The Satan Bug [Blu-ray]

Director: John Sturges

Overview

Alarms start flashing all the way from California to Washington when Station 3, a top-secret, ultra-high-security research facility, is broken into -- and a group of flasks containing two deadly viruses, one of them (nicknamed "The Satan Bug") possibly unstoppable, are stolen. Counter-intelligence specialist Lee Barrett (George Maharis) is called in to work with the regular security and intelligence personnel in determining who has the deadly substances, and why. Working with him is Ann (Anne Francis), an old flame and the daughter of the man (Dana Andrews) handling this on behalf of Washington -- working against them are a pair of psychopaths (Frank Sutton, Ed Asner) reporting to a mysterious financier, Charles Reynolds Ainsley, who has an agenda he's keeping secret for now. And the sidelines are populated by a group of flustered scientists (Richard Basehart, Simon Oakland, Harold Gould) and administrators (John Larkin, John Anderson), one of whom knows a lot more than he's telling about why the Satan Bug was stolen.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/22/2015
UPC:	0738329175429
Original Release:	1965
Rating:	NR
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound]
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	29,990

Special Features

Audio commentary by film historian Glenn Erikson; Original theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

George Maharis	Lee Barrett
Richard Basehart	Dr. Gregor Hoffman
Anne Francis	Ann Williams
Dana Andrews	Gen. Williams
Edward Asner	Veretti
Frank Sutton	Donald
John Larkin	Michaelson
Richard Bull	Cavanaugh
Martin Blaine	Martin
John Anderson	Reagan
Russ Bender	Mason
Hari (Harry) Rhodes	Johnson
Hari Rhodes	Johnson
John Clarke	Raskin
Simon Oakland	Tasserly
Henry Beckman	Dr. Baxter
Harold Gould	Dr. Ostrer
James Hong	Dr. Yang
Harry Lauter	Fake SDI agent
John Newton	Actor
James Doohan	Bit

Technical Credits

James Clavell

Edward Anhalt

James Clavell	Screenwriter
Edward Anhalt	Screenwriter
John Sturges	Producer
Paul Pollard	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

This sleek blend of espionage thriller and doomsday science fiction is tasteful and stylish, but lacks the inspiration and depth that separates the programmers from the classics. The main flaw of The Satan Bug is that it strains so hard for subtlety in its storytelling that it ultimately offers too little to occupy an audience. Despite the looming threat of worldwide extinction, the storyline never takes off because it is so limited in scope that the grandeur of such threats is never effectively communicated. This causes the pace to drag in places; the lack of spectacle is further accented by terse characterizations that give the viewer little to get emotionally invested in. On the plus side, Sturges directs with his usual cinemascope sense of style and the performances are strong, particularly George Maharis in an appealingly cynical variation on the secret agent archetype. That said, this overall sense of craftsmanship isn't strong enough to triumph over the limited material it is applied to. As a result, The Satan Bug is solid enough to sustain a viewing but lacks the flair and surprises that would have made it truly memorable.