Saturday 13 August 2016

Body Parts 1991

Stars: Jeff Fahey, Lindsay Duncan, Brad Dourif
                                                                    
Director: Eric Red


Budget: 10 million 

Jeff Fahey plays a criminal psychologist good at his job who gets involved in a car crash and loses his right arm. It is then replaced in a revolutionary new medical procedure.
What he doesn't initially know is the parts have come from a crazy serial killer. When Fahey's demeanor changes and he starts having violent thoughts and flashbacks he then goes digging into where the arm came from.

So this film, it's good quite a nice acting turn from Fahey who i have always liked as an actor. i think it's that steely look he can do is just good in intense situations.

So Fahey, Bill is already in the legal business working as a criminal psychologist, trying to workout and rehabilitate some of the worst criminals. He then takes this knowledge and teaches it in a university too. His life is sweet, a good wife and good kids with enough money coming in.
He gets into a horrific car accident which results in him losing his arm, disheartened and disillusioned. It forces his wife to sign a waver for a Dr Webb to try a new transplant procedure to give Bill a new arm. Quite gruesomely they remove the guys head right in front of Bill before cutting off his arm. Bill looses consciousness and then attach his new arm.
Rehabilitation goes well, surprisingly fast especially since even on the first day Bill's new arm shows a weird flinch as he finds difficulty with the initial weight.

When home his kids are scared of it even his wife unsure. Until they make love and everything is suddenly OK. He starts getting the violent flashbacks like he's murdering people and when the guy he is trying to rehabilitate recognizes the tattoo on the arms wrist as a death row tattoo Bill starts to investigate where the arm came from.
He finds out it comes from one Charlie Fletcher wanted and sentenced to death for many dour murders. He confronts Dr Webb who thinks he's slightly bonkers for thinking he could be infected by memories from a dead persons arm. He then goes to some of the other amputees who received parts from Fletcher. One is a disturbed painters who got the other arm Remo Lacey (Dourif) his paintings were shit before the transplant but now they are selling well. Bill realised they are paintings of the visions he is seeing. He doesn't heed Bill's warnings as he happy making the money he raking in now.

The second person is Mark Draper who Bill is following when Mark's leg kicks down on the accelerator almost killing him running a red light. They talk and even though mark like bill is encountering problems he's just happy to be able to walk again. Things go from worse to bad in his household when he strikes his boy for hurting his arm and he almost strangles his wife to death in bed one night.

He moves out to a hotel for the safety of his family. He then goes to demand that Dr Webb remove the arm. She refuses calls him mad and tells him to go see a psychologist as she wont risk he new found procedure from bad press. Bill meets up with both Remo and Mark in a bar to discuss the the parts, they make him feel safe and happy. But trouble starts when a guy who recognizes Bill asks to see his arm. Single-handed he takes out a bunch of people and almost kills one.
Mark returns home and something makes his legs lock up he gets scared. He then rings Bill who only gets to the phone to hear the end of the message. He goes to Marks only to find him dead and missing his legs. Unfortunately for Bill the detective thinks he is something to do with it, Bill implores him to check up on Remo.

The detective takes Bill with him to check up on Remo, Charley who is still miraculously alive having his head transplanted onto another body kills Remo taking his arm. In a handcuffed car chase both parties barely make it out alive. Bill steals the detectives car and continues the chase of Charley all the way to the hospital. Bill is knocked out and strapped to a table where Webb appears saying she will take the arm back now. See Charley is her son and Dr Webb needed a way to keep him out of the limelight for a while and using the amputees as a way to keep other parts alive.
Bill is able to tap into the killer rage we've seen throughout the film and break free. He knocks out Webb and escapes, fighting with Charlie for the shotgun. He manages to snap Charlies neck then he shoots the remaining parts to smithereens. Charlie miraculously comes back as Bill is calling the cops, that's where i stop folks its not far from the of the film, you know i don't spoil endings.

So thoughts, this film didn't do well in cinemas, home release it made some money back though. Fahey does an excellent job in his role, very believable. It's nice to see Brad Dourif in a non psychotic role for a change, doesn't make his freaky bug eyes any less googly though lol. a strong supporting cast and reasonably tight and original story too, i enjoyed this film a lot back many years ago and i even enjoyed re-watching it recently. I would recommend this for s good thriller night in and give it a good 4 out of 5 stars


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