4 Star

Not Biology 101.

Arrow Video brings us one of the 1970s best Sci-Fi’s, with ‘The Andromeda Strain’, a film that doesn’t boast big Hollywood names, but delivers a serious punch, in what governments are prepared to do to save us all. Based on the book of the same name by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, Westworld) that sees scientists versus an alien pathogen. Being on 4K UHD, this is crispier and sharper than when it first hit the silver screen. A great Sci-Fi film for the fans of the original or any fan of the genre.

It’s late at night, and two military guys are on the lookout for a small satellite that has returned to earth. They are on the outskirts of the town of Piedmont, New Mexico. Things are quiet, too quiet, and the buzzards are circling, an occurrence that normally indicates death. They call Vandenberg Air Force Base for a fly-by.

This shows a scene of mass death, of the sixty-eight residents of Piedmont, it looks like the whole town was struck-down in an instant, kids playing, people in the street, all fallen and being predated on by the buzzards.

The guys are sent in to retrieve the satellite, but when they are near, all the people back at Vandenberg hear are screams before silence.

All this is brought to the viewer as a collection of facts that have been released by the military to put the populace at rest, and be confident in the fact that the military can save them all. To do this, they have a contingency, the “Wildfire Alert”.

Experts in the field of Biology are brought in to discover what has happened in Piedmont. These experts are Dr. Mark Hall (James Olson, Commando, Amityville II: The Possession), Dr. Jeremy Stone (Arthur Hill, A Bridge Too Far, A Little Romance), Dr. Charles Dutton (David Wayne, How to Marry a Millionaire, Adam’s Rib), and Dr. Ruth Leavitt (Kate Reid, Death of a Salesman, Atlantic City, USA).

Dr Hall and Dr Stone are sent in to find out what has happened to the satellite and the residents of Piedmont: whilst Dr’s Dutton and Leavitt find out about the secret facility out in the middle of the Nevada desert. With something so deadly, how come there are two survivors?

With the threat of possible an alien contagion that could wipe out all life, the stakes are high, as it must never see the light of day again.

It’s a deadly thrill ride in a nuclear facility.

The Andromeda Strain – on Limited Edition 4K UHD 12th May, and Blu-ray from 3/4 June 2019

4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

4K restoration from the original camera negative by Arrow Films
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original lossless mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary by critic Bryan Reesman
A New Strain of Science Fiction, an appreciation by critic Kim Newman
The Andromeda Strain: Making the Film, an archive featurette from 2001 directed by Laurent Bouzereau and featuring interviews with director Robert Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding
A Portrait of Michael Crichton, an archival featurette from 2001 directed by Laurent Bouzereau and featuring an interview with author Michael Crichton
Cinescript Gallery, highlights from the annotated and illustrated shooting script by Nelson Gidding
Theatrical trailer, TV spots and radio spots
Image gallery
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing by Peter Tonguette and select archive material
Reversible sleeve, featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Corey Brickley