| The visual style of the film is straightforward and classical, but each scene is rendered with a great degree of realism and sense of place. After the explosion of nuclear bombs by the United States and the Soviet Union, the weather in London and in the rest of the world changes. Overview System Requirements Reviews Related. The film was shot in London and South East England. After the super-powers accidentally set off nuclear bombs simultaneously, the staff at Fleet Street's Daily Express report dramatic changes to the world's climate. Available on. Meanwhile, after the Soviet Union and the United States accidentally detonate simultaneous nuclear bomb tests, strange meteorological events begin to affect the globe. THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE is a british production co-written and directed by Val Guest in 1961. The only possible solution is for another explosion of bombs that will restore the Earth's orbit. With Nastassja Kinski, Bobby Edner, Randy Quaid, Harry Groener. On detonation day, Stenning heroically makes his way through a wasteland to the newsroom to write a story that will prepare for the results of the blasts. It was shot with 35 mm anamorphic lenses using the French Dyaliscope process. In a contemporary context of global warming, asymmetric warfare, nuclear proliferation and dwindling resources, the film's underlying optimism seems touching. Read 3 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Parents Guide. "[8], Val Guest and Wolf Mankowitz received the 1962 BAFTA for Best Film Screenplay for The Day the Earth Caught Fire. Stenning's only friend, Bill Maguire (McKern), is a veteran Fleet Street reporter who offers him encouragement and occasionally covers for him by writing his copy. Ten days before this movie begins, two nuclear bombs had been exploded, one at the North Pole by the Soviet Union, the other at the South Pole by the United States. In his commentary track for the 2001 Anchor Bay DVD release, director Val Guest stated that the sound of church bells heard at the very end of the American version had been added by distributor Universal, in order to suggest that the emergency detonation had succeeded and that the Earth had been saved. | When the U.S. and Russia unwittingly test atomic bombs at the same time, it alters the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth. At that time, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were just starting to deploy the first of the thousands of nuclear weapons they would eventually aim at each other on hair-trigger alert. Stenning, Maguire, and Jeanie gather at a bar to listen to the radio broadcast of the event. I usually say that you need a timing, not only to release an album, but also to start a band. Green discusses many of the themes in the film in his review:[8], The film holds an 86% "Certified Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. Although the film's special effects aren't particularly noteworthy, matte paintings and the incorporation of real London locations work to good atmospheric advantage (heavy rains buffet the windows; thick, unexpected fog wafts through the city; a raging hurricane crashes into the British coast). When the U.S. and Russia unwittingly test atomic bombs at the same time, it alters the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth. Guest also cleverly incorporates stock footage to depict floods and meteorological disasters worldwide. All over England, temperatures are on the rise, girls in bikinis are everywhere, and mists are blanketing the Thames River. Taglines The film was made in black and white but in some original prints, the opening and closing sequences are tinted orange-yellow to suggest the heat of the sun. When a killer alien creature, who is misunderstood, begins killing specific members of a small town, a school psychologist learns of its link to a young boy's tragic childhood, and his … Be the first to contribute! They "meet cute", trading insults; later, they fall in love. The Day the Earth Caught Fire ( 1961) The Day the Earth Caught Fire. "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" came out in 1961, at the height of the Cold War. Val Guest) Trailer | BFI DVD / Blu-ray. The Day the Earth Caught Fire or (Pervy Men and the Apocalypse) (1961) Aside from the sexism (which is sadly unsurprising in a British film from the early 1960s), this is an impressive science fiction disaster film which at first plays out like a mystery, intricately revealing the reasons behind the freak weather we witness. 1961. When the USA and Russia test atomic bombs at the same time, it knocks the Earth out its orbit and sends it spiraling toward the Sun. Nobody noticed before now that they were set almost simultaneously, until the Chief Editor, in a conference with his reporters, draws a line from London to New Zealand, showing the path that floods and other catastrophes have created in a devastating line. It looks like we don't have a Synopsis for this title yet. Description. and his work has suffered. Directed by Terence Gross. He orders science reporter Bill Maguire and alcoholic columnist Peter Stenning to dig for information. The film opened at the Odeon Marble Arch in London on 23 November 1961. Critics Consensus 85% Drama; 1 Hour 34 Minutes 1962; 4.1 • 9 Ratings; When the Americans test a nuclear weapon at the South Pole at the exact moment that the Soviets are testing their own weapon at the North, the earth's axis is jolted out of alignment, causing catastrophic changes in global weather patterns. Directed by: Val Guest Actors: Edward Judd, Janet Munro, Leo McKern Production Company: Pax Films Release Date: May 1962 (USA) Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1 The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. At that time, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were just starting to deploy the first of the thousands of nuclear weapons they would eventually aim at each other on hair-trigger alert. The Day the Earth Caught Fire book. Original title: The Day the Earth Caught Fire. But Guest maintained that his intention was to always have an ambiguous ending. The film was rated "X" (minimum age 16 admitted) by the British Board of Film Censors on its initial release. Click here to see the rest of this review English journalists discover that the orbit of the Earth has altered after the simultaneous explosion of a Soviet and an American nuclear bomb. "Day the Earth Caught Fire" is a song by the Japanese horror punk band Balzac from their 1995 album The Last Men on Earth. Top scientists at the Meteorological Center refuse to give any official explanation, which makes the newspaper editor suspicious. [3] It was directed by Val Guest and released in 1961, and is one of the classic apocalyptic films of its era. At the newspaper print room, two versions of the front page have been prepared: one reads "World Saved", the other "World Doomed". Summaries. The bombs are detonated, and the shock wave causes dust to fall from the bar's ceiling. The film, which was partly made on location in London and Brighton, used matte painting to create images of abandoned cities and desolate landscapes. The Day the Earth Caught Fire. Day The Earth Caught Fire, The on DVD (013131142990) from Starz / Anchor Bay. The Day the Earth Caught Fire was released in 1979 and it is by far the best record ever composed by this English rock band. Essayist Paul A. As London swelters and the Thames starts to run dry, the paper's staff finally gets the Government to admit that the Earth's axis has shifted. Daily Express alcoholic reporter Peter Stenning meets telephonist Jeannie Craig , they fall in love with each other and have a love affair. Hysterical panic has engulfed the world after the United States and the Soviet Union simultaneously detonate nuclear devices causing a change to the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth. Unrated | 1h 39min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi | May 1962 (USA) When the U.S. and Russia unwittingly test atomic bombs at the same time, it alters the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth. [8], Val Guest said there was a lack of enthusiasm to make the film and he only managed to persuade British Lion to finance it by putting up his profits from Expresso Bongo as collateral. "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" came out in 1961, at the height of the Cold War. When Peter begins a romance with Met Center secretary Jeannie Craig, he learns from her certain clues that there has indeed been a cover-up, and he begins to sober up, so that he may win her love. [7][8] His editor (Christiansen) has begun giving him lousy assignments. Directed by Val Guest. Overview of The Day the Earth Caught Fire, 1962, directed by Val Guest, with Edward Judd, Janet Munro, Leo McKern, at Turner Classic Movies Green wrote, "Guest and his editor Bill Lenny worked with archive footage. Journalists of the London Daily Express investigate reports of strange phenomena occurring all over the world, such as flooding in the Sahara, unseasonable blizzards in New York, and violent tornadoes in the Soviet Union. Guest speculated that the bells motif had been inspired by the film The War of the Worlds (1953), which ends with the joyous ringing of church bells after the emergency (and a nuclear explosion). Val Guest ... efficiently directs by making good use of the atmospheric effects such as the extreme heat and mist on Londoners, which gives this fascinating story an eerie feel. Arthur Christiansen, a former editor of the Daily Express, played himself as the editor of the newspaper. "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" came out in 1961, at the height of the Cold War. City Boy formed in the 70's, in an era where Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Rush or Deep Purple were dominating the scene. The film then goes back several months. In August 2014 a restored version was screened at the British Museum's summer open air cinema. Great song from JORN.. -uploaded in HD at http://www.TunesToTube.com Title: The Day the Earth Caught Fire Summary: When the U.S. and Russia unwittingly test atomic bombs at the same time, it alters the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth. ... How the First Earth Day Was Borne From 1960s Counterculture. The government imposes a state of emergency and starts rationing water and supplies. It was directed by Val Guest and released in 1961, and is one of the classic apocalyptic films of its era. Hysterical panic has engulfed the world after the United States and the Soviet Union simultaneously detonate nuclear devices causing a change to the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth. Synopsis The Day the Earth Caught Fire is a British science fiction disaster film starring Edward Judd, Leo McKern and Janet Munro. Principal photography included Fleet Street (the Daily Express building), Battersea Park, the HM Treasury Building in Westminster and on Palace Pier, Brighton. All the finance was British.[1]. On the 2014 BFI release, the rating was reduced to "12". The Day The Earth Caught Fire is a fascinating film that came around at a time that I guess would have been a little bit uncertain for the sci-fi genre. More Cult Film / TV, Classics and Science Fiction DVDs available @ DVD Empire. Rent. The Day the Earth Caught Fire is a British science fiction disaster film starring Edward Judd, Leo McKern and Janet Munro. |}}. Three years before Zulu, a then-unknown Michael Caine played an uncredited police officer diverting traffic. The disaster genre is not generally known for its insights into characters or its clever dialogue, but The Day the Earth Caught Fire is an admirable exception. HoloLens PC Mobile device Xbox 360 Trailer. Peter Stenning (Judd) had been an up-and-coming journalist with the Daily Express, but since a divorce threw his life into disarray, he has been drinking too much (one of his lines is "Alcoholics of the press, unite!") He instructs the typesetters to prepare two front pages. When Jeannie overhears a conversation, they learn that the explosions have altered the Earth axis of rotation by eleven degrees, changing its orbit. In 2002 it was covered by the Misfits for a split single celebrating Balzac's signing to the newly formed Misfits Records, with Balzac covering a medley of the Misfits songs "The Haunting" and "Don't Open 'Til Doomsday" from the 1997 album American Psycho. There's a quick shot of a fire-engine from The Quatermass Experiment - but otherwise you can't see the joins."[8]. Guest and Wolf Mankowitz write a taut screenplay, with an observant look at the London scene. The Day The Earth Caught Fire (UK. People start evacuating the cities. The Day the Earth Caught Fire is a 1961 BAFTA-winning British science fiction film co-written and directed by Val Guest, starring Edward Judd, Leo McKern, and Janet Munro.It is regarded as one of the best apocalyptic movies to come out of the '60s and a classic in the genre. C This article has been rated as C-Class on the project's quality scale. 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