Is Robert Wise’s adaptation of Michael Crichton’s seminal techno-thriller “The Andromeda Strain” (1971) the most suspenseful boring science lesson ever? Hold my beer.
Roy and I will be joined by Rob Kash for the next Roy’s Tie Dye Sci Fi Corner and a three-way discussion of this sci-fi classic, 50 years-old and still terrifyingly fresh.
Surely, if there’s anything more dangerous than a virus from outer space, it’s man: his ignorance, negligence, skepticism, bureaucracy, opportunism, and stubborn inability – or unwillingness – to think ahead. Interestingly, though all of these things are touched upon in “The Andromeda Strain,” it isn’t really what the story’s about. This is not an entertainment predicated on low-hanging fruit.
Rather, the focus is on the nuts and bolts of research against the clock, exhaustive analysis, the methodical process of arriving at knowledge and solutions, to meet the challenges of containment, immunity, and eradication. You know, SCIENCE. How very quaint.
The craftsmanship and restraint are impressive. Douglas Trumbull’s low-key, wholly believable special effects are entirely at the service of the story, while Gil Mellé’s insidious electronic score rachets up the psychological tension. There are no big-name actors, no histrionics, no inflated conflicts; just a good, solid, frighteningly believable story, absorbingly told.
Half a century later, in the middle of a pandemic, “The Andromeda Strain” is, if anything, more relevant, even as it’s unlikely a film like this would ever be released today. It’s too deliberate and thoughtful an enterprise for a world fueled by sound bites, outlandish conspiracy theories, and opinions at the expense of fact.
Unnervingly, 50 years on, things have gotten a whole lot worse. But those issues can be addressed at another time. In “The Andromeda Strain,” contagion is conflict enough.
For now, better start slamming the Sterno. It will be like we’re dodging automated lasers on our race to disable an atomic bomb, metaphorically speaking, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. Cry your lungs out in the comments section, when we livestream on Facebook, this Sunday night at 7:00 EST!