlandish antics see things end on a real madcap high. While THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS isn't my favourite of Martin's comedies, it's certainly a memorable, high-energy watch.

mark.waltz A delicious black comedy along the lines of "Death Becomes Her", this practically forgotten Steve Martin farce is now going on to my list of one of the best comedies of the 1980s, as well as one of the best comedies you've probably never heard of. Steve Martin plays a widowed doctor who specializes in brain surgery and all of a sudden becomes enamored of the gorgeous Kathleen Turner who has just managed in a hysterical opening sequence to knock off her wealthy older husband. Spoofing her role in "Body Heat", Turner is deliciously evil, and seems to be have a wonderful time in playing this part. Martin, of course, does his usual schtick, but mixing science fiction elements with a spoof of film noir which he had already done recently with "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", he finds true love with a seemingly still living brain, voiced by none other than recent Oscar winner Sissy Spacek.A film clip of the 1953 science fiction film "Donovan's Brain" cast up his interest in experimenting, and features then first lady Nancy Davis Reagan in the archive clip. Verbal and visual sight gags a la "Airplane!" make this worth seeing over and over again.Among the visual highlights is Martin's checking out of a castle like house he wants to purchase, complete with laboratory and Turner's determination to get rid of anybody whom she can inherit money from. Her obvious plans of seducing the handsome Hispanic gardener is also very funny. Some surprise cameos along the way add to the hysterical moments that are frequent and sometimes pass by too fast to catch up on simply one viewing. Veteran director Carl Reiner practically outdoes himself in the delightful way he takes preposterous situations and makes them laugh out loud funny. I could not have seen this in the theater, because I think I would have been choking on my popcorn or spitting my soda at the unfortunate person in front of me. It is that funny. I won't spoil all the delightful things that occur by saying more, but being available on the Warner Brothers Archive Collection, this was more fun than I expected it to be, although I will give credit to the delightfully annoying voiced prostitutes who Martin encounters during his journey. By the time she came along, I was laughing so hard that I was actually crying.

deborahehill I hadn't seen this movie in quite a few years I guess. I had actually forgotten just how incredibly funny Kathleen Turner is. Of course, ten years or so can make a huge difference in the way I appreciate anything so I was more than psyched when a friend bought this movie at Ross the other day. The whole farce and its perfect cast are worth it even if the underlying opinions of the writer aren't immediately understood. Years ago I caught an old recording on the radio about the Lobotomy demonstrations performed back in the 50's by the "innovator" in Psychiatric medicine that invented it. Obviously, Herr Fuhrer (even if it IS Steve Martin) is a parody based very loosely on doctors of that time. Screw-top brain surgery is pretty innovative for sure, which feeds the enormous but self-deluded ego who falls in love with the most manipulative and evil, but very beautiful Dolores of the great speaking voice and fabulous fashion sense- she even knows what costume to wear for each particular mind game she easily works on him. There couldn't be a more perfectly matched couple as far as how equally selfish and driven they both are. Only one problem with the the brain surgeon- he can only ultimately be tied down by a woman who also tells him he is always right and of course,everything else he wants to hear. He grows tired of feeling used and never getting laid as much as he thought he would. Falls in love with a female brain that fits all his needs but must have a body to put it in or all is lost for the Fuhrer in his quest for love. Well, obviously the mean wifey dies and the perfectly docile brain is switched in- food and body issues included but somehow he isn't interested in her body being perfect so long as the brain IS. I secretly hope she gives him a hernia while the dumbass tries to pick her up the second time. Nothing beats a great Steve Martin comedy!

Aaron1375 This film was just strange, it never really tried to be a comedy that is sentimental or semi serious. From the strange name that Steve Martin's character has to a hooker who does not mind being injected with a solution that kills the brain last this film is just strange and very funny. The story is about a very skilled brain surgeon who has developed a revolutionary new way to perform a surgery. Basically a screw on lid type maneuver. Well he is going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment as his wife is dead and he can not get over it, even dressing up a Barbie doll to look like her. Well another woman is having difficulty in her relationship. She basically has wed an older gentleman in order to get all his money. Well she forces him into a heart attack as well as his dog, but proceeds to get hit by Martin's character who now performs his famous technique on her and promptly falls in love. During the course of the film he ends up falling in love with a brain in a jar that is a lot more pleasant than his wife is. Granted this film is a bit dated now as a lot of people these days would wonder who the heck Merv Griffon is. However, for the most part this comedy works and is one of Martin's better comedies ranking right up there with "The Jerk" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". It is a shame he has not really starred in anything recently that I would care to see. The guy used to be in great comedies all the time, and this coming from a person who is not all that into comedies.