mike@projection-booth.com mike@projection-booth.com

February 9, 2016

Episode 257: Demon Seed (1977)

Special Guests: Gerrit Graham, Rebecca Umland, Sam Umland
Guest Co-Hosts: Bill Ackerman, Maitland McDonagh

In Donald Cammell's Demon Seed, Alex Harris (Fritz Weaver) creates Proteus, a super-computer that terrorizes Susan Harris (Julie Christie).

Maitland McDonagh and Bill Ackerman join Mike in discussing the film, Dean Koontz's source novel(s), and more. We talk with Gerrit Graham about his role in the film as well as Cammell scholars Rebecca & Sam Umland.

Listen/Download Now:

Bonus Interview: Gerrit Graham

Links:
Buy Demon Seed on DVD
Buy Demon Seed by Dean Koontz
Buy Donald Cammell: A Life on the Wild Side by Rebecca & Sam Umland
Buy Maitland McDonagh's books
Buy The Tim Burton Encyclopedia by Sam Umland
Buy Outlaw Heroes as Liminal Figures of Film and Television by Rebecca Umland
Listen to Bill Ackerman's Supporting Characters podcast
Visit Lunch Meat VHS to read Bill Ackerman's writing
Visit the official Dean Koontz website
Read “Demon Seed”: The 1977 Donald Cammell film predicted how supercomputers and robots really want to screw us by Bryan Thomas

Music:
"Pre-Trip" - Jerry Fielding
"Computer Love" - Kraftwerk
"Demon Seed" - The Proteus

Watch:

7 comments:

  1. The DePalma connection is ironic considering Gerrit Graham's casting and also Harold Oblong (credited as Peter Elbling)in a small role as a scientist. Michael Dorn is also supposed to be in an uncredited bit role (at the start of his career, I'm guessing).

    Very nice segment!

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  2. I've been listening to the first part of your podcast. Actually, Proteus's baby we see at the end of Demon Seed is the Harris's deceased daughter (by leukemia) reborn. We see home footage of her earlier in the film, so I know for a fact it's her. The reason why Proteus creates her in the form of the couple's dead daughter is so they don't reject the baby.

    If you look at the home video footage of her earlier in the film, you'll see that it's her at the end. FYI.

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    Replies
    1. It's interesting that they would make the child a female (but give it Proteus's male voice) as so much of Koontz's book focuses on Proteus wanting THE FLESH in order to have sex with Susan as soon as he possesses it. Talk about an Oedipal dilemma...

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  3. Great show! Please follow the advice of Professor Umland and profile White Of The Eye forthwith! Will be worth it just to get more time with the Umlands who are two of the best guests you've had on, ever! Your other contributors also deserve a round of applause as this was one of my favorite shows ever! Thanks again for 2+ hours well spent!

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  4. Hot show. The updated book is very silly. That music in the middle is just amazing. Very Bernard Herrmann. Do you know where I can find it. It's not on YT.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the kind words. I bought this one on DVD so I'm not sure where else it can be seen.

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    2. Way late, but this should help... also includes original music cues that were rejected for being too 'out there'.

      http://www1.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/3370/SOYLENT-GREEN-DEMON-SEED/

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