An international consortium of scientists, operating as Project Inner Space in Tanganyika, Africa, is trying to tap into the Earth's geothermal energy by drilling a very deep hole down to the Earth's core. The scientists are foiled by an extremely dense layer of material at the boundary between the two. To penetrate the barrier and reach the magma below, they intend to detonate an atomic device at the bottom of the hole.
The leader of the project, Dr. Stephen Sorenson (Dana Andrews), who is (secretly) dying of cancer, believes that the atomic device will burn its way through the barrier, but the project's chief geologist, Dr. Ted Rampion (Kieron Moore), is convinced that the lower layers of the crust have been weakened by decades of underground nuclear tests, and that the detonation could produce a massive crack that would threaten the very existence of Earth.
The leader of the project, Dr. Stephen Sorenson (Dana Andrews), who is (secretly) dying of cancer, believes that the atomic device will burn its way through the barrier, but the project's chief geologist, Dr. Ted Rampion (Kieron Moore), is convinced that the lower layers of the crust have been weakened by decades of underground nuclear tests, and that the detonation could produce a massive crack that would threaten the very existence of Earth.
The atomic device is used and Rampion's fears prove justified, as the crust of the Earth develops an enormous crack that progresses rapidly. Sorenson discovers that there was a huge signature of hydrogen underground, which turned the small conventional atomic explosion into a huge thermonuclear one that was millions of times more powerful. Another atomic device is used in the hope of stopping the crack, but it only reverses the crack's direction. Eventually the crack returns to its starting point at the test site, and a huge chunk of the planet outlined by the crack is expected to be thrown out into space. Sorenson remains at the underground control center to record the event despite pleas by his wife Maggie to evacuate with the rest of the project staff. She and Rampion barely escape in time to observe the fiery birth of a second moon. Its release stops the crack from further splitting the Earth.
[Movie Plot: Wikipedia]
4 comments:
Great post! I saw this as a kid as a movie-of-the-week and LOVED it. My favorite part was the second bomb that was meant to punch a hole in the crust and stop the crack but it just made things worse! For years I'd been looking for it on VHS (and later disk). Now it has finally been put it out on DVD after all this time!
Nice one Jay. Do you think it's better than the modern movie The Core?
Another favourite of mine is When Worlds Collide.
While the big budget sci-fi flicks are great, I do love the low budget British B movie attempts at the genre.
Apart from the colourful Dalek films, Amicus produced a couple of classics for me - They Came From Beyond Space and The Terrornauts - daft films but I love 'em.
The Earth Dies Screaming is another favourite - zombies and robots, what could be better!
A film I watched only the other day was a lovely little film called Invasion starring the late and underated Edward Judd, star of The Day the Earth Caught Fire.
The Invasion story about an alien crash landing near a rural hospital and taken inside to recover was written by Robert Holmes who later re-used parts of the story for the Jon Pertwee Dr Who episode 'Spearhead from Space'.
For Christmas, I've ordered the new colourised version of the British sci-fi thriller 'The Night Caller' about an atomic mutated alien stealing Earth women to re-populate his dying planet.
Popcorn, Mince Pies and a big Green Hand lurking behind the door!!! - Then I think I'll watch the film : D
Some great films there Mike! I'll have to put them on my Love Film rental list! I hope that the BBC show there Ghost Stories for Christmas this year on TV. They were classics too: Whistle and I'll Come to You, Warning to the Curious etc. One of my fave Hammers is on this weekend - The Gorgon. On far too late but I'll record it. Medusa in 19th Century London! Hammer were just great!
Post a Comment