The Terminal Man (1974)

3.5 / 5 Sept '10
Tagline: Harry Benson is a brilliant computer scientist. For three minutes a day, he is violently homicidal.
Directed by: Mike Hodges
Written by: Michael Crichton, Mike Hodges
Actors include: George Segal, Joan Hackett, Richard Dysart
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Length: 107 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
This was a rather strange adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel (that I've honestly not read) but I likely would after seeing this film. It's sort of trippy sci-fi with some definite lessons crammed into it. Harry Benson is an intelligent man, but from a result of a head trauma he suffers from paranoid delusions and seizures where he becomes extremely violent and attacks people. Doctors have figured out a way to correct this problem by toying with his brain, inserting some chips to shock the patient when the seizures come about. After the surgery Harry is getting frustrated with all of this nonsense and flees the hospital only for things to go from bad to worse. It's a very slow moving and deliberate piece, they could have whittled it down a bit and made a much more interesting movie but as it sits it's still quite worthwhile. The useage of colors (or rather white) and angles in the cinematography were fascinating, probably one of my favorite parts of the film. It also did make a few points and teach me a couple of things and it was very interesting to look at. It's sort of a psychological horror film in several ways, rather dark and depressing, best to watch on a gray or raining evening.

Availability:  On DVD

How Awful About Allan (1970)

2 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Curtis Harrington
Written by: Henry Farrell
Actors include: Anthony Perkins, Julie Harris, Joan Hackett
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Length: 73 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Talk about being underwhelmed, I mean one would think the combination of Curtis Harrington, Aaron Spelling and Anthony Perkins would spell success but instead it spells as boring as hell. Perkins plays Allan, a fellow who feels partially responsible for an accidental fire that kills his Father and scars his Sister. Allan even goes temporarily blind from the incident because of stress I think is the explanation (that makes no sense). Allan is finally released from the asylum to his Sister's care, only she doesn't seem the most happy to have him there. She's just looking for an excuse to get rid of him he figures. Matters aren't made any better by a mysterious boarder who is staying at their place. Allan thinks this boarder is trying to kill him, and seems to appear rather insane. It's a made-for-tv movie and mercifully short but still it felt like nothing ever happened until the very end and by that point I didn't really care. Talk about underwhelming clap trap, it just seemed lazy and uninteresting, it's too bad because I think this could have made for a decent film if some major changes occured.

Availability:  On DVD