Imagine HAL from “2001: A Space Odyssey” transplanted to Los Angeles—that’s essentially the premise of "Demon Seed" (1977). The film centers on a woman, married to a computer scientist (Fritz Weaver), who discovers her home has been infiltrated by Proteus IV, an advanced computer system developed by her husband at his laboratory in Thousand Oaks. A key question arises: what is its purpose? This techno-thriller draws inspiration from several earlier films, including “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), "Rosemary’s Baby" (1968), "Colossus: The Forbin Project" (1970) and “The Stepford Wives” (1975). While the narrative remains firmly on Earth, distinguishing it from "2001," elements like a supercomputer with a voice reminiscent of HAL, psychedelic visuals, and distinctive sound design are clearly borrowed from Stanley Kubrick’s classic. Julie Christie delivers a strong performance in a demanding part, and the special effects—impressive for their time—still work reasonably well. The movie successfully establishes an unsettling atmosphere regarding technology that is threatening and beyond control. However, the plot feels somewhat simplistic, largely confined to the couple's house after Proteus has seized it. The film’s length is 1 hour, 34 minutes, and filming occurred in Thousand Oaks & Los Angeles, California. GRADE: B-/C+

Source on TMDB