Reviewed by: Jonny T
Posted by: Root Rot
Night of the Big Heat (1967)
Directed by: Terence Fisher
Starring: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Patrick Allen.
Good day to you all from Robin hood country, today it’s tea with great English crumpets smothered in English butter,Yum yum!
So onto the classic Night of the Big Heat, man this film is hot and when I mean hot I mean just watching it makes you sweat as everyone in the film is sweating buckets!
The story is set upon the island of Fara where the temperature is into the high 90′s whilst neighbouring Britain shivers in the cold the deep throws of winter. Regulars at the local pub The Swan and the weather men have no idea whatsoever to what is happening and are completely baffled but The Swan has rooms for rent and one long term stayer. Christopher Lee believes it’s the work of aliens although he keeps this completely to himself and refuses to let even the owners into his room where he basically has a lab set up.
The film starts with a great scene involving Christopher Lee setting up a series of wires, mirrors and cameras within the woods with the hope of catching something on camera. The great thing about this scene and the whole start of the film is that there is no dialogue for at least the first 5 minutes which sets the film up greatly. Sadly this was the last film that the legend Terence Fisher was to direct featuring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing together and what a great partnership the 3 of them made.
The main story revolves around Patrick Allen who is a writer who co-owns The Swan with his wife and has asked his publishing company for a new secretary and when she arrives you instantly see when she is being shown around by his wife that something is not quite right and when he returns we find out why. She has come to the island to fond him and take him from his wife as they have been having a bit if naughty naughty sexy time on the mainland! With the heat he just can’t help himself as she promisculy Walsh around in a swimsuit and bras, which at the time must have been very racy indeed. Ad the film progresses the events unfold with the death of a homeless man blinded by a huge glowing light and Christopher Lee has to cone clean ad to what he is up to. The heat starts to drive people even more crazier and one of the locals attempts to rape his mistress amongst other crazy acts. One great scene is where it’s do hot that the beer bottles all start exploding, great stuff!
It gets a 5.6 on IMDB which I do feel is a little harsh but each to their own I guess. We do get to see the aliens and they are by no means Cameron aliens by any means but that’s what’s makes this in my eyes a true Sunday morning classic.
Jonny T.
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