The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)

A thought-provoking sci-fi, horror and mystery thriller with a gripping tale of survival that explores themes about human beings’ capacity for both destruction and redemption

Directed by Terence Fisher
Written by Harry Spalding
Produced by Robert L. Lippert, Jack Parsons
Cinematography Arthur Lavis
Edited by Robert Winter
Music by Elisabeth Lutyens
Production company Lippert Films
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Running time 62 minutes

Cast

Willard Parker as Jeff Nolan
Virginia Field as Peggy Hatton
Dennis Price as Quinn Taggart
Thorley Walters as Edgar (Ed) Otis
Vanda Godsell as Violet (Vi) Courtland
David Spenser as Mel Brenard
Anna Palk as Lorna Brenard

Trailer

For this post, I’d like to present an underrated and overlooked sci-fi film from the 1960s. In fact, I had forgotten about it and neglected to include the film as part of my recent free eBook, Sci-Fi Film Fiesta: The Swingin’ 60s – The Complete Book. (See download link below So, for your enjoyment may I present, The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)

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Night of the Big Heat (1968)

ISLAND OF THE BURNING DAMNED

ISLAND OF THE BURNING DOOMED

A low budget but eerie, tense, gripping and effective sci-fi / horror film that let its characters tell the story

Directed by Terence Fisher
Written by Jane Baker, Pip Baker, Ronald Liles
Based on “Night of the Big Heat” 1959 novel by John Lymington
Produced by Tom Blakeley, Ronald Liles
Cinematography: Reginald H. Wyer

Edited by Rod Nelson-Keys
Music by Malcolm Lockyer
Production company: Planet Film Productions
Distributed by Planet Film Distributors
Running time: 94 minutes

Cast

Christopher Lee as Professor Godfrey Hanson
Patrick Allen as Jeff Callum
Peter Cushing as Dr. Vernon Stone
Sarah Lawson as Frankie Callum
Jane Merrow as Angela Roberts
William Lucas as Ken Stanley
Percy Herbert as Gerald Foster
Kenneth Cope as Tinker Mason
Thomas Heathcote as Bob Hayward
Anna Turner as Stella Hayward
Jack Bligh as Ben Siddle
Sydney Bromley as Old Tramp

Trailer

In the middle of winter the island of Fara off the English coast is experiencing an oppressive, stifling and inexplicable heat wave, as if this little isolated heavily cloud-shrouded speck of terrestrial real estate was being deliberately subjected to the burning focused beam of a celestial magnifying glass.

Jeff and Frankie Callum run an inn called, The Swan. Jeff is a professional novelist who has supposedly hired a secretary, Angela Roberts who is in fact a younger woman with whom he had an affair. Angela has come to the island with the intention of re-kindling the affair, perhaps ending Jeff’s marriage with his wife and having him all to herself.

Also from the mainland is a strange and mysterious scientist, Godfrey Hanson who has rented a room at The Swan. This intense-looking, stern-faced individual with an abrupt, pompous and rude manner spends his time setting up motion-sensitive cameras and taking soil samples. For what purpose? Who knows?

As the temperature rises along with the mounting tension pervading the little island community, let’s see how the mystery unfolds…..

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