Sunday Afternoons at the Paradise
Join TFS for Season 78’s Sunday Matinée Series generously sponsored by our good friend, author and documentary filmmaker, Mr. Don Hutchison.
Please save these dates and visit us regularly for further updates on the films, added shorts, and to purchase tickets:
Sunday, August 16th Purchase your tickets HERE!
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS
Director: Byron Haskin. Run Time: 85 min. Release Year: 1953
Starring: Ann Robinson, Frank Kreig, Gene Barry, Les Tremayne, Lewis Martin
The residents of a small town are excited when a flaming meteor lands in the hills, until they discover it is the first of many transport devices from Mars bringing an army of invaders invincible to any man-made weapon, even the atomic bomb.
As one of the defining blueprints for science fiction and alien invasion movies, H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds (1953) is a stunning thriller that blends visual style with meaningful themes. Set in a small American town, scientist Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry) and Sylvia Van Buren (Ann Robinson) come in contact with a meteor. Suddenly, a horrifying Martian invasion takes place and overtakes the humans! What follows next is a deep reflection on war anxiety in the 1950s and the everlasting question of humanity’s place in the universe. Made for the big screen in glorious Technicolor, this magnificent film is renowned for its groundbreaking and Academy Award-winning special effects, as well as its indelible stamp on the sci-fi genre. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience it on the big screen!
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THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE
Director: Val Guest. Run Time: 98 min. Release Year: 1961
Starring: Bernard Braden, Edward Judd, Janet Munro, Leo McKern, Michael Goodliffe
British reporters suspect an international cover-up of a global disaster in progress… and they’re right. Hysterical panic has engulfed the world after the United States and the Soviet Union simultaneously detonate nuclear devices and have caused the orbit of the Earth to alter, sending it hurtling towards the sun.
The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) is known as one of the most unsettling science fiction films of its time, and a classic in the apocalyptic genre. This compelling British drama takes place in near-future London. It follows a reporter (Edward Judd) and a veteran journalist (Leo McKern) who investigate odd shifts in the climate after the US and the Soviet Union have detonated nuclear explosives, causing the orbit of the Earth to change, and moving it closer to the Sun! The film explores whether humanity has pushed the Earth past the point of recovery, and gives a newsroom drama apocalyptic stakes. It’s best seen on the big screen, where the panic and dread feel even more ominous.
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