The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant

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The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971)

A wealthy scientist named Dr. Roger Girard experiments with head transplants. He attaches the head of a dangerous killer, Manuel Cass, to the body of a very strong but brain-damaged man named Danny. The result is a two-headed creature with one murderous brain and one childlike mind in a powerful body. The monster escapes, goes on a killing spree, and kidnaps Linda Girard. Dr. Girard, along with Dr. Max and Dr. Anderson, chases it to an abandoned mine. Anderson rescues Linda, but Dr. Girard, Max, and the creature die in a cave-in.

Produced in six days in Santa Clarita, California, the film stars Bruce Dern, Patricia Ann Priest, Casey Kasem, Albert Cole, and John Bloom. Bruce Dern has said he never got paid for his role.

Reception was mixed. Variety called it rank exploitation fodder with lifeless direction but praised the creature makeup. Gene Siskel gave it 1 out of 4 stars, saying it could have been great with more emphasis on the two heads. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times found it fun and well-made for a low-budget release. The Monthly Film Bulletin called it silly but watchable. In 1989, horror-punk band Haunted Garage released a song inspired by the film.