O Médico Erótico

Here is another Carl Reiner-directed "farce" that also stars Steve Martin (the two collaborated before in the '80s in "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid"). This is the best of that duo with a lot of laugh-out loud scenes. There are tons of gags, both obvious and subtle. In fact, I think is one of Martin's funniest performances. Kathleen Turner, his co-star here, played a similar role in another black comedy "Serial Mom." There, too, she played a woman who appeared to be nice on the outside but was evil inside. Turner also liked to show a lot of skin in those '80s flicks, which included "Body Heat."

I had remembered this as a strictly light comedy but was surprised when I viewed it again this year and heard all the sex jokes. Reiner turned out to be a dirty old man but he write and direct some very funny movies. It's unusual for a comedy to be rated "R," but that was the appropriate rating. If you know and don't care if its a bit raunchy, this is a very funny movie.

This is an absolutely brilliant film. I have watched this so many times over the years and was just thrilled that I was lucky enough to find it on dvd.

Overall, I am not into movies that have "stupid" plots, but this is so weird that it makes it an absolute masterpiece and a cult favorite.

If anyone asked me to recommend a comedy, this would definately be the first choice. I have watched thousands of movies, and this is in the top 5 favorites.

The scene with the flowers on the porch is the funniest one liner I have ever heard.

Do yourself a huge favor, run out and rent it.

THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS (1983) ***1/2 Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, David Warner, Paul Benedict, Merv Griffin, Sissy Spacek (voice only). Martin is hilarious as brilliant neuro surgeon of the screw-top transplant, Dr. Hfuhruhurr (pronounced as it sounds!) who has brains on his mind and a "devil woman" wife (the sultry Turner loving every minute of it) as he falls in love with a brain in a jar (voice supplied by the melancholic Spacek). Part Mad Scientist spoof, part Marx Bros./3 Stooges dialogue all parts brilliantly goofy and some wickedly funny moments. Best line: "Into the mud Scum Queen!" Get that cat out of here!! Merv Griffin has a cameo in one truly stunning plot twist.

This is most indeed Steve Martin's second most wackiest comedy after "The Jerk". Everything about this movie has zip, craze and certain kind of frantic in the pace, which makes for an absouloutley lovable comedy. The story centers round Dr Michael Hfuhruhurr (Steve Martin), spelt Haf-far, he is most probaly the worlds greatest brain surgeon, he is rich and famous. But Michael has emotional problems and his wife died some time ago, though lucky Michael ends up meeting the evil, sexy and seductive Delores (Kathleen Turner), who is a gold digging "Scum queen". They supposedly fall in love and get married, though Michael sensing some problems thinks it is going down hill and thinks a honey moon to Europe would help and so he and Delores go. The Man With Two Brains has two stories, one involves what I said above and another takes place around Europe where Michael ends up falling in love with his research, a human brain! It is Romeo and Juliet as their love is forbiden and Michael goes to extreme lengths to ensure they remain in each others arms, okay that was a bad excuse. What makes The Man With Two Brains so great is the colourful, eighties, eneergetic look that adds the crazy wack to the movie. There are many comedic sets in the movie e.g the condo, scenes in Hfuhrhurr 's hospital. Any movie in which Steve Martin stars is bound to be watchable, but what Martin did back here was he would overact a lot more, he would not do his everyman thing, he is indeed crazy, his eyes in this movie shows a locked up genius with a crazy edge. The character of Hfuhruhurr is a very unlikeable person, but with Martin playing him he is the good guy, he makes you want to come out of this with his loved one. Kathleen Turner is also a comic delight as she does a little micky take of "Body Heat". Screen play wise this is also one of Martin's best as it is witty and full of excellent scenarios. As with any classic comedy there has to be a funny scene that stands above the rest, the scene at the beginning in the car is excellent, Hfuhrhurr: "Can you tell me what you wrote, I believe I may have sounded snobbish?" Interviwer: "My research is the some of the greastest the world has ever seen and in that way will proably so ever plant my reputation as a great proffesor for all eterntity" Hfuhrhurr:"No it didn't sound snobbish... Take out the probably though. Makes me sound wishy washy." Now that is excellent Martin, he does it with every film, not everyody would get that. Another hilarious thing about this movie is it's music, it is so corny and cheesy but without sounding annoying it is just plain funny. Bottom line is, this is one of Martin's landmark films, a film which has visula look, brilliant pacing, trademark manic peformance by Martin and memorbale scenes that stick in the mind. Absoloutley wack, crazy, wild, funny and hilarious.

What ever happened to Steve Martin's talent? In the name of becoming a Hollywood "Player", Mr. Martin sold his soul to the suits in the business and thereby squandered his true talent: wacky, irreverent comedy. The fact that "The Man with Two Brains" didn't do well at the box office probably made the studio heads decide that Martin's talents were not selling. Mr. Martin therefore may have panicked in some way and decided to "sell-out" and do the dreadful treacle that he did later and keeps on doing like "Parenthood", "Roxanne" (a particularly pretentious entry of his), "Leap of Faith" (the most blatant of of bids for the ridiculously overrated "Oscar") and the forthcoming (as of this writing) "Cheaper by the Dozen". In "The Man With Two Brains", Steve Martin is so on target in virtually all his scenes that the movie becomes truly inspired. Like the great Marx Brothers' movies of the early to mid 30's, he creates a universe all his own. The movie has it's own unique rhythms and is consistent throughout. He and the rest of the great cast never get sentimental. They keep the whole thing amazingly light and truly (God forgive me for using this word, but it applies )Zany. The entire cast has to be noted for keeping up with Steve Martin including Kathleen Turner giving a great comic-villanous performance, Sissy Spacek as the voice of his beloved "brain" complete with a bizarre name and, most notably popping up COMPLETELY unexepectedly, MERV GRIFFIN! His entrance into the movie simply pushes the whole thing into comic overdrive. There's a number of great comic set pieces and almost all of them work brilliantly. My favorite has to be Martin's meeting up with a knockout blond prostitute. Let's just say that she's got a great body but her voice is....well, just wait and see. A truly great comedy from a man who could've been one of the great enduring comic geniuses of our time but who instead sold out and lost his calling. A tragedy...