'Andromeda' strikes again

Published: May 24, 2008, 5:40 am

By CARY DARLING Remaking the techno thriller The Andromeda Strain might've seemed like a brilliant idea over some pan-seared-this or vinaigrette-that Hollywood film-exec lunch.The source material, pre-Jurassic Park Michael Crichton's debut novel, was a bestseller, and Robert Wise's well-regarded 1971 movie adaptation would seem to be begging for an update, because it's as quaint as Laugh-In reruns. And the story -- about an alien virus that threatens to spread after a satellite crash-lands in a small town -- still taps into our fears of terrorism, invasion, mass illness and civil breakdown. Update it with a bit more political paranoia, media subterfuge and relationship drama and voila -- ratings gold.Or so A&E hopes with its two-night miniseries revamp of The Andromeda Strain, which begins at 8 tonight and concludes Tuesday night. Unfortunately, this production -- overseen by film directors and brothers Ridley and Tony Scott -- ramps up the cheesiness and soap-opera hysterics

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