The Andromeda Strain - Memorial Day on A&E

I've known the 1971 version of The Andromeda Strain for decades. Today it's charmingly dated, a prime example of relatively hardware-free pre-Star Wars science fiction. Based on a novel by Michael Crichton and directed by Robert Wise (whose incredible resume includes such far ranging projects as The Haunting, The Sound of Music, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture) the film tells the story of a group of specialists assembled by the government to combat a virus of extraterrestrial origin, a virus so lethal that it could destroy every living thing on the planet.

A&E will be broadcasting a new adaptation starting at 9:00 PM eastern/8:00 PM central on Memorial day, Monday, May 26, 2008 and continuing on May 27. The cast has plenty of familiar faces including Benjamin Bratt, Eric McCormack, Daniel Dae Kim and Ricky Schroeder and the show's official website is pretty cool and worth a look. Obviously this will be a slicker take on the story, and I'm curious enough that I've already set the DVR so I won't miss it. Check out the trailer: