Abnormal Brain
In the 1931 horror classic Frankenstein, Dr. Frankenstein charges his assistant Fritz with the task of procuring a brain for his newly stitched together creation.
He bungles the job.
Instead of bringing back the brain of a genius, he brings back the brain of a criminal, an abnormal brain. And thus the path of the Frankenstein monster is laid out for him (though it was not so in the book).
Typically, I’m not a big collector of movie props but a couple years ago the opportunity arose to get a near exact replica of the brain in a jar from this scene. And like most people, when I’m asked if I’d like a brain in a jar, I say “Yes, please”.
I say “near” exact replica because, if I remember right, the stickers needed to be changed ever so slightly. Since this isn’t a licensed product, I guess an exact replica would infringe on the copyright. Crazy, I know, but the two stickers on the jar here are in slightly different positions than in the movie. If you knew that without being told, you may have the most abnormal brain of all.
Along with the thick glass and rubber brain, this came with a concoction designed to add some murkiness to the water (water not included). It worked for awhile, but over time most of it had just sunk to the bottom, joined up and congealed into what I’m pretty sure must now be a living organism itself. Even if it’s not yet alive, it’s still pretty gross. And no, I’m not going to change the water!
And of course, my brain glows in the dark. Does yours? (Don’t answer that, Sanjeev!)
