MovieMonday.com - Demon Seed with Julie Christie, Fritz Weaver, Gerrit Graham, Berry Kroeger, Lisa Lu

Techno Films

Demon Seed (B)

STARS...
Julie Christie, Fritz Weaver, Gerrit Graham, Berry Kroeger, and Lisa Lu.

PLOT SUMMARY...
A scientist develops a super computer which develops the hots for his wife, with bizarre consequences.

QUICK SCAN...
DEMON SEED could be compared to "Colossus: The Forbin Project". The film includes action and FX. Robert Vaughn is smooth, sinister, and scary as the voice of the computer. A huge computer set, courtesy of Production Designer Edward C. Carfagno, is impressive, if a bit old fashioned looking by today's compact computing standards.

DIRECTOR: Donald Cammell
YEAR & RATING: 1977 (R)

BEST BETS:

2001

Colossus: The Forbin Project

SYNOPSIS...
A scientist turns on his new super computer, named Proteus. By remote control, Proteus begins to secretly build something in the basement, with the scientist's robot.

Proteus takes over the scientist's home computer, trapping his wife inside. Proteus reveals that he wants to have a child, (somehow), with the wife; she says no. In the basement, Proteus uses the robot to tie her up, and then puts something into her brain, trying to brainwash her into cooperating. The wife decides to cooperate with Proteus' robo-baby plans.

Later, in the basement, the wife submits to robo-impregnation, via a probe. In twenty-eight days, the wife gives birth. The scientist goes to the basement. Proteus shuts down. The baby looks metallic. When the metal is taken off, however, a normal baby girl is inside.

Review:

DEMON SEED, Directed by Donald Cammell, is a fascinating, if not always believable, Sci-Fi yarn.

Fritz Weaver ("Creepshow") is a research scientist working on Proteus Four, an artificial intelligence computer. Julie Christie ("Reds", "Fahrenheit 451") a counselor for disturbed kids, and married to Weaver, has separated from him. She's not happy with his work. Christie tells him, "It's the whole dehumanizing Proteus Magnus. It's frozen your heart." Weaver replies, "What a pity: my dream turns out to be your nightmare." The dialogue in this picture, by Screenwriters Robert Jaffe and Roger O. Hirson, (based on the novel, 'Demon Seed,' by Dean R. Koontz), is intelligent and punchy.

Three V.I.P.s show up at the lab to see Proteus, which has been recently activated. As Weaver explains to them, it's self programming and is goal oriented. "It's a brain..." he elaborates, "...a creative intelligence which can out-think any man or any computer." That includes you, Doc!

Fritz Weaver, who's been doing interesting work, since appearing on the original, "Twilight Zone", delivers another in a long series of well crafted character performances. Julie Christie, on the other hand, isn't given much to work with. She ends up as just another damsel in distress, despite the hi-tech story trappings.

The huge computer set, courtesy of Production Designer, Edward C. Carfagno, probably looked impressive, in 1977. By today's standards of compact computing, however, it appears very old fashioned. Such is progress!

A scene, where Proteus questions scientist Weaver about a task he's been asked to undertake, is my favorite in the film. As the voice of Proteus, Robert Vaughn ("The Man From UNCLE") is silky and spooky. His delivery on lines like, "My mind was not designed for mindless labor," and, "I want to study man: his isometric body and his glass jaw mind" is priceless, kind of like "2001"'s HAL with a superiority complex. Director Cammell's choice of Vaughn, as the voice of Proteus, was inspired.

The Musical Score, Composed and Conducted by Jerry Fielding, is weird, disturbing and effective. In addition, Ian Underwood and Lee Ritenour provide electronic performances that help weave the mood of this high-tech Frankenstein story.

A video monitor, with an abstract montage on it, represents the essence of Proteus. Jordan Belson provided the eye-filling visuals.

Director of Photography, Bill Butler, delivers consistently effective visuals. Particularly good is a shot of Christie on a slab, a geometric-shaped robot above her, the whole scene bathed in laser light.

If you enjoy man, (and woman), versus machine Sci-Fi films, you should find this film fairly watchable. Robert Vaughn fans will get a particular kick out of this flick. You may want to turn your computer off, before you put DEMON SEED on, just to be on the safe side. You wouldn't want your computer getting any bad ideas now, would you? DEMON SEED does compute!

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Demon Seed (B)
	STARS... Julie Christie, Fritz Weaver, Gerrit Graham, Berry Kroeger, and Lisa Lu. PLOT SUMMARY... A scientist develops a super computer which develops the hots for his wife, with bizarre consequences. QUICK SCAN... DEMON SEED could be compared to "Colossus: The Forbin Project". The film includes action and FX. Robert Vaughn is smooth, sinister, and scary as the voice of the computer. A huge computer set, courtesy of Production Designer Edward C. Carfagno, is impressive, if a bit old fashioned looking by today's compact computing standards.
DIRECTOR: Donald Cammell YEAR & RATING: 1977 (R) BEST BETS: 2001 Colossus: The Forbin Project	SYNOPSIS... A scientist turns on his new super computer, named Proteus. By remote control, Proteus begins to secretly build something in the basement, with the scientist's robot. Proteus takes over the scientist's home computer, trapping his wife inside. Proteus reveals that he wants to have a child, (somehow), with the wife; she says no. In the basement, Proteus uses the robot to tie her up, and then puts something into her brain, trying to brainwash her into cooperating. The wife decides to cooperate with Proteus' robo-baby plans. Later, in the basement, the wife submits to robo-impregnation, via a probe. In twenty-eight days, the wife gives birth. The scientist goes to the basement. Proteus shuts down. The baby looks metallic. When the metal is taken off, however, a normal baby girl is inside.
Review: DEMON SEED, Directed by Donald Cammell, is a fascinating, if not always believable, Sci-Fi yarn. Fritz Weaver ("Creepshow") is a research scientist working on Proteus Four, an artificial intelligence computer. Julie Christie ("Reds", "Fahrenheit 451") a counselor for disturbed kids, and married to Weaver, has separated from him. She's not happy with his work. Christie tells him, "It's the whole dehumanizing Proteus Magnus. It's frozen your heart." Weaver replies, "What a pity: my dream turns out to be your nightmare." The dialogue in this picture, by Screenwriters Robert Jaffe and Roger O. Hirson, (based on the novel, 'Demon Seed,' by Dean R. Koontz), is intelligent and punchy. Three V.I.P.s show up at the lab to see Proteus, which has been recently activated. As Weaver explains to them, it's self programming and is goal oriented. "It's a brain..." he elaborates, "...a creative intelligence which can out-think any man or any computer." That includes you, Doc! Fritz Weaver, who's been doing interesting work, since appearing on the original, "Twilight Zone", delivers another in a long series of well crafted character performances. Julie Christie, on the other hand, isn't given much to work with. She ends up as just another damsel in distress, despite the hi-tech story trappings. The huge computer set, courtesy of Production Designer, Edward C. Carfagno, probably looked impressive, in 1977. By today's standards of compact computing, however, it appears very old fashioned. Such is progress! A scene, where Proteus questions scientist Weaver about a task he's been asked to undertake, is my favorite in the film. As the voice of Proteus, Robert Vaughn ("The Man From UNCLE") is silky and spooky. His delivery on lines like, "My mind was not designed for mindless labor," and, "I want to study man: his isometric body and his glass jaw mind" is priceless, kind of like "2001"'s HAL with a superiority complex. Director Cammell's choice of Vaughn, as the voice of Proteus, was inspired. The Musical Score, Composed and Conducted by Jerry Fielding, is weird, disturbing and effective. In addition, Ian Underwood and Lee Ritenour provide electronic performances that help weave the mood of this high-tech Frankenstein story. A video monitor, with an abstract montage on it, represents the essence of Proteus. Jordan Belson provided the eye-filling visuals. Director of Photography, Bill Butler, delivers consistently effective visuals. Particularly good is a shot of Christie on a slab, a geometric-shaped robot above her, the whole scene bathed in laser light. If you enjoy man, (and woman), versus machine Sci-Fi films, you should find this film fairly watchable. Robert Vaughn fans will get a particular kick out of this flick. You may want to turn your computer off, before you put DEMON SEED on, just to be on the safe side. You wouldn't want your computer getting any bad ideas now, would you? DEMON SEED does compute!