THE HENDERSON MONSTER
US, 1980, 105 minutes, Colour.
Jason Miller, Christine Lahti, Stephen Collins, Nehemiah Persoff, Larry Gates, Josef Sommer, David Spielberg.
Directed by Waris Hussein.
The Henderson Monster is not so much a horror film as film presenting scenarios about viruses and the breaking out of disease. With the title, and the discussions by the doctors, especially by the doctor who experimented with the viruses and flushed material down the sink with disastrous results, it seems something of a variation on microphone off or the Frankenstein story. It has a good cast. And it pre-dated some of the more up-market films about viruses, diseases, doctors playing God, the consequences.
The film was directed by Waris Hussein the British director in the 1960s who moved to the United States and worked mainly in television movies.
1. An entertainment with a serious message? Genetic engineering?
2. Made on television, popular, incorporating the serious discussions in the entertainment?
3. The Frankenstein references, Mary Shelley, the issues, vision, Henderson and “playing God”? The moral issues? Louise and her assisting Henderson? The Boris Karloff overtones? “Baron”?
4. Science fiction, science reality? DNA? Life, creation of life? Scientific progress? Who is to do this, documented? Judgements, safeguards? Human life?
5. The parallel with nuclear issues? The validity of this kind of research and experimentation?
6. The plot, grants, the experiences, the settings in the sittings, relationships? Protests?
7. The importance of talk, the issues, discussions? Persuasive? Incorporated into the plot?
8. Henderson, the background of the Nobel prize, his ego, rivals, working with Louise, relationships and presumptions about sexuality? His carelessness
about the law? Arrogance? The Mayor, the committees? Speeches? Leo? Attacking Louise? The verdict?
9. Louise and her husband, who work and dedication, suspicions? Pete, his character, his emotional reaction, accusations about “playing God”?
10. The President, the Mayor, officials, their responsibilities? Interacting with Henderson?
11. The other doctors, scientists, the research, rivalries, experiments?
12. The moral issues and their being dramatised? The critique of those who wanted the film to be a film rather than an exploration of scientific research and experiments?
