Review of The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) by Sol H — 16 Dec 2010
It starts out dull, but soon becomes an outstanding example of everything right with classic science fiction. It's thought-provoking, a comment on the times, high-concept and all of it gels so well that you overlook the incredibly cheesey dialogue and hammy acting that pops up here and there.
It's also a concept that I've always found fascinating: what if the Earth was knocked out of orbit and into the Sun?
It's black and white, but makes fantastic use of a colour-tint at the start and end -something I've not actually seen done in any other film (although I'm sure it has been).
It plays out like a feature episode of The Twilight Zone and a good one and that. Or to put it another way, in many ways, it's like Knowing if Knowing had been made in the '60s and wasn't poor.
Personal enjoyment: 8/10.
Actual quality as a film: 8/10.
This review of The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) was written by Sol H on 16 Dec 2010.
The Day the Earth Caught Fire has generally received very positive reviews.
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