The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Michael Crichton (novel)
Nelson Gidding (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 March 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The picture runs 130 minutes!... The story covers 96 of the most critical hours in man's history!... The suspense will last through your lifetime!

Plot:

A group of scientists investigate a deadly new alien virus before it can spread.

Plot Keywords:

Electronic Music Score | Decontamination | Massacre | Dead Children | Scientist

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Arthur Hill	...	Dr. Jeremy Stone
David Wayne	...	Dr. Charles Dutton
James Olson	...	Dr. Mark Hall
Kate Reid	...	Dr. Ruth Leavitt
Paula Kelly	...	Karen Anson
George Mitchell	...	Jackson
Ramon Bieri	...	Major Manchek
Peter Hobbs	...	General Sparks
Kermit Murdock	...	Dr. Robertson
Richard O'Brien	...	Grimes
Eric Christmas	...	Senator from Vermont
Mark Jenkins	...	Lt. Shawn (Piedmont team)
Peter Helm	...	Sgt. Crane (Piedmont team)
Joe Di Reda	...	Wildfire Computer Sgt. Burk (as Joe DiReda)
Carl Reindel	...	Lt. Comroe

Runtime:

131 min | Belgium:115 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2003) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | West Germany:12 | UK:AA (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Red Rock Canyon State Park - Highway 14, Cantil, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The Central Core set required the digging of a 70 ft deep by 30 ft wide hole in a soundstage.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: According to the map shown after the Situation Room scene, Wildfire was located in southern Clark County, Nevada, 46 miles from downtown Las Vegas, 34 miles from The Hoover Dam, and only five miles from Searchlight, Nevada; notably closer than 112 miles from any "...inhabited area..." as stated in the dialogue.

Quotes:

Dr. Mark Hall: Most of them died instantly. A few had time to go quietly nuts.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Resident Evil (2002)

You alread know how it ends

And yet, you just can't help yourself. Under Robert Wise's direction, this tale of microbiological Armageddon unfolds with such perfectly metered suspense that by the 100th viewing, you STILL find yourself glued to your couch. You HAVE to see how it turns out, even though you already know.

Although the film is well over 20 years old, and the computer equipment at the Wildfire laboratory shows its age, this is a perfect change-of-pace film for any movie monster fan. Heck, you've probably already let your kids see the bloody carnage in "Jurassic Park" anyway.

Instead of the usual radioactive mutated towering apparition that flattens cities and topples skyscrapers, the monster in "The Andromeda Strain" is so tiny, it takes powerful electron microscopes to see it. The average movie monster can only cause damage wherever he can stomp, smash or exhale a blast of fiery breath. Andromeda has the potential to be carried to every corner of the world by the winds, where it could conceivably wipe out all life. Try to top THAT, Godzilla!

The real star of the film is Wildfire itself. A government facility located (we thought) safely away from populated areas, it bristles with everything a microbiologist needs to avert a biological disaster. . .or does it?

Seeking an unprecedented realism, director Robert Wise insisted that everything on the set be real, from the computer terminals (with their quaint light pens) all the way to the electron microscopes. The Wildfire set is every microbiologist's dream come true and it's populated by a quartet of actors!

Since the presence of a big-name star might blunt the impact of this high-tech visual feast, Wise carefully assembled a cast of fine actors who just don't happen to be household names. Without rehashing the characterizations, we'll just say that Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson and Kate Reid couldn't possibly have been more perfect for their roles. With a less competent cast, "The Andromeda Strain" could have degenerated into a parody of itself. This is gritty work, saving the world from biological annihilation. It takes real ACTORS, not just pretty-boy movie stars!

Go ahead. Be scared out of your wits by something so tiny, you can't even see it. I dare you to try and get up before it's over.