Night of the Big Heat

Hey guys! Whats the deal here? This film is one of my all time faves! The first time I saw it I loved it straight away. I love the Englishness of it all....the country pub....the warm beer!!!....feel that cheesy dialogue: "You were no untouched virgin when we met" etc.

Enjoy gawping at the stunning beauty of Jane Merrow in a wet bikini and more! This film is very similar to Fishers Island Of Terror,very much a companion piece. I never get tired of seeing this flick,I view my ancient tape every year. Dont expect a masterpiece and you will not be disappointed . Its corny,cheap but not tatty,with great photography,solid performances and lovely colour....ENJOY!!!

Another Planet Films production which, on the whole, is superior to ISLAND OF TERROR (1966) - in fact emerging, for about two-thirds of its length, as a reasonably compelling and effective bit of sci-fi on QUATERMASS lines (likewise, originating on TV and with the plot's heat-wave angle inspired, perhaps, by THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE [1961]).

However, the appearance of the silly-looking aliens at the climax lets the film down (given the exaggerated horrified reaction, earlier on, of the victims when facing them - as yet unseen by the audience!) but, then, the score, the handling and the performances (with Christopher Lee an unusual and, therefore, interesting 'hero') are, again, above-average for the genre - even if Peter Cushing's 'guest star' role isn't one of his best (despite what Leonard Maltin says in his "Film Guide"!). Still, perhaps the best thing about the entire film is the way it successfully integrates a tension-filled romantic triangle (treated in a remarkable, and unexpectedly, adult manner) - involving Patrick Allen and Sarah Lawson (a married couple in real life!), and the sluttish Jane Merrow - amid the gripping 'invasion' plot.

As with ISLAND OF TERROR, the print utilized for this DVD transfer has undergone no visible restoration - and the film's quality, with respect to its presentation, suffers accordingly! The accompanying Audio Commentary, then - featuring Lee, scriptwriting couple Pip and Jane Baker, and moderator Marcus Hearn - is all over the place, but is certainly animated enough to remain consistently interesting throughout.

Something strange is occurring on the island of Faro in the British Isles. Whilst temperatures on the mainland are cold, the temperature on this island is mysteriously increasing to an unbearably hot level.

Pub owner and novelist Patrick Allen (Jeff Callum) holds court to the cast that includes his pub landlady wife Sarah Lawson (Frankie), new secretary Jane Merrow (Angela), doctor Peter Cushing (Vernon Stone), scientist Christopher Lee (Hanson), villagers William Lucas (Ken), Kenneth Cope (Tinker) and Thomas Heathcote (Bob) and a few others.

There is a body count that piles up as people become incinerated after hearing a high pitched sound. The script-writers wisely kill off a comedy tramp figure early on in the film but it's then a lottery as to who is next.

The film's interest comes from the love triangle between Allen, Lawson and Merrow and contains, apart from hilariously frank dialogue (see summary), quite a gripping dramatic moment between Lawson and Merrow. Another moment that sticks out in the film is when Allen confronts Lee about his anti-social behaviour. Once again, we get some 'no-holds-barred' dialogue that progresses the plot and swings the audience to Christopher Lee's favour (previous to this point, he seems like a dick). We now want to see Allen and Lee working together.

It's a shame but the film's finale plays out like a below-par 'B' movie with no suspense and an ending that just happens. It could have been so much better. If you are frightened by pace-less fried-egg jellyfish, then you won't be disappointed. It's a better drama than it is a horror.

Night of the Big Heat may not rank among the best sci-fi efforts by critics, but for this fan, it really does deliver the goods. Locals on the Island of Fera find themselves in the midst of a searing heat wave while the rest of the mainland of the UK is in the middle of a normal cold snap in November. As bodies begin to pile up, found burnt to a crisp, a scientist struggles to convince the locals that they may be the victims of an invasion from space.

A great cast that includes, Patrick Allen, Jane Merrow, Sarah Lawson and in guest roles, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Directed by the great, Terence Fisher, this is another triumph in Fisher's library of films and to this viewer, ranks right up there with his Hammer horror films as well as the underrated, Island of Terror.

Certainly not as bad as some would have you believe and probably not as good as I think it is, it is definitely worth a look for fans of 60s British sci-fi films.

I'm fed up with reading about how bad the spfx are supposed to be in this film. Personally, I blame Christopher Lee for saying bad things about them in his biography. Actually, this film is not bad. It is a story about ordinary people in an extra-ordinary situation (an alien invasion). The people are stuck in a claustrophobic setting (a pub on an island) and it's about how they confront what's facing them. This is a fairly faithful adaptation of the book it is based on. It's more character than spfx lead, and I suppose this is the problem for modern audiences who have short attention spans and lack the ability to follow a scene that lasts for more than 3 seconds. Still, if you like sci-fi from an age when people had brain cells (ie, HG Wells, Jules Verne, John Wyndham, etc...) and don't mind spfx that could have come from the early Dr Who serials and the original Star Trek series, then you may well enjoy this film. If you happen to think Star Wars was the greatest film ever made, then don't bother -- it'll be way above your head.