ShootingShark Review of The Satan Bug

The Satan Bug (1965)

Gripping Killer-Virus-On-The-Loose Terrorist Thriller

[6/10 · 21 August 2005]

A horrific and uncontrollable virus, capable of destroying all life on Earth, is stolen from a secret government weapons laboratory. The secret service agents investigating the case trace the theft to one of the scientists working at the lab, who takes flight. Can they catch him before he manages to hold the world to ransom ? Based on a novel by Alistair MacLean (credited under the pseudonym Ian Stuart), this is a typically fast-paced, exciting and no-nonsense action thriller. The film is very well cast with competent actors, rather than big-shot movie-stars, which lends the fantastic premise much more believability. Maharis in particular hits exactly the right note of quiet authority as the sharp-witted, humourless security adviser. The script by James Clavell and Edward Anhalt is also very good at racking up the tension; we cringe each time the flask containing mankind's doom is passed from person to person. Featuring a great score by the prolific Jerry Goldsmith and spectacular location photography (by Robert Surtees) of the Palm Springs desert in southern California. The movie may look slightly dated, but its themes - bioweapons research, eco-terrorism and secret intelligence forces - are still at the top of the political paranoia agenda. Don't miss an extremely young Hong (the star of many later cult classics) in one of the opening scenes.