Rating: 
Summary: Historic episode is also quite good
Review: Show 513, featuring 'The Brain that Wouldn't Die,' is notable primarily as the episode in which Mike ('Mike Nelson') Nelson is introduced as the new resident of the Satellite of Love and host of our program. But while Mike the host is new, Mike the writer is an MST veteran. And not only are there no first-time jitters here, the episode itself is a pretty darn good one.The movie itself is yet another horror-inducing-severed-body-part monstrosity, in the same genre as 'The Crawling Hand' and several others. The title body-part became a semi-recurring character on the show, beloved by MSTies as 'Jan in the Pan.' The host segments in this episode are quite good, as Mike finds his footing in his new home and builds a relationship with Crow and Tom Servo. And a gutter-bumber-chute could come in real handy here in Seattle.
Rating: 
Summary: This Talking Head is a Psycho Killer!
Review: Evil scientists, bizarre medical experiments, and a body-less head that floats about in a dinner pan - what more could a boy ask for? Mention the phrase "typical 50s science fiction B-movie" to someone, and you'll undoubtedly conjure up an image of something that's not wholly unlike THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE. Yes, the classic movie where the evil scientist boyfriend keeps his favourite chick alive by pulling her head off of her body in a car wreck and setting it up in a laboratory in his basement. Somehow having her head cut off gives the girlfriend special powers of telepathy but only (and here's the catch) with really ugly monster experiments. Oh, and it also turns her evil, I think. This is Mike Nelson's first movie as a member of the crew onboard the Satellite of Love, and he fills Joel's shoes admirably. The jokes are mostly on target and the host segments are quite good. This isn't one of the best episodes of the show, but it's certainly an enjoyable one and quite an entertaining way to spend an hour and a half. The DVD version of this release comes with the uncut, full-screen format of the film on the flip side of the disc, if you're in a particularly masochistic mood. Highlights of the film include: the film title changing between the opening and closing credits, a decapitated head with attitude, and a mad scientist out prowling for spare heads at stripping diners.
Rating: 
Summary: another classic
Review: The first appearance of Mike on the SOL is the main feature of this one...besides the humor facet, natch.
nobody else I know likes this series, so I have to be in what Mike calls "Another dimension" to watch em..but I do that on purpose, not an editing mistake.
Rating:
Summary: Mike Nelson's Debut
Review: "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" marks the first appearence of Micheal J. Nelson on the show,after original SOL captain Joel Robinson's sarendipitous escape via a box marked "hambdingers".The 'bot,Crow and Servo immedeately put him through the paces,evoking the feared and loathed names of Marc Singer and (gasp) Sid Melton.Mike passes with flying colors,relating the universal truth that Sid Melton equals little monkey boy.The mads show no mercy to thier newest test subject,however,sending him a tepid little slice of hell involving a pleasant sort of chap who seems to think it's a smashing idea to keep his WIFE'S SEVERED HEAD alive in a MEATLOAF PAN.The then-unknown scientific realm of NECK JUICE is explored thourgholy.The good doctor then shows his intense dedication to the betterment of mankind and his absolute devotion to his wife by hanging around in SLEAZY BARS,and STALKING WOMEN,all to find a suitable new body for his everlasting love.There are many,many long,drawn out scenes of this wonderful man seducing women,stroking thier necks,promising them happiness and fullfillment,and generally restoring faith in the male animal.Why Carey Grant didn't fight for this role I'll never know.Anyway,while his NON-PEDAL BETROTHED is whining and moaning about being stuck in a casserole dish,she discovers another of her husband's experiments,a huge,lumbering,horribly disfigured mutant who's locked in a closet.HIS FACE IS TIED IN THE BACK.As it turns out,she can control him with his mind,and eventually she has the creature break out,kill everybody and burn the whole mess to the ground.The warm,wonderful glow you get from this movie will last for days after you see it.Our intrepid viewers,for thier part,scewer this classic royally,pointing out all the creepy psychological subtexts and disturbing displays of human depravity with usual shrewdness.Mike does a more than adequate job,dropping the classic line "lots of..ways,many...ways,did I mention there are ways?"Way to go Nel-sone!All in all,a great episode,and on DVD,you get to watch the original,uncut version in all it's glory,to hone your own chops.Highly,highly rcommended to all my fellow MiSTies.
Rating:
Summary: Another classic MST3K episode
Review: This is yet another wonderfully funny episode of MST3k, although I don't know why they decided to keep the invention exchange with Mike(they soon get rid of it) other than that I like the way they (sarcastically) make an attempt to keep continuity after Joel left. The movie riffs are very good too, go Jonny Tremain references!
Rating:
Summary: The Head That Wouldn't Die?
Review: I wouldn't consider The Brain That Wouldn't Die MST3K's finest comedic performance to date, but it definitely rates up there. Featuring non-stop puns and cultural references, Mike, Servo, and Crow take the time to sit back and torture themselves with this film to make our life just a little bit easier. As an added bonus, you can even watch this film without the assistance of our heros and make your own MST3K romp! Oddly enough, The Brain That Wouldn't Die had quite a bit of critical appeal upon its initial release in 1960! Predating Roger Corman's daring excursions in filmmaking, it was seen as daring due to its gruesome themes and had since become a cult favorite. Shows how important the critics are, eh? Well, I assure you that this film is just as bad as most of the flicks that have been MST3Ked over the years. I still prefer Mitchell though!
Rating:
Summary: The dangers of the MD God Complex
Review: 'The Brian That Wouldn't Die' (also titled 'The Head That Wouldn't Die') was Mike Nelson's first foray into Dr. Forrester's evil laboratory, Deep 13. Prior, he was a simple temp, working as little as possible. However- he was at the wrong place at the wrong time when Joel (the series originator) found a rocket pod in a case marked 'hamdingers' (that's gotta be some Minnesota thing) and slipped off the SOL to Earth. He has not been heard from since. Mike, being a jovial, hearty midwestern man of little means, is sent into orbit to 'temp' as it were, for Joel. His first film, "The Brian That Wouldn't Die" Is a terrific piece of tripe all on its own but with Mike and the 'bots it truly comes alive. So alive in fact a woman, who should by all rights be dead, lives on, as only a head in a pan. She is fondly known as 'Jan in the Pan'. The trusty assistant- the guy who pleaded for the doctor to hasten to the summer house, thus crashing the convertible (this being the '50's there weren't any seat belts worn, nor were any even in the car) and decapitating his fiancee, the aforementioned Jan. The assistant owes the doctor something; because he is willing to hang around while the monster they created is locked in a basement closet. In fact, the monster 'problem' is why the Dr. rushed ever so quickly up to the 'summer house', resulting in the beheading of his girlfriend. This film deals, however obliquely, with the average MD's God Complex. Jan must live because lead footed doctor creepy guy can keep her alive. The monster also lives because the doctor put him together- working nights and weekends- from odds and ends from his hospital. His trusty assistant has a bum arm, but it is never made clear if the arm was bad before Dr. Feelgood got ahold of him or after they started working together. The movie really gets rolling when Dr. Sexlove turns on the K-porn in his car and starts trolling the streets for a body suitable for his beloved Jan. It gets better when Dr. Lovegod visits a local strip bar, which somehow results in a fight to the finish between two strippers. Right about then, one starts to think the only reason the movie was made was for these lurid scenes, all to the theme of 'K-Porn' music. That thought continues when Dr. Freakout visits an old friend, once beautiful but now 'badly scarred' (it's hardly that). She does have a terrific body though, and that's what she does for coin: she's a body model (something photographers had in the '50's/'60's-kids today will never understand it- before everyone simply took their clothes off for little or no pay). Dr. Creepy promises to make her horribly scarred face new again but she must go, now, to his laboratory. There is no time to get dressed, leave a note or anything. Back at the lab, old Jan in the pan, remarkably resentful toward the man who nearly killed her but is now saving her head in a lasagna pan for transplant, has been telling the closet monster he must break out and kill Dr. Dave before he patches more people together out of odd body parts. The one armmed assistant has a tiff with the monster for no appparent reason; the monster manages to reach through his caged window and tear all his remaining arms off. After getting blood everywhere, trusty assistant collapses- where else? but an armchair. The assistant somehow gets back in the basement to die just before Dr. Creepyboy gets home with the scarred but shapely victim. He drugs her; she realizes it and starts screaming then falls into a slumber. Lots of commotion starts in the basement; our Dare Devil Doctor goes down only to get a major scolding from Jan and his carotid artery ripped out by the monster, now out of the closet. The lab catches fire, the monster saves the drugged woman from yet more horrible scars, and Jan laughs and laughs as the movie fades. it's implied Jan dies; but she was quite the fighter! This film, beyond serving the purient interests of young men in the late 1950s, is a lesson to you medical types who want to patch people together with other people's parts without their permission. Someone is going to lose their head, and everyone will probably die. Mike spends most of the movie trying to get off the SOL, but realizes he's no handyman. He settles in for the long haul. His only hope is they mail his temp checks to his mom.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe he's just building a shelf in there...
Review: This MST3K, along with Pod People, were the first two episodes I received as a Christmas present. I have to say, this is one of the top episodes ever. I agree with the previous poster, "Ways" is one of the funniest lines ever in a episode of Mystery Science Theater. In other episodes, I recommend Pod People, Cave Dwellers, Manos obviously, and some other episodes that aren't available on video, but are tremendously entertaining if you can get your hands on them: Attack of the the Eye Creatures (that's not a typo) and Jack Frost off the Sci-Fi episodes. Some that I can recommend you don't buy are The Wild World of Bat Woman, Eegah, and Red Zone, which seem to be put on video not so much because the jokes are funny, but that the movies are so incredibly bad. Some people may like that, but I prefer to have Joel, Mike, and the bots make the jokes for me.
Rating:
Summary: "Ways!"
Review: Funniest line in any MST3K (even tops "Mitchell!", for me).
Rating:
Summary: Jan in the Pan, Mike and the 'Bots
Review: Here's one of the funnier offerings from the fine folks at MST3K. The film (absolute dogmeat until the MST3K treatment arrived) centers around a doctor that kills his girlfriend through erratic driving and decides to keep her head. He hooks the severed head to this cheesy junior-high chemistry set and sets off to find a new body to attach his girlfriend's head to. Like I mentioned, the film itself is horrible but Mike and the 'Bots make this into a great film with all the wise-cracking and shenanigans that made this one of the best series ever. Don't miss the appearance of Jan in the Pan on the SOL at the end of the film - the crew are at their finest cracking on her misfortunes.
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