I remember seeing this a few times as a kid during those Saturday afternoon monster movie shows. I have to say that THIS one always stuck with me. Not that it's that good or well made - it's NOT - but the premise. Blazing death coming at you at 4K mph? How could you run? How could you shelter? Basically you couldn't. THAT is the brilliance of this film - it creeps you out.
Part of what sets this gem apart is that unlike most "happy happy joy joy" American films of the time, this one shows people who don't stand a chance actually dying. Kids, women, people in shelters - there's no last minute helo rescue or a sudden rainstorm that saves families cowering in alleyways... they're doomed and they stay doomed.
Well worth a watch - and compared to a LOT of films of that era, this one is actually interesting and different.
Keep an eye out: when the nervous scientist's pregnant wife is taking shelter in her bldg's basement, there's an angry bald guy complaining... every person in the room with me watching had the same reaction: "hey, that's the bald guy from the basement in Night of the Living Dead!"
One thing - you would NOT want to be standing near Robert Loggia when a lot of heat builds up. Not going to say his acting is wooden, but if you look REALLY hard, in the background is a bunch of Amish guys chasing him so they can build a barn out of him. The man's a deciduous forest worth of wood.
Of course this film would've been PRIME for Mystery Science Theater 3000... but then, every film ever made would be better getting riffed by Mike and the Bots. Perhaps Rifftrax can take care of this glaring omission!
Part of what sets this gem apart is that unlike most "happy happy joy joy" American films of the time, this one shows people who don't stand a chance actually dying. Kids, women, people in shelters - there's no last minute helo rescue or a sudden rainstorm that saves families cowering in alleyways... they're doomed and they stay doomed.
Well worth a watch - and compared to a LOT of films of that era, this one is actually interesting and different.
Keep an eye out: when the nervous scientist's pregnant wife is taking shelter in her bldg's basement, there's an angry bald guy complaining... every person in the room with me watching had the same reaction: "hey, that's the bald guy from the basement in Night of the Living Dead!"
One thing - you would NOT want to be standing near Robert Loggia when a lot of heat builds up. Not going to say his acting is wooden, but if you look REALLY hard, in the background is a bunch of Amish guys chasing him so they can build a barn out of him. The man's a deciduous forest worth of wood.
Of course this film would've been PRIME for Mystery Science Theater 3000... but then, every film ever made would be better getting riffed by Mike and the Bots. Perhaps Rifftrax can take care of this glaring omission!