What was that darn movie???

October 2, 2006 10:48 AM

Can you name a movie that played during a free preview weekend (about a year ago)?

The movie was shown in the U.S. during a free preview weekend on one of the premium channels of Dish Network. I do not remember which channel it was, I'm leaning toward either Starz or Showtime. I only saw a part of the movie, and want to see the rest.

Movie details I remember:

Film Location: Europe

Plot: some type of disease has gotten loose and the investigators are trying to track down human victims before they die and/or infect other people. The disease may have been a man-made virus. The disease is (of course) highly contagious and kills in a matter of hours. I think the disease was spread by touch, the race was to contain before it mutated into an airborne form.

Cast: The primary characters are two investigators, a female and male who (I'm guessing) had not worked together before this case. I think the male lead may have been played by an actor more recognizable a decade or two ago.

Best recollection: I remember one scene in particular where the investigators are right behind one of the victims who does not realize he is infected (but visibly is). The victim just knows he is being chased and loses the investigators at a restaurant or cocktail party. When the investigators realize the victim is gone, they quarantine the entire building.

I don't remember that the movie was all that great, I'd say it had low to moderate production values. But I'd like to see the rest of it. Can you help me identify the film?

posted by JigSawMan to Media & Arts (12 answers total)

This kind of sounds like 28 Days Later, but I don't think that's what you're talking about because I don't remember the main characters being investigators, just normal people.
posted by catburger at 11:20 AM on October 2, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks, but it is not 28 Days Later. This movie was more of an intrigue/race against time movie like Outbreak.
posted by JigSawMan at 11:34 AM on October 2, 2006

Bizarrely enough, I think what you're looking for is on Norwegian TV tonight:

Adrenalin
posted by arcticseal at 11:44 AM on October 2, 2006

Best answer: Possibly Carriers? It was a german- produced film, but with a US cast.

If that's not it, try using the IMDB power search and using keywords like disease and virus, along with limiting years. You'll at least get a short list you can walk through.
posted by hincandenza at 11:45 AM on October 2, 2006

Is it one of the Biohazard movies? Biohazard 4 takes place in both the US and various parts of Europe.
posted by iconomy at 11:47 AM on October 2, 2006

Response by poster: Nope, not Adrenalin.

Not one of the Biohazard movies either.

Carriers reads like the correct plot. The cover art is from something else, but Carriers may be what I'm looking for. I'll look into that one.

I was doing some limited searches in IMDB, but had not played with power search yet.
posted by JigSawMan at 12:03 PM on October 2, 2006

Completely off-topic but the question reminded me of 12 Angry Men and a comment one of the guys does.
posted by Memo at 12:04 PM on October 2, 2006

Response by poster: Looks like Carriers is not it either, none of cast members match the main characters. Too bad, I really thought that might have been it.
posted by JigSawMan at 12:08 PM on October 2, 2006

Was is Dirty War on HBO? I believe this was also on PBS.
posted by Science! at 12:20 PM on October 2, 2006

Or Smallpox (2002) which also aired on FX, where I watched it. It's not a premium station but maybe you got it confused?
posted by Science! at 12:29 PM on October 2, 2006

Outbreak?
posted by freshgroundpepper at 12:30 PM on October 2, 2006

Best answer: I found it! I found The Contaminated Man On IMDb using the term "contagious". Rotten Tomatoes has a better synopsis here.

Thanks everyone for sparking my memory and pointing me toward the more advanced searches on IMDb.
posted by JigSawMan at 12:41 PM on October 2, 2006