Climate disaster strikes in this gritty, black and white science fiction picture from Britain. The US and Russia are independently testing nuclear weapons at opposing poles in the same time frame. The resultant detonations have calamitous effects on the rotation of our planet setting it on a course a bit too close to the Sun for our own good. London experiences drastic temperature rises. The Thames dries up, looting and riots break out and panic sets in. The authorities decide on a desperate course of action: fire off a couple more nuclear devices in an effort to get the Earth back on its normal rotation. The movie ends with the detonations imminent but the final outcome not revealed. Brutal. Many similarities to our current times resonate throughout. Very enjoyable science fiction.
Tag Archives: nuclear weapons
Sci-Fi Movie Sonic Weapons: Technological Breakthrough Or Budgetary Restriction?
I have had time to catch up on some reading while sheltering at home with the coronavirus pandemic raging on. I came across an interesting observation made by Kim Newman in his “Apocalypse Movies” book. He observed that in several 1950’s era science fiction movies, the military and scientists combined their efforts to rid the world of alien menaces with some new sonic based weapons. Newman imagined that the sonic weapons could have either been introduced as a safer, more progressive form of warfare, especially when having to secure the safety of the civilian population, as opposed to nuclear weapons which could definitely get messy. But another supposition of Newman’s was that the use of the audio based weapons could have been a function of the science fiction films having too low of budgets to afford more spectacular, expensive visual shows of cities exploding and similar destructive spectacle. Great point! Here is a clip full of some scientific mumbo-jumbo detailing how the good guys in “Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers” plan on using their sonic weapon to take out the offending alien threat. We’ll take their word for it.