The Andromeda Strain (1971) - 10 Behind the Scenes Facts
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:25 am
I've mentioned Andromeda Strain before, and I think it's one of the most fascinating hard sci-fi movies ever made. The technology is all accurate and believable, there's no 'hollywoodization' of the script, it's very true to the book, and the sets for the laboratory are incredibly believable.
One of the most disturbing scenes is when a monkey dies that's exposed to the virus, and it looked so real that many people at the time (myself included) assumed they really killed it (no CGI back then). I later learned that it was a 'controlled' asphyxiation. I had heard it it was done with CO2, but this video claims it was carbon monoxide. I think it was CO2 because it would have been harder to do it with a candle as he claims. It would have also been slightly more humane (slightly). Even though there was an animal rights advisor involved, I seriously doubt you could get away with anything like this today.
One of the most disturbing scenes is when a monkey dies that's exposed to the virus, and it looked so real that many people at the time (myself included) assumed they really killed it (no CGI back then). I later learned that it was a 'controlled' asphyxiation. I had heard it it was done with CO2, but this video claims it was carbon monoxide. I think it was CO2 because it would have been harder to do it with a candle as he claims. It would have also been slightly more humane (slightly). Even though there was an animal rights advisor involved, I seriously doubt you could get away with anything like this today.
