Michael Crichton directs Tom Selleck, Gene Simmons and Cynthia Rhodes in this sci-fi thriller where, in the near future, cops police out of control robots.

Starts out like a teatime cop show and then goes hard in the last 45 minutes. Suddenly, in one big blurt, there’s swearing, intensity and nudity. For one minute there’s even split diopter shots spicing up the workmanlike stew. Did Brian DePalma takeover filming this for a couple of days? Once you get past the analogue nature of the killer droids the concept is solid, the bullets that chase you are pretty awesome. Everyone brings more than their slightly stock characters warrant. Rhodes, for example, does fine work elevating the very sexist idea of “the good girl” partner. A rewatchable.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Demon Seed (1977)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/ and my own Substack https://substack.com/@edinburghlaughterbulletin