🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 51 (from laksa031)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa051.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/entertainment/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/entertainment/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/01\/30\/entertainment\/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies","crawl_time":1774436684,"first_indexed_time":1746792367,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,cnn!www,\/2020\/01\/30\/entertainment\/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies s443","src_root_hash":"2312100192101524051","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"‘Contagion’ and other movies that predicted an outbreak like coronavirus | CNN","meta_descriptions":["Amid fears stoked by the coronavirus, “Contagion” – a 2011 movie about a pandemic with potentially eerie similarities to recent events – has been climbing up the iTunes rental charts, reflecting how people often use fiction as a means to process reality."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"CNN\n — \nAmid fears\nstoked by the coronavirus\n, “\nContagion\n” – a 2011 movie about a pandemic with potentially eerie similarities to recent events – has been\nclimbing up\nthe iTunes rental charts, reflecting how people often use fiction as a means to process reality.\nYet that film is only one example of a recurring theme in movies associated with such an outbreak, a longtime staple of science fiction that has always been informed by science fact.\nNot surprisingly, the Hollywood version of global pandemics has frequently spiraled off in fantastic directions, birthing armies of zombies in movies like “\nThe Omega Man\n,” “\nWorld War Z\n” and “\nPandemic\n.”\nAd Feedback\nAd Feedback\nMore sober stories, however, have tapped into the notion of mankind being threatened with annihilation not by nuclear weapons (a favorite topic in the 1950s and ’60s) but a microbial killer.\nEarly examples include\nthe 1971 thriller\n“\nThe Andromeda Strain\n” – adapted from a book by the prescient author Michael Crichton, who repeatedly returned to concepts (see “Westworld” and “Jurassic Park”) in which scientific and technological breakthroughs created existential threats to humankind.\nThe juxtaposition of those impulses within the genre can be seen in two movies released in 1995: “\n12 Monkeys\n,” a science-fiction plot about using time travel to try to thwart a nascent plague that will wipe out most of humanity; and “\nOutbreak\n,” a more grounded premise in which an airborne virus gets inadvertently smuggled into the US from Africa, requiring a team of doctors (led by Dustin Hoffman) to race against time trying to save a town where the infection is spreading.\nNor have screen versions of these stories been confined to fiction. Just last year, the National Geographic network aired “\nThe Hot Zone\n,” a fact-based account about the emergence of Ebola virus in 1989, and Army scientists reacting to potential exposure in the suburbs of Washington DC, via imported monkeys.\nFor all those examples, “Contagion” correlates most directly with the current danger, beginning as it does with a woman (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) who returns to Minnesota with a strange illness after a trip to Hong Kong.\nIn a matter of days, she’s dead, leaving her husband (Matt Damon) in a state of shock, before others begin exhibiting the same symptoms, as the outbreak spreads across the world.\nDirected by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, the movie offers an alarming glimpse at a worst-case scenario. Rumors and panic begin to spread, and the guardrails quickly start to come off society as the days click by, amid quarantines, looting and chilling scenes of vacant airports.\nWatching the movie again, what stands out – beyond an inordinately good cast that includes Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard and Bryan Cranston – is how difficult it is to convey the global sweep of such a story without sacrificing something in terms of the drama.\nSpecifically, “Contagion” scatters its attention among so many characters – including victims and those desperately working to find a vaccine – that it suffers in stoking an attachment to any one of them.\nBuried within the film, though, is a stark warning that feels even timelier today, subtly conveying how one misguided policy decision or thoughtless action can have a devastating domino effect, sowing the seeds of destruction in a vast, interconnected world.\nAt the time of the movie’s release, Laurie Garrett, a consultant on the film who wrote the book “The Coming Plague,”\nstated that the plot\nis “part fantasy, part reality and totally possible.”\nIn that sense, “Contagion” is well worth seeing – or seeing again – as a reminder that some of the scariest stories don’t involve supernatural threats, but those that hew most closely to reality.","attrs_markdown":"Thank You\\!\n\nYour effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much appreciated.\n\nClose\n\nAd Feedback\n\n[Entertainment](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment)\n\n[Movies](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/movies)\n\n[Television](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/tv-shows)\n\n[Celebrity](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/celebrities)\n\n[More]()\n\n[Movies](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/movies)   [Television](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/tv-shows)   [Celebrity](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/celebrities)\n\n[Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription\/all-access)   [Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)\n\nSubscribe\n\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/01\/30\/entertainment\/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/01\/30\/entertainment\/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\n[Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)   [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription\/all-access)\n***\nEdition\n\n[US](https:\/\/us.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[International](https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[Arabic](https:\/\/arabic.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[Español](https:\/\/cnnespanol.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\nEdition\n\n- [US](https:\/\/us.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [International](https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [Arabic](https:\/\/arabic.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [Español](https:\/\/cnnespanol.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n***\n[Movies](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/movies)\n\n[Television](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/tv-shows)\n\n[Celebrity](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/celebrities)\n***\nFollow CNN Entertainment\n\nDownload the CNN App\n***\n\n- [US](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us)\n  - 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[Subscribe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription?source=sub_web_footersubnav-link)\n  - [Photos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/photos)\n  - [Investigations](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/cnn-investigates)\n  - [CNN Profiles](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles)\n  - [CNN Leadership](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles\/cnn-leadership)\n  - [CNN Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n  - [Work for CNN](https:\/\/careers.wbd.com\/cnnjobs)\n***\nDownload the CNN App\n\n# The movies that predicted an outbreak like coronavirus\n[![Brian Lowry](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles\/brian-lowry)\n\nAnalysis by [Brian Lowry](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles\/brian-lowry), CNN\n\n3 min read\n\nUpdated 11:49 AM EDT, Fri March 13, 2020\n\nLink Copied\\!\n\n![A deadly virus strikes in the 2011 movie, \"Contagion.\"](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/200129132109-cnne-showbiz-contagion-film.jpg?q=x_2,y_102,h_1123,w_1995,c_crop\/h_833,w_1480)\n\nA deadly virus strikes in the 2011 movie, \"Contagion.\"\n\nCourtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures\/Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures\/Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures\n\nCNN —\n\nAmid fears [stoked by the coronavirus](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/asia\/live-news\/coronavirus-outbreak-01-30-20-intl-hnk\/index.html), “**Contagion**” – a 2011 movie about a pandemic with potentially eerie similarities to recent events – has been [climbing up](https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/rambling-reporter\/contagion-hits-top-10-itunes-movie-chart-coronavirus-outbreak-1274163) the iTunes rental charts, reflecting how people often use fiction as a means to process reality.\n\nYet that film is only one example of a recurring theme in movies associated with such an outbreak, a longtime staple of science fiction that has always been informed by science fact.\n\nNot surprisingly, the Hollywood version of global pandemics has frequently spiraled off in fantastic directions, birthing armies of zombies in movies like “**The Omega Man**,” “**World War Z**” and “**Pandemic**.”\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\n![A fatal virus turns humans into something feral in \"World War Z.\" ](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nA fatal virus turns humans into something feral in \"World War Z.\"\n\nParamount Pictures\n\nMore sober stories, however, have tapped into the notion of mankind being threatened with annihilation not by nuclear weapons (a favorite topic in the 1950s and ’60s) but a microbial killer.\n\nEarly examples include [the 1971 thriller](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YMbSpnlOOtE) “**The Andromeda Strain**” – adapted from a book by the prescient author Michael Crichton, who repeatedly returned to concepts (see “Westworld” and “Jurassic Park”) in which scientific and technological breakthroughs created existential threats to humankind.\n\nThe juxtaposition of those impulses within the genre can be seen in two movies released in 1995: “**12 Monkeys**,” a science-fiction plot about using time travel to try to thwart a nascent plague that will wipe out most of humanity; and “**Outbreak**,” a more grounded premise in which an airborne virus gets inadvertently smuggled into the US from Africa, requiring a team of doctors (led by Dustin Hoffman) to race against time trying to save a town where the infection is spreading.\n\nNor have screen versions of these stories been confined to fiction. Just last year, the National Geographic network aired “**The Hot Zone**,” a fact-based account about the emergence of Ebola virus in 1989, and Army scientists reacting to potential exposure in the suburbs of Washington DC, via imported monkeys.\n\n![James Olson, left, and Arthur Hill walk in protective suits in a scene from the 1971 film, \"The Andromeda Strain.\"](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nJames Olson, left, and Arthur Hill walk in protective suits in a scene from the 1971 film, \"The Andromeda Strain.\"\n\nUniversal Pictures\/Getty Images\n## **‘Contagion’ best fits the brewing danger**\nFor all those examples, “Contagion” correlates most directly with the current danger, beginning as it does with a woman (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) who returns to Minnesota with a strange illness after a trip to Hong Kong.\n\n[![Kate Winslet stars as a young detective in the virus-out-of-control movie \"Contagion.\" ](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Kate Winslet stars as a young detective in the virus-out-of-control movie \"Contagion.\" Warner Bros. Pictures Related article How 'Contagion' spread to the big screen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2011\/09\/13\/health\/contagion-big-screen\/index.html)\n\nIn a matter of days, she’s dead, leaving her husband (Matt Damon) in a state of shock, before others begin exhibiting the same symptoms, as the outbreak spreads across the world.\n\nDirected by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, the movie offers an alarming glimpse at a worst-case scenario. Rumors and panic begin to spread, and the guardrails quickly start to come off society as the days click by, amid quarantines, looting and chilling scenes of vacant airports.\n\nWatching the movie again, what stands out – beyond an inordinately good cast that includes Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard and Bryan Cranston – is how difficult it is to convey the global sweep of such a story without sacrificing something in terms of the drama.\n\nContagion \\| Trailer \\| Warner Bros. Entertainment ![Video Contagion \\| Trailer \\| Warner Bros. Entertainment](https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/C-ADAwfrwGs\/hqdefault.jpg)\n\nSpecifically, “Contagion” scatters its attention among so many characters – including victims and those desperately working to find a vaccine – that it suffers in stoking an attachment to any one of them.\n\nBuried within the film, though, is a stark warning that feels even timelier today, subtly conveying how one misguided policy decision or thoughtless action can have a devastating domino effect, sowing the seeds of destruction in a vast, interconnected world.\n\nAt the time of the movie’s release, Laurie Garrett, a consultant on the film who wrote the book “The Coming Plague,” [stated that the plot](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2011\/09\/13\/opinion\/garrett-contagion-virus\/index.html) is “part fantasy, part reality and totally possible.”\n\nIn that sense, “Contagion” is well worth seeing – or seeing again – as a reminder that some of the scariest stories don’t involve supernatural threats, but those that hew most closely to reality.\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nSubscribe\n\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/01\/30\/entertainment\/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\n[Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)   [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)\n***\n- [US](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us)\n  - 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A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.   \n CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.\n\n## Download the CNN app\nScan the QR code to download the CNN app on Google Play.\n\n![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from Google Play.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/google-play-cnn-app-qr-code.png)\n\n## Download the CNN app\nScan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.\n\n![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/app-store-cnn-app-qr-code.png)\n\n![CNN Logo](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn.svg)\n\n## Legal Terms and Privacy\nBy clicking Agree, you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our Privacy Policy.\n\nBy clicking \"Agree\", you have read and agree to the [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/terms) and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/privacy).\n\n[Agree](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/01\/30\/entertainment\/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies)","attrs_readable_markdown":"CNN —\n\nAmid fears [stoked by the coronavirus](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/asia\/live-news\/coronavirus-outbreak-01-30-20-intl-hnk\/index.html), “**Contagion**” – a 2011 movie about a pandemic with potentially eerie similarities to recent events – has been [climbing up](https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/rambling-reporter\/contagion-hits-top-10-itunes-movie-chart-coronavirus-outbreak-1274163) the iTunes rental charts, reflecting how people often use fiction as a means to process reality.\n\nYet that film is only one example of a recurring theme in movies associated with such an outbreak, a longtime staple of science fiction that has always been informed by science fact.\n\nNot surprisingly, the Hollywood version of global pandemics has frequently spiraled off in fantastic directions, birthing armies of zombies in movies like “**The Omega Man**,” “**World War Z**” and “**Pandemic**.”\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nMore sober stories, however, have tapped into the notion of mankind being threatened with annihilation not by nuclear weapons (a favorite topic in the 1950s and ’60s) but a microbial killer.\n\nEarly examples include [the 1971 thriller](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YMbSpnlOOtE) “**The Andromeda Strain**” – adapted from a book by the prescient author Michael Crichton, who repeatedly returned to concepts (see “Westworld” and “Jurassic Park”) in which scientific and technological breakthroughs created existential threats to humankind.\n\nThe juxtaposition of those impulses within the genre can be seen in two movies released in 1995: “**12 Monkeys**,” a science-fiction plot about using time travel to try to thwart a nascent plague that will wipe out most of humanity; and “**Outbreak**,” a more grounded premise in which an airborne virus gets inadvertently smuggled into the US from Africa, requiring a team of doctors (led by Dustin Hoffman) to race against time trying to save a town where the infection is spreading.\n\nNor have screen versions of these stories been confined to fiction. Just last year, the National Geographic network aired “**The Hot Zone**,” a fact-based account about the emergence of Ebola virus in 1989, and Army scientists reacting to potential exposure in the suburbs of Washington DC, via imported monkeys.\n\nFor all those examples, “Contagion” correlates most directly with the current danger, beginning as it does with a woman (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) who returns to Minnesota with a strange illness after a trip to Hong Kong.\n\nIn a matter of days, she’s dead, leaving her husband (Matt Damon) in a state of shock, before others begin exhibiting the same symptoms, as the outbreak spreads across the world.\n\nDirected by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, the movie offers an alarming glimpse at a worst-case scenario. Rumors and panic begin to spread, and the guardrails quickly start to come off society as the days click by, amid quarantines, looting and chilling scenes of vacant airports.\n\nWatching the movie again, what stands out – beyond an inordinately good cast that includes Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard and Bryan Cranston – is how difficult it is to convey the global sweep of such a story without sacrificing something in terms of the drama.\n\nSpecifically, “Contagion” scatters its attention among so many characters – including victims and those desperately working to find a vaccine – that it suffers in stoking an attachment to any one of them.\n\nBuried within the film, though, is a stark warning that feels even timelier today, subtly conveying how one misguided policy decision or thoughtless action can have a devastating domino effect, sowing the seeds of destruction in a vast, interconnected world.\n\nAt the time of the movie’s release, Laurie Garrett, a consultant on the film who wrote the book “The Coming Plague,” [stated that the plot](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2011\/09\/13\/opinion\/garrett-contagion-virus\/index.html) is “part fantasy, part reality and totally possible.”\n\nIn that sense, “Contagion” is well worth seeing – or seeing again – as a reminder that some of the scariest stories don’t involve supernatural threats, but those that hew most closely to reality.","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/entertainment/contagion-and-pandemics-in-movies
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Meta Title	‘Contagion’ and other movies that predicted an outbreak like coronavirus \| CNN
Meta Description	Amid fears stoked by the coronavirus, “Contagion” – a 2011 movie about a pandemic with potentially eerie similarities to recent events – has been climbing up the iTunes rental charts, reflecting how people often use fiction as a means to process reality.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	CNN — Amid fears stoked by the coronavirus , “ Contagion ” – a 2011 movie about a pandemic with potentially eerie similarities to recent events – has been climbing up the iTunes rental charts, reflecting how people often use fiction as a means to process reality. Yet that film is only one example of a recurring theme in movies associated with such an outbreak, a longtime staple of science fiction that has always been informed by science fact. Not surprisingly, the Hollywood version of global pandemics has frequently spiraled off in fantastic directions, birthing armies of zombies in movies like “ The Omega Man ,” “ World War Z ” and “ Pandemic .” Ad Feedback Ad Feedback More sober stories, however, have tapped into the notion of mankind being threatened with annihilation not by nuclear weapons (a favorite topic in the 1950s and ’60s) but a microbial killer. Early examples include the 1971 thriller “ The Andromeda Strain ” – adapted from a book by the prescient author Michael Crichton, who repeatedly returned to concepts (see “Westworld” and “Jurassic Park”) in which scientific and technological breakthroughs created existential threats to humankind. The juxtaposition of those impulses within the genre can be seen in two movies released in 1995: “ 12 Monkeys ,” a science-fiction plot about using time travel to try to thwart a nascent plague that will wipe out most of humanity; and “ Outbreak ,” a more grounded premise in which an airborne virus gets inadvertently smuggled into the US from Africa, requiring a team of doctors (led by Dustin Hoffman) to race against time trying to save a town where the infection is spreading. Nor have screen versions of these stories been confined to fiction. Just last year, the National Geographic network aired “ The Hot Zone ,” a fact-based account about the emergence of Ebola virus in 1989, and Army scientists reacting to potential exposure in the suburbs of Washington DC, via imported monkeys. For all those examples, “Contagion” correlates most directly with the current danger, beginning as it does with a woman (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) who returns to Minnesota with a strange illness after a trip to Hong Kong. In a matter of days, she’s dead, leaving her husband (Matt Damon) in a state of shock, before others begin exhibiting the same symptoms, as the outbreak spreads across the world. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, the movie offers an alarming glimpse at a worst-case scenario. Rumors and panic begin to spread, and the guardrails quickly start to come off society as the days click by, amid quarantines, looting and chilling scenes of vacant airports. Watching the movie again, what stands out – beyond an inordinately good cast that includes Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard and Bryan Cranston – is how difficult it is to convey the global sweep of such a story without sacrificing something in terms of the drama. Specifically, “Contagion” scatters its attention among so many characters – including victims and those desperately working to find a vaccine – that it suffers in stoking an attachment to any one of them. Buried within the film, though, is a stark warning that feels even timelier today, subtly conveying how one misguided policy decision or thoughtless action can have a devastating domino effect, sowing the seeds of destruction in a vast, interconnected world. At the time of the movie’s release, Laurie Garrett, a consultant on the film who wrote the book “The Coming Plague,” stated that the plot is “part fantasy, part reality and totally possible.” In that sense, “Contagion” is well worth seeing – or seeing again – as a reminder that some of the scariest stories don’t involve supernatural threats, but those that hew most closely to reality.
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Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures CNN — Amid fears [stoked by the coronavirus](https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-01-30-20-intl-hnk/index.html), “Contagion” – a 2011 movie about a pandemic with potentially eerie similarities to recent events – has been [climbing up](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/contagion-hits-top-10-itunes-movie-chart-coronavirus-outbreak-1274163) the iTunes rental charts, reflecting how people often use fiction as a means to process reality. Yet that film is only one example of a recurring theme in movies associated with such an outbreak, a longtime staple of science fiction that has always been informed by science fact. Not surprisingly, the Hollywood version of global pandemics has frequently spiraled off in fantastic directions, birthing armies of zombies in movies like “The Omega Man,” “World War Z” and “Pandemic.” Ad Feedback Ad Feedback ![A fatal virus turns humans into something feral in "World War Z." ](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) A fatal virus turns humans into something feral in "World War Z." Paramount Pictures More sober stories, however, have tapped into the notion of mankind being threatened with annihilation not by nuclear weapons (a favorite topic in the 1950s and ’60s) but a microbial killer. Early examples include [the 1971 thriller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMbSpnlOOtE) “The Andromeda Strain” – adapted from a book by the prescient author Michael Crichton, who repeatedly returned to concepts (see “Westworld” and “Jurassic Park”) in which scientific and technological breakthroughs created existential threats to humankind. The juxtaposition of those impulses within the genre can be seen in two movies released in 1995: “12 Monkeys,” a science-fiction plot about using time travel to try to thwart a nascent plague that will wipe out most of humanity; and “Outbreak,” a more grounded premise in which an airborne virus gets inadvertently smuggled into the US from Africa, requiring a team of doctors (led by Dustin Hoffman) to race against time trying to save a town where the infection is spreading. Nor have screen versions of these stories been confined to fiction. Just last year, the National Geographic network aired “The Hot Zone,” a fact-based account about the emergence of Ebola virus in 1989, and Army scientists reacting to potential exposure in the suburbs of Washington DC, via imported monkeys. ![James Olson, left, and Arthur Hill walk in protective suits in a scene from the 1971 film, "The Andromeda Strain."](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) James Olson, left, and Arthur Hill walk in protective suits in a scene from the 1971 film, "The Andromeda Strain." Universal Pictures/Getty Images ## ‘Contagion’ best fits the brewing danger For all those examples, “Contagion” correlates most directly with the current danger, beginning as it does with a woman (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) who returns to Minnesota with a strange illness after a trip to Hong Kong. [![Kate Winslet stars as a young detective in the virus-out-of-control movie "Contagion." ](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Kate Winslet stars as a young detective in the virus-out-of-control movie "Contagion." Warner Bros. Pictures Related article How 'Contagion' spread to the big screen](https://www.cnn.com/2011/09/13/health/contagion-big-screen/index.html) In a matter of days, she’s dead, leaving her husband (Matt Damon) in a state of shock, before others begin exhibiting the same symptoms, as the outbreak spreads across the world. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, the movie offers an alarming glimpse at a worst-case scenario. Rumors and panic begin to spread, and the guardrails quickly start to come off society as the days click by, amid quarantines, looting and chilling scenes of vacant airports. Watching the movie again, what stands out – beyond an inordinately good cast that includes Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard and Bryan Cranston – is how difficult it is to convey the global sweep of such a story without sacrificing something in terms of the drama. Contagion \\| Trailer \\| Warner Bros. Entertainment ![Video Contagion \\| Trailer \\| Warner Bros. Entertainment](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C-ADAwfrwGs/hqdefault.jpg) Specifically, “Contagion” scatters its attention among so many characters – including victims and those desperately working to find a vaccine – that it suffers in stoking an attachment to any one of them. Buried within the film, though, is a stark warning that feels even timelier today, subtly conveying how one misguided policy decision or thoughtless action can have a devastating domino effect, sowing the seeds of destruction in a vast, interconnected world. At the time of the movie’s release, Laurie Garrett, a consultant on the film who wrote the book “The Coming Plague,” [stated that the plot](https://www.cnn.com/2011/09/13/opinion/garrett-contagion-virus/index.html) is “part fantasy, part reality and totally possible.” In that sense, “Contagion” is well worth seeing – or seeing again – as a reminder that some of the scariest stories don’t involve supernatural threats, but those that hew most closely to reality. 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Readable Markdown	CNN — Amid fears [stoked by the coronavirus](https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-01-30-20-intl-hnk/index.html), “Contagion” – a 2011 movie about a pandemic with potentially eerie similarities to recent events – has been [climbing up](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/contagion-hits-top-10-itunes-movie-chart-coronavirus-outbreak-1274163) the iTunes rental charts, reflecting how people often use fiction as a means to process reality. Yet that film is only one example of a recurring theme in movies associated with such an outbreak, a longtime staple of science fiction that has always been informed by science fact. Not surprisingly, the Hollywood version of global pandemics has frequently spiraled off in fantastic directions, birthing armies of zombies in movies like “The Omega Man,” “World War Z” and “Pandemic.” Ad Feedback Ad Feedback More sober stories, however, have tapped into the notion of mankind being threatened with annihilation not by nuclear weapons (a favorite topic in the 1950s and ’60s) but a microbial killer. Early examples include [the 1971 thriller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMbSpnlOOtE) “The Andromeda Strain” – adapted from a book by the prescient author Michael Crichton, who repeatedly returned to concepts (see “Westworld” and “Jurassic Park”) in which scientific and technological breakthroughs created existential threats to humankind. The juxtaposition of those impulses within the genre can be seen in two movies released in 1995: “12 Monkeys,” a science-fiction plot about using time travel to try to thwart a nascent plague that will wipe out most of humanity; and “Outbreak,” a more grounded premise in which an airborne virus gets inadvertently smuggled into the US from Africa, requiring a team of doctors (led by Dustin Hoffman) to race against time trying to save a town where the infection is spreading. Nor have screen versions of these stories been confined to fiction. Just last year, the National Geographic network aired “The Hot Zone,” a fact-based account about the emergence of Ebola virus in 1989, and Army scientists reacting to potential exposure in the suburbs of Washington DC, via imported monkeys. For all those examples, “Contagion” correlates most directly with the current danger, beginning as it does with a woman (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) who returns to Minnesota with a strange illness after a trip to Hong Kong. In a matter of days, she’s dead, leaving her husband (Matt Damon) in a state of shock, before others begin exhibiting the same symptoms, as the outbreak spreads across the world. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, the movie offers an alarming glimpse at a worst-case scenario. Rumors and panic begin to spread, and the guardrails quickly start to come off society as the days click by, amid quarantines, looting and chilling scenes of vacant airports. Watching the movie again, what stands out – beyond an inordinately good cast that includes Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard and Bryan Cranston – is how difficult it is to convey the global sweep of such a story without sacrificing something in terms of the drama. Specifically, “Contagion” scatters its attention among so many characters – including victims and those desperately working to find a vaccine – that it suffers in stoking an attachment to any one of them. Buried within the film, though, is a stark warning that feels even timelier today, subtly conveying how one misguided policy decision or thoughtless action can have a devastating domino effect, sowing the seeds of destruction in a vast, interconnected world. At the time of the movie’s release, Laurie Garrett, a consultant on the film who wrote the book “The Coming Plague,” [stated that the plot](https://www.cnn.com/2011/09/13/opinion/garrett-contagion-virus/index.html) is “part fantasy, part reality and totally possible.” In that sense, “Contagion” is well worth seeing – or seeing again – as a reminder that some of the scariest stories don’t involve supernatural threats, but those that hew most closely to reality.
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