The Henderson Monster

One of the worst made for TV movies of the pre-cable TV era. Hyped as a "what-if" movie about the dangers of genetic engineering, the movie consists of nothing but a bunch of hystrionic individuals talking about what COULD happen after a scientist accidently dumps a bad strain of E. Coli down the sink. The problem with the movie is that NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS, it's just a film with a bunch of people talking about worst case scenarios.

In a way the movie could be a good metaphor for much of the scare-hype of many whack-cases today, all talk, no reality, but I think it's better just to write this movie off as a bad idea that never should have gone beyond being a script on someone's desk.

Even though the title suggests different, this really isn't a horror or science fiction movie, more like a social policy debate movie. It starts off about a research scientist who accidently flushes some bad microbes down a sink. It's not like in OUTBREAK, where a terrible disease takes the city hostage, just people talking and screaming at one another about the possibility of an outbreak. Stephen Collins turns in a wacky performance as a scientist's husband who likes to jump around and accuse people of playing God. I kinda liked its low-key thoughtfulness, but nothing really goes on.

After the script was scrubbed of all potential action, leaving only the opening scene in which Christine Lahti dumps the e. Coli down the sink, the director told the actors to never move their feet. I've attempted to watch this movie several times, and finally watched it all the way through hoping something would happen. Nothing does happen, and very frequently. It's basically the arguments for and against genetic research, using characters rather than argument to make the point.