Michael Schlesinger on THE SATAN BUG

John Sturges’ 1965 film flaunts Cold War thrills and Strangelovian plot turns worthy of an Alistair MacLean novel - which is just where the story came from. It’s a typically solid Sturges production with prime work from cinematographer Robert Surtees and composer Jerry Goldsmith. Star George Maharis is a colorless leading man but vets Richard Basehart, Anne Francis and Dana Andrews flesh out the cast nicely.
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[@docmalthus]

I saw this when it came out at the Fox Theatre in Redlands, CA. I didn't go on to direct movies professionally, but this movie would have been inspiration enough. It's got it all....top notch cast, director, production values, score and the list goes on. And finally, it's the kind of movie that was taken for granted then but is impossible to duplicate now.

[@mikespunchlist]

I was 8 years old when this film came out. I remember my folks taking us to the drive in movies while it was still running. If I remember, there was a movie before it that we went to see and then this movie came on. It scared the crap out of 8 year old me. I didn't know the name of the movie but several scenes stuck with me over the 55 years since I saw it. A few months ago while doing some internet searches, I found the title and watched it on KZbin. It was really something for it's day. I enjoyed it very much.

[@PaulKyriazi]

This has always remained in my top ten list. The movie grabbed me for all the reasons mentioned. I became a George Maharis fan because of this movie. My movie that made me want to direct films was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'. This movie and others kept me at it.

[@jonnywyattgreengreen3301]

It's a wonderful movie good story and beautiful soundtrack by the master Jerry goldsmith. Amazing cast with some good character actors .l try to watch it.once a year .Richard baseheart steals the movie as villain. 😎

[@cadavra8]

Hey, spoiler alert!

[@guy_incognito]

Thanks for this! The Satan Bug was a perfectly respectable contribution to the newly emerging genre of "techno-thrillers" -- i.e. stories that were implausible, but too good to be labelled Science Fiction. Other notables include The Power, Charley, The Andromeda Strain (the reconnaissance footage of the city predates Andromeda Strain very effectively), and Colossus: the Forbin Project, among others. And it is still enjoyable.

[@petersawyer8044]

I've got this movie on DVD and watch it regularly. It's high up in my top ten thriller movies of all time. If you love thrillers and have never seen this film, buy it, borrow it, watch it on KZbin. I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do!

[@camarocarl7130]

Great film I remember from childhood, fantastic desert cinematography of Palm Springs area.

[@pvthitch]

You forgot to mention the appearance by James "Scotty" Doohan!

[@cadavra8]

Didn't forget, but there was only so much room to squeeze in as much as I could.

[@benthejrporter]

I saw him. He was one of the guys who dies of the less-dangerous virus at the petrol station.

[@Pimp-Master]

Dana Andrews was the lead in Crack in the World" the same year. As a kid, we saw great, low budget films!

[@skerriesrockart]

You didn't tell us one thing about the movie thereby you completely missed the reason why it was so horrifying..the Satan Bug would kill ALL life on earth if it was released and the exposition scene was truly memorable.

[@calql8er]

I saw the previews at a drive-in when I was a kid. As we always went to the drive-in I figured sooner or later I would get around to seeing it. I was thoroughly taken in by the previews. But we never did see this one. Yes. Love the Jerry Goldsmith music. He's my fave composer.

[@omarf.]

Yeah I think it's pretty good and iconic of the 60's. Loved the cars and the houses.

[@dineshkumarsnair7964]

I havent seen this movie . But as a class 8th student read the novel by Alistair McClean from the school library. The novel was so gripping and scary .Like all other McClean novels the plot was so good and almost like a Non fiction work on Virology and then existing cold war . after almost 3 decades later I am happy to revisit my reading days of this novel with this KZbin video. Long Live reading and thanks to Authors like Alistair McClean

[@alangordon3283]

It’s an outstanding film.

[@1rmaes]

One of my favorite movies. A go to when you just want to sit down and enjoy a great movie. I believe Maharis is still alive. May be the last surviving cast member.

[@davemeyers6474]

I saw this in the theater when it came out.

[@lylegorch5956]

Great info.! I remember this one well although I never got to see it. Sturges seems to be kind of forgotten these day, but he shouldn't be.

[@usmale4915]

i just watched this great movie about three days ago. I did see it in it's initial run. Great movie, very well put togetherr. I think COVID19 prompted me to view it again. It is suspensfull and an on the edge of your seat type of movie. Absolutely love it. May take a look at again real soon. Besides I'm an Anne Francis fan, like almost everything she has ever appeared in starting with Forbidden Planet all the way to Honey West. Terrific actress. Thanks for letting me rant!

[@dineshkumarsnair7964]

times are perfect to take a revisit to movies like this..

[@usmale4915]

@@dineshkumarsnair7964 Indeed they are! Stay safe everyone!

[@Vlad65WFPReviews]

I'm in the camp that thinks this movie starts strong but kinda runs out of steam with an ending that just fizzles out. I'm also a Goldsmith fan and think his score adds a lot here, with some musical cues borrowed from Rites of Spring. It is also interesting to see a thriller that strictly plays it straight - with no quips or light comedy relief (always provided in screenplays for Cary Grant or Sean Connery at the time). It would have been interesting to see how Maharis would have done, if his character wasn't just the straight procedural type.

[@fireatheart]

"Hello, I'm Lee Remick." :D

[@ianclarke7958]

Apparently she's the waitress in the jazz club scene.

[@christopherspiteri7740]

This film contains Lee Remick's only uncredited cameo. She was probably on set to discuss her next film The Hallelujah Trail with director John Sturges

[@CortoArmitage]

Interesting film, the best thing about it is the Goldsmith score. Saw it first on TV in 1971 (5th grade) and it scared me as much as Fail Safe, which I had seen a few weeks before. Cold war childhoods were hell. Our monsters were all too real. Saw it again (late show) 20 years later in the days before the gulf war and it scared me again. The only problem I have with the film is that the ''agent'' acts too fast to be biological, it acts more like a toxic agent. A virus needs time to spread and act inside the body, usually hours or days, not seconds. In the Andromeda Strain it was an organism that acted just as fast but it was an alien ''thing'' , not an earth virus so it was more believable. but hey ''its only a movie'' right?

[@markgriffiths8786]

I loved 'Midnight Cowboy Mr Schlesinger !

[@cadavra8]

Different Schlesinger, but thanks nonetheless! :-)

[@ElSmusso]

I the book that got me into books 📚

[@only257]

Never heard of this movie 😊

[@PointyTailofSatan]

This movie is ripe for a remake.

[@SigurdurHreggvidsson]

the movie is so far from the book i don't like the movie love the book