Virus themed movies to watch? Here's mine: Andromeda Strain

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FlyingPenguin
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Virus themed movies to watch? Here's mine: Andromeda Strain

Post by FlyingPenguin »

I know everyone is watching Contagion (haven't seen it yet).

Here's my recommendation for one. Post yours.

Andromeda Strain (1971). Directed by Robert Wise who also directed the classic Run Silent, Run Deep, Star Trek The Motion Picture, and a ton of war films.

This is an extremely scientifically accurate film. On a sound stage they created a detailed set of a hi-tech isolation laboratory using actual "glove box" and "waldo arms" that were borrowed from a company who makes them for isolation rooms in nuclear labs.

All the lab equipment and scientific procedures are fairly accurately portrayed for the most part as they relied on expert advisers. Michael Crichton, who wrote the excellent book the movie was based on, was also involved in writing the screenplay and had a lot of control over realism.

I watched this movie as an 11 year old in the theater, and it had a big impact on me. It strongly influenced me to turn to a career in science or technology.

I have watched this movie probably a couple of dozen times over the years as it's one of my favorite hard sci-fi movies. The acting is good, I like the fact that they resisted the urge to have any kind of Hollywood romance. In fact, surprisingly, the lead female scientist is not even vaguely attractive. There is only one female in a supporting role that is attractive (a nurse) who is portrayed as a smart professional, and they don't use her sexually or romantically in any way except as a target of some verbal sexism by an old geezer who is a patient, and that lends some comic relief when she puts him in his place.

About the only Hollywood concession is the use of lasers in a stupid way (in the book they used a more realistic device), but it's forgivable. The movie is otherwise very faithful to the book.

There's a a scene in this movie that disturbed me for years, where a monkey was used to test the virus, and it seemed to die in convulsions. This was WAY before any kind of CGI, and the monkey was real. I later learned that it was done by smothering him with carbon dioxide, and immediately after he passed out, a veterinarian jumped in with an oxygen mask. This was all done with the approval of the ASPCA, but I doubt you'd be able to do it today.

The pacing is a bit slow at times by modern standards, but it's a wonderfully cerebral film.

Even though it's dated, the film still holds up very well, especially as the screenplay (and book) are written as if it was historical record from recently de-classified documents. From the inside cover of the book (which it so happens I just started reading today):
"This book recounts the five-day history of a major American scientific crisis. Like most crises, the events surrounding the Andromeda Strain were a compound of foresight and foolishness, innocence and ignorance. Nearly everyone involved had moments of great brilliance, and moments of unaccountable stupidity..."
It's free for Prime members on Amazon Prime, or $3.99 for non-Prime members.

https://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain ... 002DJTMRS/

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psypher
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Re: Virus themed movies to watch? Here's mine: Andromeda Strain

Post by psypher »

Definitely watch Contagion, the script writer seeked out expert epidemiologists to make it highly realistic, especially when it came to the science. Dr Larry Brilliant and Dr. Ian Lipkin the main consultants.
This week, unfortunately, Dr Ian Lipkin tested positive for Covid 19 this week.

I definitely need to queue up The Andromeda Strain, had been decades since I probably last saw it.
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Losbot
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Re: Virus themed movies to watch? Here's mine: Andromeda Strain

Post by Losbot »

I don't recall ever watching Andromeda Strain.
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FlyingPenguin
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Re: Virus themed movies to watch? Here's mine: Andromeda Strain

Post by FlyingPenguin »

I don't recall ever watching Andromeda Strain.
I hear this from a lot of people who are into sci-fi and I find it surprising. I don't know maybe I'm just crazy but I really love that movie and I think it's one of the best examples of hard sci-fi in films, especially for its time.

They tried to do a modern remake of this as a mini series in 2008 and it sucked. Frankly I don't think you could do this book justice as a remake. They would probably CG the hell out of it. It's one of those movies that's perfect the first time.

If you watch it, I'd love to hear your opinion on it.
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Losbot
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Re: Virus themed movies to watch? Here's mine: Andromeda Strain

Post by Losbot »

FlyingPenguin wrote:
I don't recall ever watching Andromeda Strain.
I hear this from a lot of people who are into sci-fi and I find it surprising. I don't know maybe I'm just crazy but I really love that movie and I think it's one of the best examples of hard sci-fi in films, especially for its time.

They tried to do a modern remake of this as a mini series in 2008 and it sucked. Frankly I don't think you could do this book justice as a remake. They would probably CG the hell out of it. It's one of those movies that's perfect the first time.

If you watch it, I'd love to hear your opinion on it.

I'll grab a copy and let you know. I'm curious now.
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