Such a horror classic this is that its part of the lyrics to the opening song in Rocky Horror Picture Show. The film was so terrifying at the time, that posters labeled it "X - Adults Only". Former MGM musical star Howard Keel plays the hero who saves the day.The film takes place entirely in Europe. (America is not even mentioned) The world is treated to a spectacular meteorite shower which lasts for several hours. All over the world, people gaze into the sky and watch the spectacular light show. Our story begins in London hospital room: poor Howard's eyes are all bandaged up after surgery, and he's PO'd he can't see the lights everyone's talking about. Instead, Keel "lights up" in the hospital room - smokes a cig, that is, and in front of the doctor and nurse even! I knew I would love this movie after this scene.
We also meet a young couple who can care less about the display and don't watch it. The girl is played by Jeannette Scott, who is sung about in the "Rocky Horror" lyric. The next morning, we learn that the lights from the meteorites blinded everyone who watched them. People are frightened, cars are smashed in the streets, planes crash down. It's horrifying. Keel takes off the bandages and realizes he's one of the few people in the world who can see.
He also meets up with a young girl played by Janina Faye, who was alseep inside a passenger train all night. (The train crashes at the station). Keel and Faye travel through London, Paris, and Spain, and find precious few people who have sight. Cars, trains, and planes crash around them, and they travel through destructed towns and villages. Not only that - but they also have to fend off killer plants called Triffids, whose seeds were planted in the earth during the meteor shower.
Meanwhile back in London, Scott and her boyfriend fend off the Triffids while trapped in their house by the sea. And in Spain, Keel and Faye fend off Triffids in a mountaintop home where a woman just gave birth to a baby.
Another film that explores a similar theme is 2008's "Blindness" starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. In that thriller, the same thing happens - most of the world save for a handful of people goes blind. I saw that earlier this year at the Fellini Film Cafe, a cool little coffee/sandwich shop and video store/screening house in El Paso where they show a movie every night. I would highly recommend it if you ever go to El Paso.
I saw "Blindness" before I saw this film, so I was impressed even more with this movie.
Read The Black Hole's recent blog post on the movie.
Check out some cool lobby cards from the movie at the blog Coming Attractions of the Past.
Read Rick's review here.
A TRUE DRIVE IN CLASSIC....A ONE OF A KIND...
ReplyDeleteyes, and the scenes with the planes and cars crashing are frightening. A recent film called "Blindness" has a similar theme where most of the world goes blind... it reminded me alot of this one.
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