THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN
The Wildfire Bunch
RELEASED OUT NOW! 1971 | PG | Blu-ray Director robert Wise Cast arthur Hill, david Wayne, James Olson, Kate reid
Centred on the staff of Wildfire, a secret government lab hidden underground, this classy Michael Crichton adaptation maintains a rigorous concentration on methodology, meticulously detailing the investigation after something brought back by a satellite all but wipes out a small town in New Mexico.
Barring a last-minute countdown (the one concession to Hollywood convention), it’s a film with no action, whose sense of threat relies on the audience extrapolating a doomsday scenario. It should be a bore, but as the protagonists proceed through stages of preparation and scientific enquiry, a powerful sense of authenticity renders the film strangely fascinating.
With its primary-coloured corridors, it’s attractively mounted, with chameleonic director Robert Wise, as usual, subsuming his personality within an approach that’s right for the story. Gil Mellé’s electronic score – all echoey shudders and discordant burbles – supplements the chilly tone. But there’s humanity here too, with Kate Reid’s crotchety scientist stealing the show.
Extras This 4K restoration ports two featurettes from the 2001 DVD: a half-hour Making Of talks to Wise, the writer, and effects guy Douglas Trumbull, while a 12-minute Crichton interview explores the novel’s genesis. The new bonuses are nothing special. A Kim Newman talking head provides critique and places the film in context (28 minutes). In his commentary, writer Bryan Reesman spends too much time explaining what’s going on, or noting what he hasn’t researched, and too little providing insights. Plus: the script as both PDF and gallery (519 slides!); five ads; trailer; gallery; booklet. Ian Berriman
Michael Crichton cameos in a hospital scene, as a medic in scrubs. Because he’s so tall (6’ 9") they had him sitting down!