The Terminal Man (1974)

Arrow Films are bringing out Mike Hodges' bleak adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel on Blu-ray with a bunch of excellent newly filmed extras.

After suffering a brain injury caused by trauma Harry Benson (George Segal) suffers from intermittent seizures that result in extremely violent behaviour. During these episodes he has no control over himself and no memory of what he has done. His only warning is a distinctive smell 'like pig shit and turpentine' that signifies the onset of an attack.

However, there may be hope for Harry in the form of an experimental brain implant that can predict the onset of a seizure and prevent it from happening. Harry is the first human to undergo the procedure. Unfortunately Harry's brain becomes addicted to the implant's calming effect and reacts by inducing more seizures in order to get it. When he escapes from hospital it quickly becomes apparent that Harry, now capable of even more frequent bouts of extreme violence than before, has to be found and stopped.

Made at a time when its writer-director was suffering a bout of extreme depression, THE TERMINAL MAN probably wins the prize for being the bleakest, gloomiest, most downbeat adaptation of a Michael Crichton work. Being denied the opportunity to shoot in black and white, Hodges instead went for a colour palate than is all black and white and shades of grey. The film's themes of isolation and loneliness exacerbated by the technology we have created (or a striving to create) are, if anything, even more relevant and poignant today and, as a consequence, fifty years later THE TERMINAL MAN is still a potent gut punch of a movie.

Arrow's disc gives you the film in two versions: theatrical cut (104 minutes) and director's cut (100 minutes), the main difference between the two being a four minute scene-setting prologue that's present in the theatrical, making it the version that's probably best watched first. The theatrical print also has the commentary, which is by Howard S Berger and Steven Mitchell and touches on as many aspects of the production and the adaptation of the book as they can fit in. Berger returns for a touching visual essay on Mike Hodges's work (22 minutes) and a fascinating look at two Crichton adaptations - THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN and THE TERMINAL MAN, their directors (Robert Wise and Hodges) and the cinematographer that links the two - Richard Kline (25 minutes). Is that really Howard's family bathroom at the beginning? Probably not.

Otherwise there's a nine minute segment of Arrow's Mike Hodges documentary where the late director talks about the film, and another excellent visual essay, this time by Josh Nelson, this one talking about how Hodges composes shots in the film to emphasise isolation and using the paintings of Edward Hopper as comparison. Finally, the disc comes with a booklet featuring new writing on the film by Guy Adams.

Mike Hodges' THE TERMINAL MAN is out on Blu-ray from Arrow Films on Monday 10th March 2025