Body Parts

Criminal psychologist Bill Chrushank (Jeff Fahey) survived from an horrible car accident but he loses his arm. But when a gifted mysterious Dr. Agatha Webb (Lindsay Duncan) manages to find a donor to have a new arm for Bill. When his wife Karen (Kim Delaney) agrees with the doctor for the operation. When the operation is a success and then its takes weeks for Bill's new arm to be working. In fact, he finds his new arm to be much better than his old one. But then, it's starts doing things that he doesn't want to do and being having vivid nightmares. He finds out that his arm belongs to Charley Fletcher (John Walsh). A violent serial killer, who got executed on the operation table. When Bill got his new arm from. But Bill finds out that he's not the only one, who got spear parts from the infamous murderer. Then after meeting two people (Brad Dourif and Peter Murnik), who got spear body parts from Charley. But when Bill wants his arm off, the Dr. Webb refused to do it. Bill has a feeling or two that Dr. Webb is not what she seems to be and he feels, there's something out there is coming for him.

Directed by Eric Red (Bad Moon, Cohen and Tate, Undertow) made an intriguing horror film with some effective moments of suspense and thrills. This was an box office disappointment, when it was released in the summer of 1991. The critics were not kind to this movie as well. Sure, the premise isn't original anymore. But director Red tries to make something different here by adding some neat ideals to the already often filmed premise of the picture. The underrated Fahey gives an strong performance. Dourif gives an memorable small role as the artist, who finds sudden success with his paintings. Red does his best work so far as a filmmaker here. Red wasn't made a movie or wrote a script in years but it seems, he trying to make a comeback with his latest work "100 Feet". That film will be released sometime in 2008. Like most of Red's works, "Body Parts" has become a cult classic. It's certainly one of the most underrated horror movies of the 1990's. Effective music score by Loek Dikker. Insipred from the novel "Choice Cuts" by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac (Which they wrote the classic book together "Diabolique"). Co-scripted by the director and Norman Snider (Dead Ringers, Rated X). Screen-story by Patricia Herskovic (Producer of cult classics like "Deadly Blessing", "Mother's Boys" and "Toy Soldiers") and Joyce Taylor. Don't miss it. Panavision. (****/*****).

Body Parts wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It turned out to be pretty entertaining and had a few moments that made me jump out of my seat. I believe the director, Eric Red, will one day be a more popular film-maker. He does a good job and creates some genuine tension.

As bad and ridiculous as this movie was, i found the premise compelling and the questions it posed. Jeff Fahey started to look more and more demonic as the movie went on, and his hair changed too. I wouldn't recommend the film, but i think it was horrifying in a Frankensteinian way and fun in the way Blue Velvet was fun, in that dark, film noir kind of way,but Parts was without the aesthetics. I had to laugh because certain scenes reminded me of Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and then in other parts i actually wondered what was going on, like maybe there was a cohesive, tightly woven plot. I think i was mistaken on that. Too bad, the movie sort of had some kind of appeal. Anyone agree? I kind of thought the painter who received the other arm was a classic nut case in a way that was so over the top as to be humorous.

I actually felt that his family relationships were kind of honest and touching, even though they saw their dad unraveling. Perhaps one of the highlights of the film.

Psychologist Bill (Jeff Fahey) interviews a convicted killer and goes home to his wife Karen (Kim Delaney) discussing his wants and desires. The next day while in traffic, a tire breaks off a car's axle and Bill immediately stops his car to avoid the accident. Unfortunately, the truck ignores the ensuing chaos and crashes into Bill's bumper. Bill crashes through the rear window. At the hospital, Dr. Agatha Webb (Lindsay Duncan) gives Bill an arm transplantation. Everything seems to be going fine during rehabilitation until Bill suffers hallucinations.

Jeff Fahey carries "Body Parts" all the way to the inane finale. The first act meanders, the second act is okay, but the third act is completely off-the-rails. Impressive stunt work, creative murders, and an insane car chase await the unexpected viewer.

Corny dialogue plagues the screen. Suspension of disbelief would be an understatement for this film. Essentially, "Body Parts" rips off "The Hands of Orlac."

An outlandish conclusion mars this otherwise decent little early '90s thriller. Jeff Fahey, he of "Lawnmower Man" fame, stars as Bill Chrushank, a shrink who tragically loses his arm in a brutal car wreck. But through the miracle of science, and with the consent of his wife, Chrushank is given a second chance at an able-bodied life via a groundbreaking transplant. All seems well until the limb, formerly belonging to a murderous death row inmate, seems to take on a life of its own. Is the killer living more than vicariously through Chrushank, or is it all in his head?

One of the biggest complaints the big-name critics had with this one was that the story is all too familiar (i.e. "Hands of Orlac"). Yet a borrowed story is no reason to automatically dismiss a picture. Look at how many cop pictures and romantic comedies steal elements from their predecessors. So yes, this basic tale has been told before, but director Eric Red (I've never heard of him, either) makes it all work pretty good. Until, that is, the aforementioned climax rears its ugly head. It's then that Chrushank discovers the sinister origins of his surgery. I won't give it away, but let's just say there are plenty of four-letter words to describe it: lame, poor, nuts, crap. This film just could have been so great with a great finale.