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Paolo HeuschThe Day The Sky Exploded (1958)

From IMDb:
Scientists discover that a group of meteors are hurtling on a collison course with Earth, and if they hit, the planet will be destroyed.


This movie is part of the collection: Sci-Fi / Horror

Director: Paolo Heusch
Producer: Samuel Z. Arkoff
Audio/Visual: sound, b&w
Language: english
Keywords: Sci-Fi

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: vark - - January 16, 2008
Subject: Average
Three bangs given the budget constraints and some of the more specious science. Should "bludog" stop by again, I'd like to, respectfully, point out that by the (late) 1950's, the film industry was well established internationally, and long past enormous in the U.S. This was an Italian/French production, cashing in on (the) genre, with access to modern equipment and (seasoned) professional technicians and performers. It's an acceptable film given it's intention, but note that it was produced a couple of years after Forbidden Planet (USA 1956) which remains a landmark achievement both technically and as a genre picture. Therefore, criticism of 50's sci-fi/horror/monster flicks based on budget and talent (and intent) is perfectly valid. Cheers.

Reviewer: skipper812 - - July 26, 2007
Subject: EMP Anyone?
A passable movie made tolerable by the upbeat finish. Many gaffs (for example their usage of stock footage whilst the rest of the world was supposedly in shambles these sites were not only untouched but nice fluffy clouds) but overall entertaining. It could have done without the soap opera, though.

Reviewer: Simon5005 - - May 28, 2007
Subject: How Does This End???
I found this to be moderately entertaining, but somewhat lacking in story. And it ended two minutes before the actual ending of the movie. I guess the Earth was destroyed, because that's what would happen anyway even if you tried to blow up an asteroid that close to Earth. Instead of getting bombarded by one big one, there'd be thousands of small ones, which would have the same effect.

Reviewer: bludog - - May 22, 2007
Subject: All the way
I´ve read a lot of comments that said movies are bad cause actors do a bad work, so ... I cant figure that you guys said that. If you have just a little sense of 4 decades ago (or much more) you know that movies were another thing. Not pro actors, not pro camera men, not a lot of money (not a damn industry). Just the force and love from a filmaker and a troop of lovers. So, please dont be lamers and dont call movies bad. I think you love Steven Seagal movies or soft porn. Give history right credit!

Reviewer: beirwer - - April 11, 2007
Subject: A ridiculous movie.
Slow paced, weak plot. Dry stilted dialog. The acting was adequit. There was such an over reliance on stock footage that it seemed more like they went through what they already had and wrote the story around that.

Reviewer: dougm_philly - - December 23, 2006
Subject: great for its budget & time
this is pretty cool. its inexpensive but not cheap. i think its got good enough f/x, when one considers the time.

Reviewer: jimelena - - December 13, 2006
Subject: This is a movie
Not much more to say except that it is a movie.
Some acting is over animated, some is very stiff, all of it is corny.
Every reason why you should watch it.

Reviewer: J.F. - - December 11, 2006
Subject: armagedon!
this film IS THE FIRST asteroid movie ever! brilliant cheap 'sci-fi' sound effects, and, the best use of stock footage ever! if only mst3k had seen this one! also,better,yes, better-- the use of so many lights on their 'computers'! some of the most remembered lines of all times.."We all all safe now" which was used in the movie Atomic Cafe at the end after it was ok to leave our bomb shelters.

Reviewer: billbarstad - - December 11, 2006
Subject: So so
This is one of the genre of science fiction movies with a moral centered on the dangers of space travel that were made in the 1950's and '60'. It's a dubbed Italian/French made spectacular. Aside from the poor English translation and continuity problems, it makes use of tired dramatic forms in telling it's story of a nuclear powered rocket gone awry which begins an extremely improbable chain of events leading to an end of the world scenario. On a positive note, international cooperation is featured throughout this cold war era drama.

I downloaded the mpeg1 file. The film is in good shape.

Reviewer: Arensky - - December 4, 2006
Subject: Not Too Bad
For a low-budget SF movie. this is not bad -- not bad at all. Competent script and reasonable bargain basement special effects -- especially at the last. It's a fun blast from the past. Interestingly, it was made at the height of the Cold War -- in fact, a year after Sputnik -- yet some of the Soviets are the good guys.