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Directed by: Ralph Nelson

Stars: Rock Hudson, Barbara Carrera, Diane Ladd

Language: English

Country: Usa

Description: A scientist doing experiments on a human fetus discovers a method to accelerate the fetus into a mature adult in just a few days. However, the “adult” fetus turns into a homicidal psycho and looks for a new formula to prevent her from aging further.

This film has aged as gracefully as Mickey Rourke. The special effects are hilariously bad, the lab equipment belongs in a museum and the plot is dubious to say the least. And yet, these are the very things that make “Embryo” such entertaining viewing.

I think it’s only fair to judge special effects in old movies by the technology available to the filmmakers at the time. However, even by 1970s standards, the special effects in this film are remarkably unconvincing. The obvious use of dolls for babies, the fluffy toy that doubles for a dog and the mesmerising plastic canine foetus are all memorable. Personally, I find these kind of effects utterly charming. They inject humour into the film (albeit unintentionally) and due to their lack of authenticity, make the subject matter of experimenting on foetuses more palatable.

Technology junkies will love the bus sized computers and pre-historic lab equipment. The film’s heartening lack of moralising is almost as much of its time as the outdated hardware. I hate to think how preachy this film would be if it were made today.

This film is a bizarre and amusing time capsule of 1970s technology and morality. See it, if only for the bewildering dog foetus.

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