If memory serves me right, this is the first Doris Wishman film I have seen. To me, it can be likened to seeing a car crash by the side of the road: it is tragic, awful but something tells you to keep looking. After Arthur Barlen has had a penis transplanted from his dead friend, Felix, he goes on a raping and murdering spree whenever he sees gold earrings. His detective uncle (Larry Hunter, who reminds me of Burt Young of Blood Beach 1980) has the task of tracking down Arthur.Doris Wishman certainly seems to be something of an acquired taste. There are pointless shots of objects such as a telephone base and carpets as people walk over them. Walking along the streets is also a good one. Then there is the off-screen dialogue. This film is supposedly classed as a "roughie" but compared to other films of the genre it seems quite tame. Maybe it is because the DVD version reviewed runs for only 71 minutes instead of the database figure of 77 minutes and the more extreme stuff has been cut; but why? Surely we should be able to make up our own minds.

There are far too many fascinating (and fun) elements in the Amazing Transplant to simply trash this Doris Wishman film as a whole. True, the story unfolds at times like a disjointed train wreck. But quirky little cinematic treasures should deter one from aggressively ridding the fast forward button.Meek and kind hearted Arthur Barlen admired his close friend so much, that upon his death, Arthur wanted to have his own penis removed, and replaced with the penis of his deceased buddy. Now THAT'S friendship! And contrary to other reviews, Arthur was anesthetized during the surgery, and the absence of an attending nurse during the procedure was reasonably and logically explained In Frankenstein, when Dr Frankenstein inadvertently implants the brain of a psychopathic murderer into the body of his monster - mayhem ensues. Of course, this couldn't happen in the Amazing Transplant. Because everybody knows - men don't think with their . . . ah um - penis. Right? Only it appears that in this movie (as in life) that we do. Because Arthur's new dong drives him to kill the first woman who arouses him.Arthur's uncle, police detective Barlen, searches for clues in hopes of proving Arthur's innocence. Endless closeups of the detective's facial expressions (his eyebrows were hilarious) blended with closeups of the hem lines of the women he was questioning (or maybe ogling would be a better word), painted the disheveled detective as a cross between Columbo and Chester the Molester. At times Det. Barlen seemed more dangerous than did his young nephew, walking around with his former friends' hostile penis, sutured to his groin.Wishman's treatment of the numerous women Arthur encounters is more interesting and bizarre than menacing or sexual. Nudity is abundant and it's good to see some body hair again. Five stars for the Amazing Transplant It would have been a solid six stars if shown at a drive-in theater!

I admit I was a Doris Wishman virgin till the other night, but "The Amazing Transplant" finally broke my cherry. Cheesy, smutty grind house fare like this comes as a breath of fresh air to a cult film enthusiast like myself. I watched it twice (at 70 minutes, not hard to do) just to make sure I absorbed every aspect of the film's dubious appeal. I was glad I did! Wishman's work here reminded me of early John Waters minus any of his dubious artistry. What is seen here is the the use of ordinary homes and apartments as sets, the shooting of street scenes without permits, actors providing their own wardrobe, and footage being shot without synced sound and then adding all dialog in post-production.The story has nice average guy Arthur turning into a serial rapist and murderer for reasons no one can ascertain. Neither his concerned Mom, or his police detective Uncle, can fathom why Arthur is considered a suspect in the murder of his girlfriend since he is such a gentle soul. The worried Mom turns over Arthur's "little black book" to his Uncle, who goes about the task of interviewing the women listed in the directory. They all recount episodes (seen in flashback) of being raped by the once gentle Arthur, who becomes a sex maniac when he sees a woman sporting dangling gold earrings.Fascinating in its sleaziness, if only because it transports the viewer back to the late 1960's, much in the way a home movie would. There's enough to enjoy in the costumes, decors, wallpapers and set decoration, all of which Wishman lavishes attention on, to keep viewers interested. There's even a few frames of a close-up of a carpet, with nothing on it but a little dust.I laughed at the lingering shots of a telephone cradle, as someone speaks into the receiver off camera. Extended shots of the character's feet with ugly shoes or boots, and garbage-strewn sidewalks add elements of randomness. Wishman constantly relies on reaction shots of her characters, seldom focusing on any character delivering dialog. The over-dubbed dialog is heard spoken off camera throughout the entire proceedings.Actually, some of the actors are attractive and exhibit a willingness to attempt a performance, including Brazilian Juan Fernandez as Arthur. He soon gave up acting and went behind the camera to become a cinematographer. But Larry Hunter as the pasty detective Uncle, and dour Linda Southern as the concerned Mother give absolutely toxic performances that really could make audiences run for the exits. Some of the actresses who play Arthur's victims seem attractive enough, but all their half-hearted struggling against him isn't convincing in the least.** out of *****

If you've seen one of Wishman's "movies", you've pretty much seen them all. Although I wasn't expecting much, Amazing Transplant has the same slow pacing, dull characters, monotone setting, sub-par directing, etc. that characterizes much of her films.A man goes around entering homes of women, strips their clothes, rapes, and then kills them. It's the same thing over and over again. If the women were prettier and the soft-core scenes more arousing, I would forgive much of the shortcomings of the plot and acting. But this movie just drags. I do have to say the penis transplant towards the end was unintentionally hilarious.The ending doesn't make any sense. As a matter of fact, almost nothing makes any sense. Don't waste your time watching this. There are better things to do with your life. Amazing Transplant certainly lives up to it's billing from Something Weird.