Entertainment For Lively Minds
Cor what a Scorcher! the movie.
I know we in the UK get derided by those who live in less "green and pleasant" places for our inability to cope with a few degrees of summer sun but ooohh isn't it hot! All this humidity reminded me of this excellent film we saw recently.
It's a classic British B-movie from early the 60's by Val Guest.
Like many b movies in some ways it's worn better than main features of the time. Saved largely by the lack of money forcing the producers to use real locations and none actors in the cast.
So the real stars of the film is the old Daily Express offices with it's copy boys, old hacks and seeming thousands of print room workers. There's clattering telex machines and quick steaks in vinos wine bar, snappy editorial meetings and pool Morris Minors for transport.Wolf Mankowitz's script too is full of pacey Fleet street seemingly authentic dialogue. Plus there's other "real" location treats like a day at Battersea Park funfair. Oh and a sort of trad jazz water riot!
The plot is a bit creaky (good old dystopian nuclear paranoia!) and some of the special effects are cheap(oddly I find these quite appealing and no less convincing than most CGI)
So if the heats buckled your rails or ash cloud grounds you in Stornoway maybe you can find TDTECF on film 4 or via dvd rental site it's not earth shattering (natch) but it has loads more interest and charm than most modern multiplex fillers, just remember to refill the ice tray.
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The Day The Earth Caught Fire
Is that the one where the earth got tilted off its axis by a few degrees because of nuclear testing or something, resulting in global warming? Wasn't the solution to fire off a few more nukes to get it to tilt back?
A lot of sweaty men, possibly including Leo McKern, with ties undone slightly, walking around a deserted London, IIRC.
Crikey, it must have been hot.
Luckily the press is on hand to record the apocalypse for posterity.
like
thats a really good british film
michael caine appears in it near the end, blink and miss type
Great
This is one of my all-time favourite films. They really don't make 'em like that anymore,and more's the pity. Edward Judd was in another great low budget British science fiction movie called "Invasion".Anybody remember that one? When I was a youngster I always used to confuse "The Day ..." with the movie version of "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea",in which the "Van Allen belt" catches fire and it's up to Walter Pidgeon and his crew of sbmariners to save the world.The scene where they surface and observe the sky apparently on fire was probably the source of my confusion.
Bedford vans with sliding doors
Driving a van stopped being fun the day they banned sliding doors you could leave open whilst driving.
A great favourite
in our household - part of our courtship involved him playing me his favourite films and Mr Em loves this one. Fortunately I did too.
Edward Judd did lots of television (according to IMDB) including the "Think once, think twice, think BIKE" road safety advert.
And Arthur Christiansen playing the editor was the genuine article...
so it is...
nice roll necked sweater :)
We are also big fans and
actually bought the Network DVD which I see is still on sale for about 13 quid. The FPO's favourite phrase from it is "a total lack of facts" from, iirc, the head of the Air Ministry ... but there are plenty of great moments throughout, esp from McKern.
I think, iirc
the other greatest moment is the quick flash of a newspaper with the unimaginable headline: "Brighton at 95!"
Some good stills here [but effectively spoilers if you page down into the grey part]
http://www.millionmonkeytheater.com/DayEarthCaughtFire.html
I'm deeply cheered by everyone's love for TDECF
think UK films get over looked to much especially b movies when the plaudits are being handed out. A certain rival mag has "great lost" films feature this month and as is its want majors on US films with European (Uk included) not get much look in.
Absolutely delighted to see
this gem has been reissued and is now 4 quid on Amazon
Scorched
They should send a film crew to the classroom I'm teaching in, they have had the central heating on full blast since last Wednesday. Nobody knows how to turn it off, Management and caretaker(Elvis)have no idea, thirty degrees, windows screwed shut for security, kids almost passing out,quietest they've been all year,though, ho , ho ,ho.
Glad the teacher accused of assault shown some mercy, dumbing down plea accepted.