The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Directed by

Robert Wise

Genre

science fiction film, disaster film

Country

United States

Runtime

2h 11m

Rated

G

Rating

7.1 of 10 from 809 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A team of scientists in a high-security underground lab race to identify and contain a deadly microorganism that came from space. They work against time as the organism threatens to spread and cause catastrophe.

clinicaltenseintellectualsteriledeliberatesuspensefulunderstatedscientific

What happens

The Andromeda Strain is a 1971 American science-fiction thriller film directed and produced by Robert Wise, adapted by Nelson Gidding from Michael Crichton's 1969 novel. It stars Arthur Hill, James Olson, Kate Reid, and David Wayne as a team of scientists who investigate a deadly organism of extraterrestrial origin. The film closely follows the original book's plot, with only a few changes. The special effects were designed by Douglas Trumbull, and are notable for their use of advanced computerized photography. Real laboratory scenes using a spectrograph were shot at Caltech. Composer Gil Mellé recorded actual laboratory sounds for the film at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for authenticity while doing research for the film score. The film was released by Universal Pictures on March 12, 1971. It received mixed-to-positive reviews, and was a moderate commercial success. At the 44th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Film Editing and Best Art Direction. Mellé's score was nominated for a Golden Globe. Microbiologist Abigail A. Salyers noted that The Andromeda Strain raised real concerns with the larger public about the risks of interplanetary contamination. Environmental scientist Michael Paul Meltzer referred to the larger story as a "touchstone for planetary protection specialists in discussing matters of back contamination and the dangers that they present". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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