The Alpha Incident (1978)

In this low-budget ANDROMEDA STRAIN rip-off, an unknown, and potentially lethal, microorganism is accidentally set loose aboard the freight train that's carrying it through rural Wisconsin. As a result, the five people involved are quarantined at the nearest railroad depot. There's Dr. Sorenson (Stafford Smith), a biochemist who, for some reason, was the only person guarding the virus during its train ride; Hank (Buck Flower), a hayseed railroad worker whose tenacious curiosity led to the exposure of the virus; Jack (John Goff), a brash railroad laborer who resents being held at the depot; Charlie (Ralph Meeker), a meek, pencil-pushing railroad clerk; and Jenny (Carol Irene Newell), his bookkeeper.Though classified as a sci-fi movie, THE ALPHA INCIDENT really is not one. Most of it plays out in the railroad depot and features the characters bickering. The five are unique from each other, but not terribly interesting. By the halfway mark, Charlie has pretty much disappeared. He's still there but melds with the background and barely says a word. Why did Meeker get top billing when he clearly did not play the main character? It's not like anybody would say, "Gosh, Ralph Meeker's in this film! I have to see it now."Jenny is supposed to be this classy seductress but comes across as frumpy. When she changes clothes and emerges in a V-neck dress and high heels, she exudes the provocativeness of a little girl playing dress-up. Jack is a petulant child who yells when he doesn't get his way. Hank is the ostensible comic relief, but his bumbling manner suggests an acquired brain injury. And Sorenson handles his leadership role with the aplomb of M*A*S*H's Henry Blake.A skilled director would have built up the tension to an excruciating level, but not here. Ultimately, director Bill Rebane does far too little with an interesting (if unoriginal) premise. THE ALPHA INCIDENT suffers from a weak script, spartan sets, uninspired acting, shoddy production values, and characters about whom one simply does not give a damn. It has a few good moments, but there's too much mediocrity in between.

The film really is comparable to The Andromeda Strain in the way the people are isolated together quickly over a virus and they are forced to deal with each other while trying remain alive and time is ticking away. But the way each film plays out, how the incident happens, the characters and interactions with each other and the ending of both movies are very different from one another. The Alpha Incident and The Andromeda Strain would make a great double feature together due to their similarities.With this movie, you'd never believe how interesting it can be when 4 people plus one government man (5 people total) stuck together by enforceable isolation in a train station over a virus can be really interesting but it is! There's a lot of talking, trying to find things to do, lots of worrying over what this particular strand of virus can do... a few flashes to the big military man and the scientist trying to find an antidote *bam* we have a good movie!! I really enjoyed this one!! 8.5/10

You have to rate movies based on their genre and/or budget. As such, this one is close to perfect. It felt like a (very low budget) combination between the original The Andromeda Strain and the original Night of the Living Dead. It is not with monsters, though. You will see what I mean when you watch the film.The actors are 10 in all, and they act like normal people. None of them are known, but they are really decent. The story itself is interesting and the dialogue good enough. It actually feels like it's real, which was the point of the movie all along.Therefore I highly recommend watching this, but keep in mind that it is a low budget film that has its strengths in plot and human reactions, not in outlandish ideas and special effects.

"A Mars space probe returns to Earth and brings with it a microorganism from the red planet. While transporting the microscopic alien life form by train, there is an accident and the microorganism is unleashed. Exposure to the alien virus forces four strangers (sic) into quarantine while government scientists rush to find a cure," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis. Not exactly "four strangers", but: biochemist Stafford Morgan (as Sorenson), weighty John Goff (as Jack), busty Carol Irene Newell (as Jenny), weighty George 'Buck' Flower (as Hank), and rail-weary Ralph Meeker (as Charlie). If you fall asleep during this movie, your head will not explode. Trust me. ** The Alpha Incident (1978) Bill Rebane ~ Stafford Morgan, John F. Goff, Ralph Meeker