Litter Box Treasures: BODY PARTS (1991)

In Litter Box Treasures, we focus on a variety of older films which aren’t necessarily classics, but are well-worth discovering.

BODY PARTS (1991)

Starring Jeff Fahey, Brad Dourif, Kim Delaney, Zakes Mokae, Lindsay Duncan, Paul Ban-Victor. Directed by Eric Red. (88 min).

Essay by D.M. ANDERSON💀

Body Parts was pretty much dismissed by critics and audiences upon its original release. Granted, it ain't exactly groundbreaking, nor does it challenge the intellect, but it's quite good for what it is... a fun, fast-paced slab of blood-soaked junk food. 

Perennial direct-to-video favorite Jeff Fahey plays Bill Chrushank, a criminal psychologist who loses his right arm in a car accident. Dr. Agatha Webb (Lindsay Duncan) is a renowned specialist who performs a new procedure by attaching a new arm from a donor. Within a few months, Bill's new arm is fully functional and he goes back to his daily routine. But it isn't long before he's having horrible nightmares and violent outbursts, much to the chagrin of his family. 

Bill soon discovers that his transplanted arm once belonged to a serial killer. Not only that, the killer's other limbs were given to other recipients. Understandably, he wants the limb removed, but Dr. Webb refuses, more concerned with her scientific achievements than Bill's belief that evil is not of the brain, but of the body. Soon after, the other recipients are violently killed, their donated limbs torn off by an unseen killer who won't surprise anyone.

Brad Dourif...making B-movies better since 1988.

Body Parts is a story that's been done before, but it's a lot of gory fun that doesn't outstay its welcome with a scant 88 minute running time. Director/co-writer Eric Red does a decent job making familiar material seem fresh (the sequence in which two guys in different cars are cuffed together during a chase is pretty suspenseful), although the movie could have used a little more humor, given the outrageous premise. Fahey, sort of an underrated actor, establishes Bill as a likable guy, which makes his violent turns against his family all the more jarring. While the climax can be seen coming from a mile away, it's lively...and plenty bloody.

Certainly no classic, Body Parts is an underrated and underseen horror film that’s largely been kind of forgotten over time. The movie deserves a second look and is highly recommended for fans of gonzo sci-fi horror. And at the very least, you can't completely dismiss any exploitation film that finds room for some prime Brad Dourif scenery chewing.