The Day the Earth Caught Fire on Blu-ray [read more]
The heat is on
Newly remastered by the BFI National Archive, this definitive version of the classic British science fiction thriller will be released by the BFI on both DVD and Blu-ray on 17 November 2014 as part of Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder.
Both formats contain a host of extras, including a commentary with director Val Guest (the Quatermass films), a newly-created documentary, a selection of bomb-related archive films and much, much more.
When the USA and Russia simultaneously test nuclear bombs, the earth is knocked off its axis and set on a collision course with the sun. As the planet inexorably heats up and society slowly breaks down, Peter Stenning (Edward Judd), a washed-up Daily Express reporter, breaks the story and sets about investigating the government cover-up.
Made at a time when the nuclear threat of the Cold War loomed large, The Day the Earth Caught Fire is an expertly crafted sci-fi film that boasts a BAFTA-winning screenplay, gritty characters and a vision of end-of-days London that really burns. It also stars Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey), Janet Munro, real-life reporter Bernard Braden and one-time Daily Express editor Arthur Christiansen. Many scenes were filmed on location at the former Daily Express HQ on Fleet Street and in the surrounding area.
