The Day of the Triffids

_**Attack of the Plant Monsters**_

After a curious meteor shower creates havoc on Earth, a merchant navy officer (Howard Keel) in England is forced to contend with mobile vegetation-based creatures; meanwhile on an island off of Cornwall a troubled scientist couple working at a lighthouse try to solve the problem (Janette Scott & Kieron Moore).

"The Day of the Triffids” (1963) is a British creature feature that borrows from “War of the Worlds” of ten years prior (particularly the ending), but it’s not in the same league. While the creators did their best to create scary-looking plant monsters, they’re just not as formidable as the Martian threat in that other movie. It doesn’t help that the females are depicted as dainty, useless screamers (I realize it’s a sign of the times but, c’mon, they could do more than stand idly by screaming).

Still, if you like 50s-60’s Brit horror, like "Island of Terror" (1966) and "Night of the Big Heat" (1967), you’ll probably appreciate it (it’s on par with the former, but not as good as the latter); just don’t expect Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee.

The movie runs 1 hour, 33 minutes and was shot at Shepperton Studios, just west of London, as well as locations in London and Spain.

GRADE: C

I loved this film as a child - and almost sixty years later, it is still a very entertaining, fast-moving sci-fi tale. A meteor shower deposits loads of walking plants that render their victims blind. Before we know it, civilisation is facing chaos as there are hardly any folks left who can see - cars and planes are crashing; people are starving - you name it, it's going wrong. A few can still see, and Howard Keel ("Masen") and Nicole Maurey ("Durrant) travel through Europe trying to escape their clutches and make it to a naval base in Cadiz. Meantime, another pair, Janette Scott & Kieron Moore are stranded in a lighthouse where they think themselves safe - well "an ill wind" blows and soon the "Triffids" are threatening them too. It's a well directed adaptation of John Wyndham's story - the performances are fine, not great, but good enough to create a sense of fear and jeopardy (OK, maybe just a little too much screaming) and the ending is just in the nick of time!!