The Satan Bug (1965)
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The Satan Bug (1965)
Based on an Alistair MacLean novel, directed by John Sturges. This is a bit like a James Bond thriller without Bond; actor George Maharis steps in to fill the special agent shoes. This film also precedes other 'killer virus' films such as The Andromeda Strain (1971), Warning Sign (1985) and Outbreak (1995) - it's this last one which probably resembles it the most. Then, if you really want to see what happens if the worst-case scenario does happen (as it almost does a few times in this film), check out Stephen King's The Stand (TV-1994).
Yes, if Satan (the unscientific name) had such a virus, this film says, opening just one flask spells doom for the world - CA dead in a couple days, the U.S. in a week, the world in a month or two. This seems to up the ante as far as super-dangerous weaponry of man - the Atomic Bomb was thought to be the most lethal; but even if you set off a few such bombs, there would be a population still left standing. With this, in theory, it's ALL OVER. So you don't want some lunatic getting his hands on this. Guess what happens?
The threat surfaces at one of those government installations for biochemical warfare, in the middle of the desert - a barren, vast, empty landscape. There's no such thing as perfect security, but here they really bumbled it by letting two unpacked crates inside; to make a long story short, with the help of an insider, certain flasks are removed from the property. The government here also seems to have lapsed badly as far as background checks. I liked the desert locations in this one - some of the scenery almost suggests an alien terrain - a very sparse layout with an occasional building. The actual identity of the master villain remains a secret for most of the film, lending an additional air of suspense. Besides Maharis, the fine cast includes Richard Basehart, Anne Francis, Dana Andrews and Simon Oakland. Ed Asner plays one of the henchmen. The best scene is when 3 U.S. agents get exposed to one of the deadly viruses and it becomes a question of which one or all will die in the next few seconds. BoG's Score: 7 out of 10
Satan Trivia: in the scenes with the 3 agents mentioned above, one of these agents was played by Star Trek's James Doohan in a small, non-speaking role (ironic since the actor was good at dialects). Sturges later directed another Alistair MacLean adaptation, Ice Station Zebra (68)
Yes, if Satan (the unscientific name) had such a virus, this film says, opening just one flask spells doom for the world - CA dead in a couple days, the U.S. in a week, the world in a month or two. This seems to up the ante as far as super-dangerous weaponry of man - the Atomic Bomb was thought to be the most lethal; but even if you set off a few such bombs, there would be a population still left standing. With this, in theory, it's ALL OVER. So you don't want some lunatic getting his hands on this. Guess what happens?
Satan Trivia: in the scenes with the 3 agents mentioned above, one of these agents was played by Star Trek's James Doohan in a small, non-speaking role (ironic since the actor was good at dialects). Sturges later directed another Alistair MacLean adaptation, Ice Station Zebra (68)
Re: The Satan Bug (1965)
More Trivia to Bug: the waitress in an above scene looks familiar; it may be Lee Remick in an uncredited cameo; Charlton Heston was offered the lead role here according to his memoirs; he later played the central role in yet another film about biochemical warfare, The Omega Man (71); in that one, the worst case scenario did happen.
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Base of Galactic Science Fiction :: SCIENCE FICTION CINEMA :: Semi-Science Fiction Films :: Super Agents - James Bond and his ilk
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