User reviews

The head of a white bigoted doctor (sadly Ray Milland) is attached to the body of a wrongly convicted black man (Rosey Grier) on Death Row. Unfortunately, Grier's head is still attached. It escapes from a hospital and tries to clear Grier's name while Milland's head tries to take control of the body.

Totally ridiculous AIP movie which bears a more than passing resemblance to 1971's "Incredible Two-Headed Transplant". This movie doesn't take itself too seriously (how could it?) which helps--but only so much.

With the exception of Milland the acting is lousy and the script has howlers that you just can't believe (ex: when Grier's girlfriend first sees him with Milland's head she says, "Honey, I know you don't like answering questions, but HOW did this happen?"). Basically this is a very bad movie but in a good way. The scenes of Milland and Grier arguing are truly funny and there's a very long (at least 20 minutes) but fun chase with tons of police cars chasing Grier/Milland on a motorcycle. Not even remotely good but fun.

Another great line from Grier's girlfriend: "Do you have two of anything else?"

If you thought THE DEFIANT ONES was the ultimate in forced race relations, try watching this horror classic from "adults only" vets Lee Frost and Wes Bishop! Ray Milland (yes, the same Ray Milland who won a Best Actor Oscar for his excellent turn in 1945's THE LOST WEEKEND) is a brilliant-but-racist brain surgeon who is dying, but has perfected a way to live on through head-transplants. Someone out there decides to teach him a lesson by placing his bigoted noggin on the body of a black convict (former professional football star Rosey Grier). The heads fight, punch each other and go through many other genuinely (and unintentionally) hilarious slapstick scenes. Try not to laugh watching Grier running around or riding on a motorcycle with a ridiculous-looking fake dummy-head planted on his shoulders.

Not to be confused with THE INCREDIBLE TWO HEADED TRANSPLANT (1971) or Andy Milligan's THE MAN WITH TWO HEADS (1972).

Score: 5 out of 10 (Though a MUST for camp aficionados!)

I've seen movies far worse than this offering about a white bigot's head transplanted to a soul brother's body. Yes, indeed the story is ridiculous. Yes, every scene with the "creature" either looks like Rosey Grier with a plastic head on him or Ray Milland uncomfortably close for close-ups. But the film has a certain charm that is undeniable, due in large part to its dated 70's style, its corny almost pathetic dialogue, its incredibly cheap sets and special effects, and of course the entire premise about this two headed monstrosity. Milland and Grier manage to keep straight faces throughout the picture, as do the other thespians concerned. No small feat believe me! The chase scene of 14 police cars chasing the two headed man on a motor bike(which last over 15 minutes) is the centerpiece of the film and sets the mood, pace, and credibility of the film. If you get a chance, see this film and its trailer which is almost as good.

Every time this film shows up on cable, I just watch it in wonder. If they thought they were making a parody, they didn't succeed; and they couldn't have been serious, could they?

Weak script, bad effects, boring chase scenes. Couldn't be worse...

Yet, shockingly, I watch it every time in total amazement. I sometimes do an exercise by putting myself in Ray Milland's place in an attempt to practice empathy.

It is the best worst movie I ever saw. I love it every time. Help me, please help me.

Even as a kid, with very little taste, I though this had to be about as stupid as anything I've ever seen. First of all, the two men, Ray Milland and Rosey Grier, look like they are sleeping in the same bed and got stuck. Nobody knew what to do with their necks. Of course, the question is, "What would happen to a being with two heads?" This is an uncomfortable question when you think of everything. I won't criticize it too much because the campy idea of a black mand and an old white man stuck in the same body with their own thought processes is entertaining to a point. I just couldn't buy it.

A vehemently racist surgeon- dying from an inoperable heart condition- hires a black doctor as his predecessor...not knowing he was black.

When he finds out, he tries to fire the doctor, but the doctor insists on fulfilling his contractual obligations.

The dying surgeon wants to prolong his life, by transplanting his head, onto someone else's body- so that his genius can live on.

The plan is to get someone from death row to agree to the procedure instead of being executed.

And, in some sort of case of divine irony, the only volunteer is a black inmate- on death row for a crime he claims he did not commit.

His time is about up...and he wants to use the extra time to prove his innocence.

Now, you have a racist white guy's head on a black dude's body...with the plan being to, eventually, cut the black dude's head off, so that the white guy can have his body.

The white doctors don't feel qualified to do the job, so they turn to the black doctor for help with the final procedure (ie getting a black dude to cut a black dude's head off a black dude's body so a racist white guy can have it...).

But before they have a chance to, the black dude (who still has the most control over his body) escapes- taking the black doctor hostage in the process.

Now they are on the lam...with both the black dude and racist white guy's head trying to convince the doctor to amputate the other.

As you can tell, this is the blaxploitation version of The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant from the year before. They would later be released together on DVD.

The animatronic head used in the transplant scene is sweet! But all the rest of the special effects are pretty bad. Particularly in the last bit when the white actor takes control of the body and is driving/walking around.

Before that, there's a humorously long dirtbike vs cop cars chase scene in which they crash 14 cop cars (though it seems like a lot more).

And the ending all goes down very abruptly.

It would have been nice if they had wrapped up the whole he was innocent angle. But it still has a feel good ending. And properly so, because Big Jack (the black dude) and his girlfriend are about the most lovable characters ever.

It's not extremely racist either, worst he gets called is a black bastard, alongside some bad taste jokes that come off in context. But it get's the idea across pretty clearly in an almost light-hearted way.

But you are happy to see him get f*cked over in the end.

A fun little film of the it's so bad it's good kind.

5.5 out of 10.

I remember watching this movie with my parents when I was 10 years old.

I also remember that we all laughed out loud during most of it.

The primary reason for visiting this site today was to get the title of the movie to recommend it to a friend.

In fact as I gave my friend the plot of the movie I began to laugh as I explained it.

I only saw this movie once and for it to stick with me as being a riot for 33 years speaks volumes.

I say too bad more movies that the whole family can watch together can't say as much.

Rosie Grier and Ray Milland were a great team in this flick, check it out.

This would be a great movie for a re-make. I could see a number of actors doing a great job with an update of this flick.

In California, the renowned Dr. Maxwell Kirshner (Ray Milland) is a brilliant transplant surgeon and owner of the Kirshner Transplant Institute. He is dying and develops a technique to transplant his head in another body in a gorilla. Kirshner, who is racist, hires the prominent Dr. Fred Williams (Don Marshall) to help in his surgery but when he sees that the doctor is black, he unsuccessfully tries to call off the contract. He uses his friendship with the Governor expecting to use the body of a convicted in death row that could donate his body to his experiment instead of being executed. The strong and black inmate Jack Moss ('Rosey' Grier) accepts the offer expecting to get more thirty days to prove that he is innocent. However Dr. Philip Desmond (Roger Perry) immediately operates Kirshner and Jack, but he is not able to control Jack that escapes from Kirshner's house. Jack teams-up with his girlfriend Lila (Chelsea Brown) and Dr. Fred Williams, who is convinced of his innocence and decides to remove Kirshner's head. But how to find another compatible body for Dr. Kirshner?

The Trash "The Thing with Two Heads" is a stupid, racist, cheesy but also very funny dark comedy. The politically incorrect plot is absurd but makes laugh a lot. It is impressive that Oscar winner Ray Milland ("The Lost Weekend") accepts such a silly role. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "O Monstro de Duas Cabeças" ("The Monster with Two Heads")

THE THING WITH TWO HEADS, first of all, is a comedy. It's is obvious that everyone involved in the making of the movie was well aware of what they were creating. This isn't an earnest cautionary tale like THE MANSTER nor a sensationalistic exploitation sleazefest like THE INCREDIBLE TWO HEADED TRANSPLANT. It is a movie that was created, most likely, when some filmmaker friends got drunk one night and started throwing the most absurd ideas they could conjure out on the table.

To many, seeing a Hollywood legend (and legitimately great actor) like Ray Milland "reduced" to starring in schlock like this, X-THE MAN WITH X-RAY EYES and FROGS in his later years must be sad, but I don't agree. Milland chews the scenery with such relish, I can't help but think that he had a ball making these movies. I can picture him sitting with his agent and saying, "Hey, I won my Oscar, I'm getting older, I might as well have some fun." While Milland and "Rosey" Grier are far from Abbott & Costello or even Martin & Lewis, the two have a certain odd chemistry that works well, especially since their characters are supposed to be from completely different backgrounds. Milland is a rich, loud-mouthed, bigoted surgeon, Grier is a poor, soft-spoken ex-con. Grier is no actor, but that actually works in Milland's favor as virtually his entire performance is from the neck up.

The movie does work as a bizarre allegory for racial relations but mostly it works as a goof. It barrels along at a break-neck pace with subplots involving everything from a two-headed gorilla escaping and going on a rampage to or our hero(s) infiltrating a BMX bike race while being chased by what appears to be the entire LA police department.

If you're looking for logic or intelligence keep looking. If you're looking for a silly good time, THE THING WITH TWO HEADS will do the trick admirably!

The Thing With Two Heads is one of those drive-in fodder camp films that is spectacularly bad it ought to be seen and seen again for the sheer scope of audacity the producers had in making this. Ray Milland's career hit rock bottom when the Oscar winning actor signed for this one. Hope he got a hefty paycheck. Roosevelt Grier's career was hardly given a boost either.

Ray Milland is a racist scientist who is slowly and inexorably dying of cancer. But whatever else he is, he's a brilliant scientist who is experimenting with transplants, in fact he's already created a two headed gorilla.

The trouble with the experiment is that when the head from an old sick body is attached to a new body before it gets acclimatized to the new body, the old head has to stay for a bit to keep the body alive. So that might not matter with gorillas, but when Milland is hours from death they have to grab the first body available.

Which turns out to be Roosevelt Grier on death row and who also says he's innocent. What a surprise Milland gets when he finds himself attached to Grier. If he wasn't so racist Milland might actually think of some tremendous advantages that Rosey Grier has.

In any event Grier who expected to be off this mortal coil is just as unhappy having Milland right next door. Nevertheless he's going to take this second chance to prove he's innocent.

Most hilariously bad scene in the film is Grier and Milland stealing a motocross bike and wrecking a race and demolishing 14 police cars in the process. I guess the cops were just freaked out by chasing a two headed man. In any event the town no doubt was named Keystone.

Along for the ride is Don Marshall who Milland crapped all over when he took a job at Milland's place of transplanting business. Marshall is really enjoying Milland's predicament, so much so he's agreed to help Grier prove he's innocent.

The Thing With Two Heads has to be seen to be believed.

The Thing with Two Heads is a remarkable movie. The plot is, in a word, ludicrous. Ray Milland is nothing short of brilliant, and Rosey Grier holds his own. As far as I know, the movie was shot without going over the budget. One infers that Milland and Grier were able to keep straight faces during the shooting; this alone stands as testament to their professionalism as actors. The aforementioned plot is reason enough to watch this movie, which, despite understandably high expectations, will not disappoint. I rarely watch a movie more than once. The Thing with Two Heads is an exception. It's hard to say what I like best about the movie. The interchanges between Milland and Grier are humorous; they would almost qualify as banter. The special effects are unpretentious, even sublime. The movie may seem dated (it becomes quickly obvious that the shooting took place in the early 70's), but this only adds to its charm. I recommend its viewing highly.

I'll bet you were waiting for me to say that "Two heads are better then one." But I will not do that.

Long unavailable except on late-night TV and now on DVD, Ray Milland and Roosevelt Grier put their heads together to come up with this politically correct movie before the term "politically correct".

It looks like director Lee Frost is challenging Rodger Corman for the best director of a cultural movie. He may have a ways to go.

Roosevelt Grier wakes up face to face with Ray Milland who had his head grafted on to Rosey's body. Naturally one is a bigot and the other is a criminal. This looks so real that you would think not that Ray has a plastic head. They must explain this to friends and there is the obligatory chase scene. This is a must for motorcycle enthusiasts.

Lila (Chelsea Brown) wants to know if he has two of anything else.

"The Thing with Two Heads" is a masterpiece of 1970's explotiation. Everything is here: a no-talent Football star actor (Rosey Grier), Pre-"Smokey and the Bandit" car chases, motorcycles, blaxploitation cliches galore, cheap monsters, no budget, beyond-bad dialogue, a director who thought he was moving up and out of the porno industry, and, of course, the great Ray Milland, star of the incomparable 1970's classic "Frogs". Classic scenes: Convicted convict Grier comes out of anesthesia and expresses suprise and dismay at finding Ray Milland's head attached to his body. Grier: "What did you guys do to me?" Milland, sounding petulent: "We transplanted my head onto your body--now shut up!"

Grier and Milland (the two heads on Rosey's body, remember) show up at Grier's girlfriend's apartment in search of refuge from the cops: Grier: (noticing his gal's shock at seeing his 2-headed condition) "Don't worry baby, I won't hurt you." Girlfriend (looking unsure): "You get into more s***."

The whole film is like this. HIGH-larious. No one could do this on purpose, and that's what makes this 1970's classic such a fantastic find.

Less straightforward than one might expect for a tale about a racist surgeon whose head is transplanted onto an African American man's body, the vast majority of 'The Thing With Two Heads' is actually played straight (not as a comedy), nor does the surgeon gradually overcome his prejudices as one might expect. The difficulty of pinpointing what exactly the filmmakers were going for here has lead to the film acquiring a mixed reputation, but it is a decidedly different sci-fi tale at least. As mentioned, the comedy angle does not take off until rather late in the piece (around halfway in) and it is furthermore a good thirty minutes before the transplant takes place with the film going into glorious detail regarding its head grafting pseudoscience and how host bodies need to learn to accept newly transplanted heads before the original heads can be removed and so on. This early part of the film also features a two-headed gorilla, wonderfully crafted by Rick Baker. It is really only as the comedy angle starts to warm up that the film loses its way with prolonged racing and chase scenes when the better moments are the ones in which the Thing interacts with others, including the African American's girlfriend, curious if he has two of anything else (!). If not a film that be unreservedly recommended, the movie's strangeness alone might make it worth a look for some.

This is a gloriously silly film. Almost camp with an anti racism message and a police car chase sequence that reminds you of those Hal Needham/Burt Reynolds films of the 1970s.

The early scenes has a remarkable performance by a two headed gorilla. The gorilla's acting is sublime, no surprise as its performed by make up effects supremo Rick Baker. A 7 time Oscar winner (4 more than Daniel Day Lewis!)

However the film features more than just future Oscar talent as it also stars former Best Actor Oscar winner and no stranger to schlock films, Ray Milland as a brilliant surgeon now affected by arthritis and cancer with just days to live.

Milland is also a racist and in order to save his live with experimental surgery they transplant his head on the body of a convict on death row.

Unsurprisingly Milland is not too happy with the result. Milland hatches a plan to sort himself out.

The film has a series of high and lows, although more lows as far as I am concerned. It fails as horror as it's too laughable.

It maybe works as a social commentary but it needed zipping up a bit and cut down in length.

It sort of meanders and gets a bit dull, even with the prolonged chase sequences.

Some of the effects are very good although when both Milland and Rosey Grier try to be together then you can guess one is behind the other.

It is campy but the film should had been more of a hoot.

The sad thing about this movie is that if it was originally meant to be taken seriously, it failed, and if it was meant to be a comedy, it failed there also. I was hoping for the combination of humor and horror. I saw neither in this film. The comedy I saw struck me at the level of maybe a slight chuckle here and there. The horror aspect is basically non-existent. Despite the car chases and plentiful car crashes, it doesn't even get very exciting. I was bored very quickly with this film and the boredom lasted throughout the movie. I thought that both the acting and the movie plot were poor. There are too many better choices out there. Don't waste your time watching this one.

The Thing with Two Heads," directed by Lee Frost, is a unique addition to the realm of B-movie science fiction. Released in 1972, it delivers a quirky blend of humor, horror, and social commentary, all wrapped up in a package of campy absurdity that's so outrageous it somehow works.

The plot is as bizarre as the title suggests. A wealthy, racist surgeon suffering from a terminal illness (Ray Milland) has his head transplanted onto the body of a convicted black prisoner (Rosey Grier) in a desperate attempt to prolong his life. The ensuing chaos and conflict between the two serve as the film's driving force.

Both Milland and Grier, despite the fantastical nature of the premise, deliver entertaining performances. Milland effectively portrays a man grappling with his new reality, while Grier's character offers a counterpoint, revealing the societal inequalities he has faced. The peculiar dynamics between the two leads creates some truly unforgettable moments.

Frost's direction is confidently campy, embracing the absurdity of the film's premise with gusto. While "The Thing with Two Heads" does lack the polish of more mainstream productions, its raw, unpretentious approach gives it a charm that's hard to deny.

The cinematography and special effects are as low-budget as they come, which only adds to the film's unique allure. There's something almost endearing about its blatant lack of realism, which serves to underscore the film's inherent comedy.

Where "The Thing with Two Heads" truly shines is in its ability to make you feel. Yes, it's wildly ridiculous, and yes, it often teeters on the edge of nonsensical, but beneath the surface, there's an undercurrent of social commentary that resonates. This dichotomy of the laughably absurd and the surprisingly insightful forms the heart of the movie.

The film isn't without its flaws. Its pacing can be erratic, some of the humor is outdated, and certain plot elements might be too far-fetched for some viewers. Nonetheless, "The Thing with Two Heads" has an undeniable appeal for fans of B-movies and campy sci-fi.

In conclusion, "The Thing with Two Heads" is a cult classic that celebrates the wild, the absurd, and the unexpected. It's a cinematic roller coaster that invites you to leave your disbelief at the door and simply enjoy the ride. Its unapologetic campiness and underlying social commentary make it a memorable viewing experience that will leave you with a sense of bewildered amusement.

I remember watching this movie growing up. I'm sure I didn't see it during its initial release, but I saw it sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s and it somehow stuck with me. I remember Ray Milland sharing a body with Rosy Greer and, while preposterous, it left an indelible mark.

I recently rewatched the film for the first time in over 40 years, and I can't lie, i still enjoyed it! Milland is an underrated star, and does some nice work in the film. Greer...does his best to keep up, but is a better football player than he is an actor. The script is challenging, at best. If you can suspend disbelief, the movie is fun. The soundtrack is great. But the script would make Ed Wood blush.

Great fun film to enjoy, chuckle at, and maybe even remember for a lifetime. Even if you're a bit ashamed to admit it.

This was a laughable movie. I remember seeing it in the 70's as well, and that's the best description. It's interesting to see how the rich white bigot(Miland) reacts when he learns his head was transplanted onto the body of a black man (Grier). The heads must "co-exist" on the body until Miland's head adapts and gains control.

I guess you can say Transplant Hysteria was all the rage in the 70's and 80's (Max Headroom).

If you are a fan of "B cinema", you may like this, but it's not a B-Movie at it's best.

This movie took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions and left me entirely drained. There are some people who believe that art can change people's lives. "The Thing With Two Heads" has probably changed my life. After seeing the terrible ordeal endured by the title character, The Thing With Two Heads, I am now less worried by everyday, mundane problems and more focused on the true meaning of life. And, like every great work of art, "The Thing With Two Heads" helps us understand our human condition and question our role in the universe.

How could The Academy have overlooked Rosey Grier's performance in this film? I can only assume Marlon Brando had done his share of brown nosing after the release of "The Godfather" to edge out superior performances by lesser-known talent, such as Grier's performance in "The Thing With Two Heads." An under-rated classic. 10/10

In a documentary I recently watched called "The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made", this exploitation curiosity is proudly ranked #3, but even though it's a generally dim-witted and inept production, I cannot possibly refer to it as one of the worst movies ever. It offers incredible amounts of fun, laughter, disbelief and astonishment and the film is unquestionably a delight for every cinema fanatic who's remotely into bizarre horror stuff. Veteran actor Ray Milland stars as the genius, but slightly power mad, greedy and discriminating scientist who managed to sew an extra head onto a gorilla's torso without killing any of them. So now, Dr. Maxwell Kirshner thinks he masters the entire transplantation business and intends to use the method on himself. It's understandable why Maxwell is in a hurry, seeing that an aggressive type of cancer is slowly rotting his entire body from the inside out. So, basically, he worked out the whole biggest breakthrough in the history of medical science only to save his own ass! The plan now is to recruit a convict on death row, transplant the Dr.'s head on his body and wait approximately 30 days for the head to adapt to its new host before removing the convict's original head. Tiny little problem, however, the only available prisoner on death row is black and the old chauvinist doctor is quite racist. The con, Jack Moss, is also innocent of the crime he's on death row for and intends to use the additional 30 days to prove this, regardless of the fact there's the cranky head of an old racist scientist breathing down his ear. "The Thing With Two Heads" is a clumsy mad scientist movie with heavy ambitions towards Blaxploitation cinema. Apart from the obvious thematic plot of a stereotypical black tough guy sharing the body with a stereotypical white racist, there's also the extremely groovy soundtrack. The sight of the two-headed person – I have no idea why they refer to him as "things" since he's clearly a person – is just plain laughable. The plot subsequently evolves into a strange type of action movie with Jack Moss escaping from the operating table to prove his innocence. There's a seemingly endless motorcycle race, with numerous police vehicles (fourteen to be exact) getting wrecked and loads of crazy stunt work to admire. It's quite fun and all, at least for a minute or three, but surely they could have come up with something better than a 20 minute chase? Especially with this film's original concept? Either way, in spite of all its shortcomings and missed potential, "The Thing with Two Heads" is an interesting cult product from the early 70's and definitely recommended to tolerant fans of the genre.

Snowed in on an early December 2003 Sunday. Caught this one by accident on cable and couldn't stop watching. What a delightfully cheesy flick. The long chase scene was a howl. As the chase unfolded, you could tell most of the cars weren't even in running condition so they just pushed them off some steep hill to get them to roll and crash. The same car gets wrecked about 6 times again and again. The one liners are a riot. The acting, script and plot is too funny to even consider it legit. I'm surprised this didn't make the Rolling Stone 50 top cult film list. The music and score has that 70's wha-wha, bowchickabownow sound, right up until the end that is, when it suddenly turns Gospel, with Rosy, his old lady and the doctor driving off into the night singing "Oh Happy Days". What a wacky gem from 72! I recommend it if you're snowed in and you've got 90 mins. to kill. Enjoy!