Overview: Before he created Westworld and Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton first blurred the line between science fiction and science fact with his breakout success The Andromeda Strain.

Two years after the novel’s publication, Robert Wise (The Haunting) directed the film adaptation, a nail-biting blend of clinically-realized docudrama and astonishing sci-fi visuals that ushered in a new subgenre: the killer virus biological thriller.

A government satellite crashes outside a small town in New Mexico - and within minutes, every inhabitant of the town is dead, except for a crying baby and an elderly derelict. The satellite and the two survivors are sent to Wildfire, a top-secret underground laboratory equipped with a nuclear self-destruct mechanism to prevent the spread of infection in case of an outbreak.

Realizing that the satellite brought back a lethal organism from another world, a team of government scientists race against the clock to understand the extraterrestrial virus - codenamed Andromeda - before it can wipe out all life on the planet.

Aided by innovative visual effects by Douglas Trumbull (2001: A Space Odyssey, Silent Running) and an unforgettable avant-garde electronic music score by Gil Melle (The Sentinel), Wise’s suspense classic still haunts to this day, and is presented here in a stunning, exclusive new restoration from the original negative.

Blu-ray Verdict: It’s easy to see why the Shaw Brothers Studio was so enamored of Shih Szu as the possible replacement for Cheng Pei Pei, when Cheng retired in the early 1970’s and left for the US. Shih Szu was beautiful and charismatic and her physical abilities was very conducive to the type of action roles that Cheng Pei Pei was known to do.

This film is an example of that. It’s a standard Wuxia with some plot twists but nothing out of the ordinary if you are familiar with the genre. Shih Szu plays Leng Rushuang aka Lady Law, who’s after Jiao Yaner, played by Lo Lieh, who’s mistakenly blamed for the series of rapes and murders of women.

It also stars Dean Shek, in one of his early appearances. Lo Lieh does not play one of his usual roles, as his character, Jiao Yaner, mostly gets beat up or escapes instead of fighting. There are some clever fighting choreography and the way they cut from hit to hit is actually meserizing at times.

In closing, and with the film having been filmed in 1971 but not released until 1975, Szu is incredible in the lead role offering much pathos and empathy to her role whilst kicking the shit out of evil scumbags; the last fight sequence involving a tight rope is highly inventive and unique and the which adds much flavor to the film.

Limited Edition Special Features:
Stills Gallery
Limited Edition O-ring
2.0 DTS-HD MA Mandarin Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
Trailer
High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Limited Edition Set of 4 collectors art cards

Official Purchase Link