''The Terminal Man'' is a 1974 American horror

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...

directed by

Mike Hodges Michael Tommy Hodges (29 July 1932 – 17 December 2022) was a British screenwriter, film and television director, playwright and novelist. His films as writer/director include ''Get Carter'' (1971), ''Pulp (1972 film), Pulp'' (1972), ''The Te ...

, based on the 1972 novel of the same name by

Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author, screenwriter and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavil ...

. Starring

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as '' Ship o ...

and

Joan Hackett Joan Ann Hackett (March 1, 1934 – October 8, 1983) was an American actress.Obituary, '' Variety'', October 12, 1983. She acted in film, television, and theatre. She played roles in '' The Group'' (1966), '' Will Penny'' (1968), '' Support Yo ...

, the film centers on the danger of

mind control Mind control may refer to: Psychology and neurology * Brainwashing, the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques * Brain–computer interface * Hypnosis * Neuroprosthetics, the technology of cont ...

and the power of

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

Plot

Harry Benson, an intelligent ( IQ 144) computer scientist in his 30s, suffers from

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...

. He often has seizures that induce blackouts, after which he awakens to unfamiliar surroundings with indications of violent behavior on his part. He also suffers from delusions that computers will rise up against humans. Benson suffers from Acute Disinhibitory Lesion syndrome and consents to an experimental psychosurgical procedure known as "Stage Three". Stage Three requires surgeons to implant

electrode An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte, a vacuum or a gas). In electrochemical cells, electrodes are essential parts that can consist of a varie ...

s in his brain, which will detect the onset of a

seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...

and then use an electrical impulse to stop it. Benson's psychiatrist, Janet Ross, opposes the procedure, concerned that once the operation is complete, Benson will suffer further

psychosis In psychopathology, psychosis is a condition in which a person is unable to distinguish, in their experience of life, between what is and is not real. Examples of psychotic symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized or inco ...

as a result of his person merging with that of a computer, something he has come to distrust and disdain. The surgery does initially appear to be a success, but two days after the operation, it is apparent that his brain has become addicted to the electrical impulses. The seizures are triggering at increasingly shorter intervals. When they become continuous, Benson will be in a permanent blackout, with the violent behavior that goes with it. Just before Ross realizes what is happening, Benson escapes from the hospital. He becomes unpredictably violent, but his intact intelligence allows him to evade the police for a considerable time, at one point confronting Ross in her home. Benson goes to a cemetery where he falls into a freshly dug grave. A procession walking towards the grave notice him in the grave with a gun and alert the authorities. Ross arrives and pleads with Benson to allow her to help him but is held back as a police helicopter shoots him as he attempts to raise his gun. The film ends with some doctors opening a peephole looking into the camera and telling the audience that they are next for the medical procedure.

Cast

as Harry Benson *

as Dr. Janet Ross * Richard A. Dysart as Dr. John Ellis *

Jill Clayburgh Jill Clayburgh (April 30, 1944 – November 5, 2010) was an American actress known for her work in theater, television, and cinema. She received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actr ...

as Angela Black / Doris Blankfort *

Donald Moffat Donald Moffat (December 26, 1930 – December 20, 2018) was a British-American actor with a decades-long career in film and stage in the United States. Moffat began his acting career on- and off- Broadway, which included appearances in ''The ...

as Dr. Arthur McPherson * Matt Clark as Gerhard * Michael C. Gwynne as Dr. Robert Morris *

Norman Burton Norman Burton (December 5, 1923 – November 29, 2003) was an American actor. He was occasionally credited as Normann Burton. Early life Born in New York City, Burton was a student of the Actors Studio. After early work on stage, he broke in ...

as Det. Capt. Anders * William Hansen as Dr. Ezra Manon * Jason Wingreen as Instructor * James B. Sikking as Ralph Friedman *

Ian Wolfe Ian Marcus Wolfe (November 4, 1896 – January 23, 1992) was an American character actor with around 400 film and television credits. Until 1934, he worked in the theatre. That year, he appeared in his first film role and later television, as ...

as Priest * Jack Colvin as Detective

Production

Crichton was originally hired to adapt the novel himself in 1971, but Warner Bros. felt he had departed from the source material too much and had another writer adapt it. "I don't think they arner Brosgave it a chance," said Crichton later. The film was shot in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and

Burbank Studios The Burbank Studios (formerly known as NBC Studios) is a television production facility located in Burbank, California, United States. The studio is home to ''Days of Our Lives'', ''Extra'', the ''IHeartRadio Theater'', and was formerly home ...

, with the Forest Lawn Cemetery and the

Ennis House The Ennis House (also the Ennis–Brown House) is a residence at 2607–2655 Glendower Avenue in the Los Feliz, Los Angeles, Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States. Designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the ...

serving as locations in the film. When preparing the film, Hodges wanted to shoot in black and white but the studio would not let him. The film was influenced by the work of

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realism painter and printmaker. He is one of America's most renowned artists and known for his skill in depicting modern American life and landscapes. Born in Nyack, New York, to a ...

. “The American painter Edward Hopper was relatively unknown here in those days. I certainly had never heard of him. Something made me pick up a book of his paintings in Pickwick's bookshop on Hollywood Boulevard. I opened it and there was my film. There was the loneliness of urban America on every page. I can remember snipping my film down to match the loneliness that Hopper had captured."Mike Hodges (Pocket Essentials: Film) Mark Adams

Reception

''The Terminal Man'', was not released in the UK, was successful in Japan and, according to Hodges, the film was dumped in the United States, receiving very limited screenings. "We had one terrible preview. They projected it without sound for the first 10 minutes, which was excruciating. American audiences found the film too uncompromising, too tough to take. The reviews were dire. I think people had a problem accepting George Segal in the lead role. At that time, he was known as a light comedian, but I wanted him for the film. I liked the fact that it was unusual casting. He is terribly good in it and, now that his career is not too top heavy with comedy, you can see him purely as an actor – and a good one."

Nora Sayre Nora Clemens Sayre (September 20, 1932 – August 8, 2001) was an American film critic and essayist. She was a reviewer of films for ''The New York Times'' in the 1970s, and, from 1981, a writing teacher for many years at Columbia Universit ...

gave the film a negative review in ''The New York Times'', describing it as dull and slow: "George Segal's resilience, humor, and versatility have redeemed quite a few bad scripts. But this role gives him little chance to act, beyond making like a Zombie and rolling his eyeballs back..."

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...

was a Hodges admirer – “Any actor who sees ''

Get Carter ''Get Carter'' is a 1971 British gangster film, gangster thriller film, written and directed by Mike Hodges in his directorial debut and starring Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, John Osborne, Britt Ekland and Bryan Mosley. Based on Ted Lewis (write ...

'' will want to work with him.” When Mike Kaplan, a Warner Bros international marketing executive, attempted to override Warner Bros' decision not to release the film in Britain, he sought Kubrick’s help. After explaining the situation, and how the film required a different marketing campaign, Kubrick interrupted with, “I’ve already seen it and it’s terrific.” The director

Terrence Malick Terrence Frederick Malick (; born November 30, 1943) is an American filmmaker. Malick began his career as part of the New Hollywood generation of filmmakers and received awards at the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and ...

wrote to Hodges expressing how much he loved watching ''The Terminal Man'', saying "I have just come from seeing ''The Terminal Man'' and want you to know what a magnificent, overwhelming picture it is. You achieve moods that I’ve never experienced in the movies before, though it’s only in hope of finding them that I keep going. Your images make me understand what an image ''is'', not a pretty picture but something that should pierce one through like an arrow and speak in a language all its own."

Alternate versions

On its release at the 2003 Edinburgh Film Festival, there was a "director's cut", which Hodges edited himself by removing the self-contained opening expository scene of the doctor looking at photographs of Harry Benson (production studio notes had insisted the scene would give the audience "someone to root for".).

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Terminal Man 1970s English-language films 1974 horror films 1970s science fiction horror films 1974 thriller films American science fiction horror films Fiction about brain–computer interface Fiction about psychosurgery Films based on works by Michael Crichton Films directed by Mike Hodges 1974 films Films shot in Los Angeles 1970s American films 1974 science fiction films English-language science fiction horror films English-language thriller films