Has anyone watched ''The Andromeda Strain''?

Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

Just finished watching this on DVD. I somehow remembered the "core" lasers as having blue beams, but they're green, like the beams from those DPSS laser pointers, except more powerful. There aren't any LEDs in this movie (it was released in 1971), but there are apparently short-arc xenon lamps in one scene.

It wasn't nearly as scary as it was when I last saw it as a kid in the 1970s, but it was still what I'd call "very good". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Has anyone else here seen this movie?
If so, do you think it was a good movie, or do you think it sucked?

Oh, P.S. The movie is rated "G", but there are a dead woman's knockers clearly shown in two scenes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

I've seen this movie a bunch of times, and enjoy it every time. Good premise, good story. I still love it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

I have to see this one every couple years. It just doesn't ever seem to get old.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

Yep, good movie. Almost as good as the book.
I know we're talking "good movie" in the sense of entertainment, but I think it was also good in regards to the idea of diseases and pandemics--very scary stuff...

-Jason

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

Thank you for your opinions so far.
I never read the book, so I can't comment on that part.

The movie also seemed to be quite realistic to me. Makes me wonder if there really IS an alien bacterium in some lab somewhere. Maybe it doesn't desiccate blood or demolecularise rubber and thrive on interstellar radiation, but who knows...

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

Gets the thumbs up from me

The picture runs 130 minutes!... The story covers 96 of the most critical hours in man's history!... The suspense will last through your lifetime!

http://imdb.com/title/tt0066769/

for those trying to place it.

Adam

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

Haven't seen it in a while, but I really liked it. Crichton turns out some really good stories, I think I've read all of his books.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

I remembering seeing that movie when I was younger. I liked it.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

Crichton is pretty brilliant. Some of his non-fiction lectures are really incredible.

http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/speeches_quote04.html

The Andromeda Strain is a great book, but he's re-used the basic premise at least a couple of times. Sphere and Prey both feature a group of scientists from diverse fields trapped in a small, enclosed facility working against an unfamiliar, non-human opponent. Both books are still great, though. Crichton's writing is good enough to pull it off.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

I have watched it several times. As I remember, the 5 level Lab Facility was built in a sound stage, FULL size and complete. This was on a 'making of' program some years ago. 3 levels below ground and 2 above.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

I think there is a "Making Of" segment on the DVD...I'll have to check that tomorrow and see what's there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I just checked the back of the package the DVD comes in, and there *is* a "Making Of" segment. Guess I know what I'll be watching tomorrow. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

from what I understood, the story was from a real life incident (to what extent I don`t know though)

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

Good news for Crighton fans: they made a movie out of Timeline.
Not out here yet (only seen the posters, not even a trailer) so no idea how good it will be, but I liked the book (but then I like medieval stuff).

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

[ QUOTE ]
Charles Bradshaw said:
I have watched it several times. As I remember, the 5 level Lab Facility was built in a sound stage, FULL size and complete. This was on a 'making of' program some years ago. 3 levels below ground and 2 above.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm watching the "Making Of" segment now, and they say they had just 1 level, repainted a different color depending on what part of the movie you are watching.

As I watch the segment some more though, the central core itself was built on a soundstage with several levels underground and at least two above ground. This was not the case with the outer cylindrical portions of the set.

And the lasers in the central core were bright enough to cause eye damage - the actor was rather sternly warned to avoid looking toward the lasers (there were two actual lasers) when they were being fired.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

[ QUOTE ]
Mark_van_Gorkom said:
Good news for Crighton fans: they made a movie out of Timeline.
Not out here yet (only seen the posters, not even a trailer) so no idea how good it will be, but I liked the book (but then I like medieval stuff).

[/ QUOTE ]

It was released here (Seattle) a couple of months ago and stuck to the book, pretty much. It doesn't have the detail of the book (but what movie does) but it was definately worth seeing. PercaDan gives it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Dan

Oh Tyler, good link!! Thanks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

I was probably 9 or 10 years old when I first saw that movie on TV back in the 70's.. scared the excrement out of me, I was alone at the time and too afraid to even turn the channel haha. Maybe it was the impersonal destruction of life and civil order that was the scariest aspect. Then the calm, almost pleasant female voice doing the doomsday countdown while the scientists were trying to beat the clock. Seemed to be more effective in scariness than most booger movies when I was a kid, anyway. Wasn't there a monkey in the movie that got fried by one of the lasers?
Off topic a little, but another movie about more earthly boogers that was fairly spooky was "The Legend of Boggy Creek" remember that one? Made dusk in the dark woods seem skeery as a young'un after seeing that one.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

[ QUOTE ]
Stu said:
...Wasn't there a monkey in the movie that got fried by one of the lasers?

[/ QUOTE ]
The only monkey I know of that "died" was in the lab after being exposed to the Andromeda Strain. According to the "Making Of" segment I watched yesterday, the monkey and rat that "died" on the screen were exposed to carbon monoxide, and then resurrected with oxygen after the scenes were shot. The segment claims they were not injured in any way.
I don't remember a monkey getting fried by a laser, but I could have missed it, as I was watching CPF and watching the movie at the same time. The actor in the core got "zapped" on his hand and face with the laser, but I don't remember seeing a monkey in there.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

That is classic movie of my childhood, along with Catch 22. Besides the spaghetti westerns, those two are the ones I think of fondly.

Now I will have to go and get the DVD for Andromeda and see if there is one for Catch 22.

The Soviets used a gas called Yellow Rain (by the Afghani's) during their visit to Afghanistan. I talked with a person who was at the bottom of a hill with a mosque up on top. Soviet Hinds rocketed the place and there was no explosion but a cloud. After 2 days they went up to see what happened to their family members. They found them still in the head to earth prayer position and no skin. They died instantly in the middle of prayer without warning. The heat did not take the skin, it was winter. So yes, there is some awful stuff in laboratories.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

[ QUOTE ]
Mark_van_Gorkom said:
Good news for Crighton fans: they made a movie out of Timeline.
Not out here yet (only seen the posters, not even a trailer) so no idea how good it will be, but I liked the book (but then I like medieval stuff).

[/ QUOTE ]

Great book! I saw a trailer, but don't remember where. I know the movie came out here (but not near me that I am aware of), I think it hits Denmark later this month.

Check IMDB.com for more info. Great site.

Re: Has anyone watched \'\'The Andromeda Strain\'\'?

I seem to be the odd man out, thats the only Crighton book or movie I liked.