Night of the Big Heat (1967) Reviews

• Night of the Big Heat....No Need For the Cold Shoulder!

  ClassixFan2005-04-04

  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.

• Intelligent Sci-fi from a past age

  AdamJezard2004-10-02

  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.

• Enjoy this classic cheapie!

  iaincturner442002-06-20

  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!!!

• She's a slut and I wanted her body

  AAdaSC2012-12-25

  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.

• Give 'Night of the Big Heat' the cold shoulder!

  The Welsh Raging Bull2001-11-06

  The short-lived Planet Productions managed to get the great Terence Fisher and Peter Cushing together again (like 'Island of Terror' a year earlier). Even Christopher Lee was persuaded to take part in this science-fiction flick! This effort was actually filmed in February/March 1967 and, as such, would not have been a particularly comfortable film to make (the cast were covered in glycerine to create the sweaty effect!). Fisher manages to create a suitably isolated feel to the whole film - the inhabitants, who literally "live in their little old world" are cut off from the rest of civilisation. However, as with films of this kind, the low budget decidedly restricts the scope of the film. There is a ton of exhausting dialogue at the inn and the characters are not particularly interesting. Peter Cushing's character of Dr. Stone gets very little screen time and it is strange not to see Cushing at the climax of the film! Christopher Lee walks around very sternly, not particularly masking his discomfort well at appearing in such a film. The creatures responsible for causing the heatwave in the film are cheap and nasty creations, that do nothing to enhance the credibility of the film. Ultimately, despite the fact that the film is well-intentioned, it is far from Peter Cushing/Christopher Lee's best!