"The Night The World Exploded"

The year was 1957 when The Night the World Exploded was released. This science fiction thriller, depicting civilization on the brink of extinction from worldwide earthquakes, was one of many science- based motion pictures of that era. ... A scene in the movie shows an 'electrodata machine that thinks like a brain' occupying a whole room where scientists are working. This chilling moment seemed to foretell of greater things to come. Today, our modern day 'electrodata machine' is called a desktop computer and is able to store, to memory, millions of pieces of data. Imagine, the computer was coming of age in an original 'old' motion picture from the golden age of Hollywood - over 60 years ago! ... How prophetic. ... Hollywood and science, it would seem, are bankable stars, an unbeatable combination, in teaching us about the future. ...  

Are today's movies reliable delivery systems of scientific information? ... As they entertain us, are they also portraying the endless possibilities that exist for us, too?... I was intrigued by the words and wisdom in The Night the World Exploded, whose simple dialogue provided insights into the earth's changing status - 60 years ago! ... As the movie unfolds, a scientist remarks, “We've mistreated the earth so long it's amazing it has lasted this long”. Today, we have documentaries that have put this theory to the test, in many different treatises, to see what would happen to civilization, if man's basic 'survival' elements - clean water, sunlight, food sources and heat- changed dramatically. ... Near the end of the movie, in a scene reminiscent of many in science fiction movies, a law enforcement officer remarks, “It's dangerous living today”. after being warned that volunteering to help these scientists might be risky to his life. ... It seems that movies from the 50's, whose Hollywood-style special effects are primitive by today's standards, were still credible scientific vehicles, then, giving us a taste of what science- disguised as mother nature - had in mind for us down the road. ... 

Many of today's big screen sci-fi thrillers, television documentaries and series hypothesize, then give credence to the creative ideas/processes of those silly motion picture ideas of Hollywood's golden age. ... .. Movies from the 50's such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, War of the Worlds, and an all time family favourite, Creature From the Black Lagoon gave audiences suspense filled action throughout while introducing the audience to yet another layer of the absurd or unbelievable, in science. In the recent sci-fi thriller, War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise, an incredible adaptation of the original was created. ... In this newer version, a more futuristic format with more frightening implications takes the audience to a place where man is no longer master of his own fate and is now simply prey for this new predatorial life form-from another planet.----Then we have Jurassic Park, the gold standard of all things 'science'. ...What more can be said here?

There are lessons to be learned when we watch movies from the past. ...I was a little girl when movie characters brought the realm and realism of science fiction and all other genres into my very small world. ..There was horror, mystery/suspense, romance and comedy. ... Mature stars, such as Claude Rains, Lon Chaney, Lauren Bacall, Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, and Brian Donlevy, brought the audience incredible plot lines delivered with spot-on dialogue to match, in clear, concise tones in recognizable voices. The scripts/plot lines of a bygone era brought us entertainment in all forms. For me, the magic was always in the actors' dialogue. ... The words meant something as they moved the action. Today, not all movies are for 'family' viewing. And why are some forms of dialogue so painful to hear? What is the point other than to embarrass and restrict the younger 'patrons of the arts' from participating? 

In movies' golden age, character development seemed to matter. Dialogue mattered more. The people- otherwise known as actors - delivered the plotlines, crisply, thoughtfully and with integrity. ... All movies were for family viewing. ...We may laugh at old movies' primitive style but many of today's big screen wonders have been re-imagined on the backs of those movies from the golden age of Hollywood. ... Perhaps we rely too much on the magic of computer graphics, special effects and other incredible feats of mechanical and artistic genius, to the extreme, to bring realism to the audiences today. ...

I am thrilled to be able to revisit movies from today's recent past as well as from the golden age of Hollywood. I am drawn to the savvy 'literary' content, believable plots and plausible endings. Today, I watched an 'old' 1984 movie, “Beverly Hills Cop” starring Eddie Murphy. I laughed as I listened and worked nearby. The movie is timeless. Now, that's entertainment!