The Day of the Triffids

source: The Day of the Triffids

Trailer—The Day of the Triffids

The Day of the Triffids

This film isn't particularly well-done, written or acted (Howard Keel is the only "name" actor in the entire cast), but it's still a favorite of mine because it is so hokey! A meteorite shower somehow blinds everyone who watched it's spectacular glory. Keel's character Bill, however, didn't see it due to his eyes being bandaged up. He finally unbandages his eyes and discovers a blind world. People are helpless. However, the meteor shower also brought the seed of the triffid to earth and they are beginning to grow. Unfortunately for earthlings, triffids kill people. Now add to the panic from the blindness the panic caused by the triffids and you have *real* panic everywhere. Of course, some people become animals, acting out depravity, and a little of that is shown safely within 1962 film guidelines. There are a few people who can see other than Keel but not many. Will someone come up with a way to stop the triffids before they kill all life on earth? Rent it and see.

A meteorite shower lights up the sky and blinds all that watches it. Most of the world population must also deal with some rather weird plant life that can uproot itself and seek human nourishment. Howard Keel plays a sailor recovering from an eye operation, thus not being blinded by the mysterious glowing display. He finds a young girl that slept through the starry shower. Together they seek out help and a solution to this very weird problem. A couple of marine biologist, stranded in a lighthouse, get a 'hands on' encounter with the rampaging stalks of terror. An evenly paced movie considering the slow moving menace. This makes you ponder watering your plants. Very good movie. Also in the cast are Janina Faye, Nicole Maurey and Janette Scott.

When I got my driver's license, I headed off to a nearby town to see a movie. This was it. I loved it. It has really received a bad rap. The story begins with a city full of blind people--Stricken by a meteor shower which has also brought spores to earth--the spawn of Triffids--flesh eating plants. While the plants are not sighted or masterfully created, the quest by Howard Kiel and his young counterpart, and the horror they encounter, is quite good. I found it anything but boring. It speaks to the realities of the created situation, and the acting is good. There is a nice subplot of a depressed lighthouse keeper and marine biologist and his wife/associate who seek an answer. It was quite suspenseful and well paced. Some real questions are asked and answered. It's not a masterpiece, but it holds up very well after all these years.