The Terminal Man (1974)

Director:

Mike Hodges

Writers:

Michael Crichton (novel)
Mike Hodges (writer)

Release Date:

14 February 1975 (Finland)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Harry Benson is a brilliant computer scientist. For three minutes a day, he is violently homicidal.

Plot:

As the result of a head injury, brilliant computer scientist Harry Benson begins to experience violent seizures...

Plot Keywords:

Seizure | Brain Implant | Medical | Brain Surgery | Helicopter

Cast

George Segal	...	Harry Benson
Joan Hackett	...	Dr. Janet Ross
Richard Dysart	...	Dr. John Ellis
Donald Moffat	...	Dr. Arthur McPherson
Michael C. Gwynne	...	Dr. Robert Morris
William Hansen	...	Dr. Ezra Manon
Jill Clayburgh	...	Angela Black
Norman Burton	...	Det. Capt. Anders
James Sikking	...	Ralph Friedman
Matt Clark	...	Gerhard
Jim Antonio	...	Richards
Gene Borkan	...	Benson's Guard
Burke Byrnes	...	Benson's Guard
Jordan Rhodes	...	Questioner No. 1
Dee Carroll	...	Night Nurse

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1974) (original rating) | Finland:K-18 (1974) (re-rating) | USA:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Ennis-Brown House - 2655 Glendower Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The name of the hospital, though never spoken in the movie, is "Babel". It is barely visible as a low contrast (beige on white) emblem on the uniforms. The logo is a circle, containing the name printed horizontally and vertically sharing the central "B", similar to the Bayer Cross.

Quotes:

[small peephole opens in door to what appears to be a solitary confinement room from the inside POV; first man's eye is seen peering in]
1st man behind door: He's quiet now.
[moves aside, a second man's eye appears]
2nd man behind door: What's his name?
1st man behind door: Benson.
2nd man behind door: Looks okay to me. What's wrong with him?
1st man behind door: Ahh, he's bananas.
2nd man behind door: When's he going out?
1st man behind door: In the morning
[closes peephole]

Movie Connections:

Features Them! (1954)

Soundtrack:

Goldberg Variation No. 25

A Classic Crichton Story A Window To A Medical Future

"The Terminal Man" is a classic Michael Crichton story. The science fiction is based in reality. For the time, the novel represented the cutting edge of our understanding of the brain and its pain and pleasure pathways. It seems hard to believe, but in 1974 little was known about the mechanism of addiction and substances like endorphins. The concept of harnessing them was a dream. Today, they are entering lay speech and find their way into everything from diets and meditation to sports.

As a physician with a talent for using current research to feed his imagination, Crichton constructs unique novels. 1971's "Andromeda Strain" was the first big success, and studied our concept of life and biologic evolution. "The Terminal Man" asked the question of what would happen when main gains control of himself. How will he use that power? Will it change him? Will it work?

In character with many of his novels, the scientific detail is impossible to big to the screen. A film can only run so long. Many Crichton fans will always prefer his books to the movie. However, this under appreciated film brings the story to life. It is relatively free of the soliloquies of background data that are seen in many science fiction films. The viewer learns threw the eyes of the patient. The main story line still comes across well, and the viewer experiences the emotions and dilemmas of the patient.

The irony here is that a science has now proven the film's premise correct. Animal studies confirm the side effects vividly depicted in the film. As we enter the new millennium, severe pain and cancer patients use the techniques envisioned by Michael Crichton. "The Terminal Man" is an example if fiction becoming fact, and film previewing our future.

If one likes science and science fiction, it is a good film to pick. The drama of the patients predicament will also entertain drama fans. This was made in 1971, so if you are a great CGI and action fan you may be disappointed. So use your imagination.