Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - T 2 Mins Read

    Terminal Man, The (1974)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Brilliant computer scientist Harry Benson (George Segal) suffers from blackouts during which he becomes extremely violent. Since orthodox medication has no effect on his Acute Disinhibitory Lesion (ADL) syndrome, he agrees to a radical surgical procedure, conducted by the Neuropsychiatric Research Unit (NRU).

    Forty electrodes are inserted into the damaged section of his brain and a nuclear power pack into his shoulder. A computer implanted in his neck will detect the onset of a seizure and abort it with a shock through one of the electrodes.

    Psychiatrist Janet Ross (Joan Hackett) considers Benson an unsuitable candidate for this procedure.

    Dr Manon (William Hansen) is also opposed to the operation since it will do nothing to cure Benson’s psychosis, but the ambitious Dr Ellis (Richard Dysart) justifies his decision to proceed on the grounds that it will at least stop Benson’s seizures and the accompanying violence.

    On the eve of the operation, a young woman called Angela Black (Jill Clayburgh) visits Benson.

    Soon after the operation, Ross notices the increasing frequency of stimulations as Benson starts to deliberately initiate seizures in order to experience the pleasurable shocks. A computer projection indicates that within hours he will be receiving almost continuous stimulations, making him uncontrollably violent.

    Benson escapes from the hospital and the medical staff set out to find him. Shortly after the tipping-point passes, Angela is found murdered, her skull crushed and her body repeatedly stabbed post-mortem.

    Benson attacks Dr Ross in her home but she defends herself and he runs away, wounded. He ultimately stumbles into a newly-dug grave, has a seizure, and is shot to death by a hovering police helicopter.

    An extraordinarily intense performance from the usually laid-back Segal nicely matches the desolation of this futuristic thriller.

    Adapted from a novel on the Frankenstein theme by Michael Crichton (before Crichton’s Jurassic Park was a twinkle in Steven Spielberg’s eye), writer/director Mike Hodges brilliantly creates a hi-tech parable in which meddling scientists get a moral comeuppance.

    The film was only patchily shown in cinemas on its original release, but deserved better. Its implications are as thought-provoking as they are scary.

    terminalman_002

    Harry Benson
    George Segal
    Dr Janet Ross
    Joan Hackett
    Dr John Ellis
    Richard Dysart
    Detective Captain Anders
    Norman Burton
    Angela Black
    Jill Clayburgh
    Dr Arthur Mcpherson
    Donald Moffat
    Gerhard
    Matt Clark
    Dr Robert Morris
    Michael C Gwynne
    Dr Ezra Manon
    William Hansen
    Ralph Friedman
    James B Sikking

    Director
    Mike Hodges

    Related Posts

    • Born To Win (1971)
      Born To Win (1971)
      Side-burned hepcat Jay Jay (George Segal) learnt his effortless charm while dressing the hair of the ladies of New York…
    • Testament (1983)
      Testament (1983)
      Testament begins on a day like any other day. In an archetypal nuclear family, Mom, Carol Wetherly (Jane Alexander,) grapples with costumes…
    • Dark Star (1974)
      Dark Star (1974)
      Eighteen parsecs from Earth in Sector EB-90, the spaceship Dark Star continues its apparently unending mission: to destroy unstable planets…
    • Shout, The (1978)
      Shout, The (1978)
      This unusual and clever thriller delves into the bizarre world of the supernatural with Alan Bates playing Charles Crossley -…
    • Equus (1977)
      Equus (1977)
      Judge Hesther Saloman (Eileen Atkins) approaches morose psychiatrist Dr Martin Dysart (Richard Burton) with a request that he unravel the…
    • Burke & Hare (1972)
      Burke & Hare (1972)
      This lighthearted and bawdy British film recreates a true story about William Burke (Derren Nesbitt) and William Hare (Glynn Edwards),…
    • Strongest Man in the World, The (1975)
      Strongest Man in the World, The (1975)
      Medfield College science majors Dexter Reilly (Kurt Russell) and Richard Schuyler (Michael McGreevey) are trying to find a vitamin formula…
    • What Became Of Jack and Jill? (1972)
      What Became Of Jack and Jill? (1972)
      In order to collect his gran's inheritance money, lazy, amoral John Tallent (Paul Nicholas) and his sexy but cold-as-ice girlfriend…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleBlue Thunder
    Next Article Nasty Habits (1976)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • 1974
      January 01 – Golda Meir wins Israeli election. 01 – […]
    • Corridor People, The
      1 9 6 6 (UK) 4 x 55 minute episodes This short-lived series from […]
    • Weavers Green
      1 9 6 6 (UK) 50 x 30 minute episodes This short-lived […]
    • Fearless Fosdick
      1 9 5 2 (USA) 13 x 30 minute episodes Straight from Al […]
    • Dinosaurus! (1960)
      Construction workers on a Caribbean island unearth a caveman, a […]
    • Barchester Chronicles, The
      1 9 8 2 (UK) 7 x 55 minute episodes This adaptation spans the […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.