Embryo is a 1976 sci-fi horror film in which a scientist grows a fetus into a mature woman in just a few days. Unfortunately, she soon begins to exhibit some horrific tendencies. Also released as Created to Kill.
produced by Sandy Howard (The Devil’s Rain) and directed by Ralph Nelson from a screenplay by Anita Doohan and Jack W. Thomas.
The movie stars Rock Hudson, Barbara Carrera, Diane Ladd, Roddy McDowall and Anne Schedeen.
Embryo is in the public domain because of a missing copyright indication.
A scientist (Rock Hudson) experiments on a fetus, accelerating its growth within weeks into an incredibly beautiful young woman (Barbara Carrera). The woman becomes his protégé with the lessons culminating in physical intercourse. But when she becomes pregnant, the woman begins to age rapidly. From there things go horribly wrong…
“What we have in Embryo is the science fiction equivalent of warning children to get home before dark, or they’ll be caught by the three-headed troll that lives under the bridge. The bewildering thing is that director Ralph Nelson and writers Anita Doohan and Jack Thomas seem actually to have believed in their own troll: the solemnity and self-importance with which the film’s central premise is treated renders the entire project not merely ludicrous, but infuriating.” And You Call Yourself a Scientist!
“You need to like the seventies aesthetic, be tolerant of some clunky plot points – like why won’t Victoria tell Paul of her plight, he’s a scientist and surely could help her – and some clunky acting. Put those aside and you’ve got quite a touching, melancholy piece of medical science-fiction and horror that may leave you with quite a bit to think about. And that super-intelligent Doberman is really creepy.” Girls, Guns and Ghouls
“Ladd as Hudson’s jealous housekeeper helps generate the sexual tension that is essential and which Nelson only too quickly allows to dissipate in the second half of the film” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction, edited by Phil Hardy
YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
Free to watch online on YouTube [1080p HD]:
