The Body Shop, Insaniac Creates Women

Ah, to create the perfect woman.  What would she look like and how would she behave?  You can pick.  The legs of one woman, the face of another, the arms of a third, and the eyes of someone else. Your choice.  Her personality? Her only job will be to serve and pleasure you. Interested? After all, what could go wrong? Hence 1972's "The Body Shop."

Poor Dr. Brandon (J.G. Peterson, Jr.), mad-scientist extraordinaire. His pin-up model wife recently died and he has needs. Like most of us would, the mad doctor embarks on a quest to create a perfect wife in his laboratory. He starts where we would, the graveyard. Corpse body parts just won't do, so Brandon scouts for living babes. With the help of his trusty hunchback assistant, Greg (Roy Mehaffey) he abducts beauties. First up is a bikini babe (Jan Benfield)...he will cut her legs off.  The nubile Ellen (Jeannine Aber) is next...after drugging her he will cut off her arms.  He'll do the same with other beauties and even operate on them while they are awake.  The surgical scenes are quite graphic.

Now, stocked with human body parts from attractive donors, its time to sew the pieces together. We have to give Brandon credit, he has amassed some really nice looking pieces. Its not much of a spoiler to say the endeavor was successful, and Anitra (Jenny Driggers) is born. As a part time hypnotist, Brandon now controls Anitra's thoughts.  He teaches her how to serve his every manly need, how to wear a see through negligee, how to serve his every manly need, how to don a bikini, how to serve his every manly need, etc. He will also keep her locked in his castle and shield her from every other man.  Girls will be girls and when she gets a gander at other men...well...you'll see.

Will Anitra ever free herself from Brandon's control? Will Brandon ever teach her how to wear a smart business suit suitable for finding a job?  How will Brandon ever react when Anitra plies her talents on other men?  Of course, creating your own woman, brainwashing her to serve your every need, and be 100% devoted to your manly needs always goes well.  This is a horror film, however, and where this story lacks in romance and emotional drama, it will succeed in gore and dissection. A metaphor for the modern relationship, perhaps? Directed by the star, J.G. Patterson, Jr., "The Body Shop" is some good 1970s drive-in, exploitation/horror.