This late-'70s horror-sci-fi hybrid has Julie Christie, a child psychologist, who becomes trapped in her Los Angeles home after an AI system her computer scientist husband has created and installed into their home becomes obsessed with her--to the point that it wants to procreate.
While the premise here is straightforward and might sound silly on paper, "Demon Seed" is executed rather smoothly, and the film manages to be consistently entertaining despite its limited locale. Director Donald Cammell makes ample use of the interiors, and there are a number of substantially suspenseful scenes.
The film as a whole is really held together by Julie Christie, who commits fully here and gives a believable performance. While the grand finale gets a bit silly (and the special effects, though practical, don't exactly do it any favors), the screenplay is more intelligent than it may appear, as it does pose some philosophical questions about humans, our technology, and the complex relationship between the two. All in all, this is an entertaining sci-fi funhouse of horrors with a dash of philosophy, some shadowy cinematography, and poor Julie Christie in all sorts of physical quandaries. Not perfect by any means, but it is executed amicably. 8/10.
While the premise here is straightforward and might sound silly on paper, "Demon Seed" is executed rather smoothly, and the film manages to be consistently entertaining despite its limited locale. Director Donald Cammell makes ample use of the interiors, and there are a number of substantially suspenseful scenes.
The film as a whole is really held together by Julie Christie, who commits fully here and gives a believable performance. While the grand finale gets a bit silly (and the special effects, though practical, don't exactly do it any favors), the screenplay is more intelligent than it may appear, as it does pose some philosophical questions about humans, our technology, and the complex relationship between the two. All in all, this is an entertaining sci-fi funhouse of horrors with a dash of philosophy, some shadowy cinematography, and poor Julie Christie in all sorts of physical quandaries. Not perfect by any means, but it is executed amicably. 8/10.