Anyway, this is a pretty rare DVD. It's out of print and apparently a bit of a collector's item. I've been seeing them at Amazon's used site for $35 and up. Finally found one used for $16 without the original box or cover art (I don't care - just want the movie, I'm not a collector).
Andromeda, 2001 and Abyss are my 3 all-time fav Sci-Fi movies. They have everything that should be in good sci fi: realism, scientific accurancy and an engaging plot.
Andromeda's my all time fav, and I really wanted this on DVD to experience it in wide screen. The director really uses wide screen in intresting ways in this movie and pan-and-scan ruins it.
Amazing how well it holds up visually and technically despite the fact it was filmed in 1970 (crap, I was 10 years old!!!).
The computer technology in the movie is interesting. They actually simulate real-time 3D computer modelling in the labs when in actuality, it was barely practical to do 3D modelling of any kind (and certainly not realtime) on the existing technology of the time.
The room size glove boxes with waldo arms was also very cool and realistic.
I also, would love to find a website with some behind the scenes info on this movie. They appear to kill several rats and monkeys in a most gruesome way (it's supposed to be caused by an alien virus, but it looks like they nerve gassed them). I thought they might just have really killed them and got away with it in 1970 but there's a blurb in the credits that the film was made with the cooperation of the ASPCA.
The first Rhesus monkey they kill in the lab in particular is VERY distubing. And it's definately not a puppet (and computer simulation was impossible back then).
