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With: Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson, Kate Reid
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Written by: Nelson Gidding, based on the novel by Michael Crichton
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Directed by: Robert Wise
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MPAA Rating: R
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Running Time: 131
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Date: 03/12/1971
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The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Deep Space
By Jeffrey M. Anderson Director Robert Wise takes the empty, sterile widescreen frame that deadened his musicals West Side Story and The Sound of Music and applies it to this cold, futuristic science fiction story -- based on a novel by Michael Crichton -- and it works. When a satellite crashes to earth and brings with it a new form of life, a group of four scientists must figure out before it's too late what it is and why it's killing people.
Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding focus on the details and the science of the story, giving it a natural suspense that nearly holds up for the entire 131 minutes. As a director, Wise was clearly inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey and would go on to use a similar style in his under-appreciated Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The Andromeda Strain received Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Editing. Universal's good-looking DVD also comes with a new making-of featurette.
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