Last week’s entry into TERROR FILLED MONDAYS! is considered a scifi classic so, it’s an only fitting segue this week to follow up with another classic by the same director.

I can remember seeing this film during its original theatrical run...

I remember seeing it and having nightmares afterward.

Looking back I’m not entirely sure why that was the case but, I do remember being fascinated by the lobby display of the germ of the film’s title, exhibited in a mirrored showcase with blinking green lights.

It left such a clear mark on my young and impressionable mind, that over three decades later, I still remember I saw the movie at the Baronet (or the Coronet - I can’t be sure which). In retrospect, I have to wonder if I didn’t run into a young Sylvester Stallone.

A military satellite returns to earth, and a recovery team, in a single van, to avoid suspicion, is sent out to retrieve the satellite by radio detection. While on a live radio connection to the military base, the recovery team dies. A photo surveillance plane is sent to discover what has happened, and discovers the small town where the van went through to be obliterated; apparently the entire population has been killed. The base commander, upon seeing the film returned by the plane, dials a special tie line number in which a recording takes his message urging that the Wildfire team be activated because of a suspected extraterrestrial organism having been brought to earth.

This flick was helmed by the very talented Robert Wise and I have to wonder in some ways if it didn’t give him further cred to later direct the first Star Trek Motion Picture. Of course, it was Wise’s opportunity to work with the renowned special effects maven Douglas Trumbull who would also go on to work on Star Trek 1.

This I believe is Michael Crichton’s first work to be translated to the big screen, Crichton of course would later have great success in Hollywood and of course create the long running ER.

Andromeda Strain also is another one of those favorites of yore that are being remade for today’s audiences, it will be interesting to see what the result is.