Customer Reviews

Crack in the World

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Every Saturday night @ 11:30, I'd settle down on the couch for 3+ hours of horror and/or sci-fi on TV courtesy of Pittsburgh, Pa's "Chiller Theater" hosted by "Chilly Billy" Cardille. Among my many favorites was "Crack in the World," about a scientist who, through underground testing of some sort, creates a mammoth fissure in the earth that keeps getting bigger and bigger, threatening to tear the earth apart. I've always loved this movie, especially the uncompromising ending, and I'm happy to see it finally being released in DVD. Check it out.

Interesting story about a dying scientist who plans to tap the geothermal energy beneath the Earth's crust, with dire consequences. Andrews, Scott and Moore, as well as Alexander Knox, all give excellent performances. Special effects are superb and very believable. I remember seeing this on TV when I was little, and it scared me to DEATH. Seeing it again as an adult, it is not quite as scary, but is still fast-paced and entertaining.

While the science is now dated, thanks to the discovery of plate tectonics (the Earth's crust is divided into may separate "plates", and therefore already has many "cracks"), the story is still entertaining. The interaction between Dr. Sorenson (Andrews), an aging scientist trying for one last victory; his young wife Maggie (Scott), a scientist in her own right; and Dr. Rampion (Moore), the project's geologist and an old flame of Maggie's to boot; works very well, even if it is a bit formulaic.

All in all it is a fun movie, and definitely worth the time to see it. Especially now that it is finally being released on DVD in its original 1.85:1 widescreen format. A worthy addition to any classic sci-fi film collection.

(PS: *I* wrote that summary listed on the back cover when I was in college! They just added a few extra words. Don't believe me? Look it up on IMDB!!)

I too am a great fan of this movie. I spent years looking for it, and about 3 months ago, I found a very watchable version at a site when I Googled it. The disc only cost $10....but. About half way through, down in the lower right hand corner the symbol "AMC" popped up and I realized that it was just a good copy made from the American Movie Classic channel.

This version that is now being released should be far superior....and I look forward to it.

If you have not seen this movie, by all means give it a try. There is not a single wasted minute in the whole film. Excellent!

CRACK IN THE WORLD finally makes its home video debut via this new widescreen DVD from Olive Films. Olive Films is a relatively new enterprise that has leased several Paramount titles for home video release.

I hadn't seen CRACK IN THE WORLD since its initial 1965 theatrical exhibition, and so it was great to be able to revisit it. What seemed like pure fantasy back then now feels all too plausible, given the daily reports about BP and the events on the Gulf coast. It's an engrossing story about scientists who have drilled too far into the earth's core, setting off a cataclysmic chain of events. Stalwart scientist Dana Andrews attempts to reverse the process. The film builds to a nearly apocalyptic finale, aided by some pretty good special effects.

The DVD preserves the film's 1:85-1 aspect ratio. The transfer is very good, although the age of the film elements precludes the movie from looking "as though it was filmed yesterday." I'd guess that the DVD was struck from a very good 35mm print, rather than from the original camera negative. There are no supplements, but the home video debut of CRACK IN THE WORLD is reason enough for celebration. Hopefully, Olive Films will resurrect other titles that have fallen through the cracks of the world of films.

This will not be long. This is not a review of the movie, but of the Blu-Ray release.

For some reason there is very little difference in the pricing of the DVD and the Blu-Ray (BD). In which case, here it is worth the option of going for the BD.

The print is not perfect. But it does appear that it is the same one they used for the DVD release. Fortunately, there is an improvement over the DVD. Not a big one, mind you. But a definite improvement. Everything appears more clearly defined and focused. Even the stock footage that was used for some scenes appeared clearer, though they generally still looked like stock footage. Happily, the appearance of artifacts like film grain were not particularly noticeable like it has been in some BD releases.

I always thought that this movie had great sound effects. For the BD, the audio is still excellent, though the overall level appears to be lower than the DVD. I didn't have to raise the level of my center channel like I have to for some movies. Even though the original audio was mono, this movie delivers plenty of sonic impact. I found the opening to still be quite impressive. This is a movie with big explosions (the world is being torn-apart afterall) and the audio delivers; even in mono.

So, if you have the TV for it, it is worth the couple of extra bucks. This is a fine disaster flick.

I know the exact circumstances when I first saw "Crack in the World." The date was April 25, 1970. The place was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And it was broadcast on a local television show called "Chiller Theatre," hosted by home-towner Bill "Chilly Billy" Cardille. Today, more than 40 years later, Chilly Billy is still going strong on the radio in Pittsburgh, although "Chiller Theatre" is no more, and "Crack in the World" has finally--FINALLY--come out on DVD.

I'm pleased to say it is ALMOST as good as I remember. It lives up to the strong impression it made on me the first and only time I saw it. I vividly recalled some of the scenes even after four decades, especially the one where the team lowers the atomic bomb into the volcano. There's a lot packed into its 96-minute run time, and most of it holds up pretty well, even for today's jaded audiences. There's a terminally ill scientist who wants to finish his life's work of tapping a new source of energy--the magma in the earth's core--before he dies. There's another scientist who fears that the work, if completed, will doom the earth. There's the obligatory romantic triangle among the two scientists and the beautiful (of course) woman they both love. There's a global disaster of epic proportions, and there's mass destruction as the fears of the second scientist come true (that's not a spoiler--if it didn't happen, there would be no story).

It's a little slow in parts, mostly when the three-sided romantic entanglements take center stage, but elsewhere "Crack in the World" moves at a furious pace as the scientists race against time to save the earth from the cataclysm they've unleashed. The special effects range from pretty poor (in just a couple of shots) to jaw-droppingly excellent. They're mostly pretty good considering the pre-CGI state of the art in 1965. The story holds together well, the characters are interesting and the production values are great, with crisp, clear scenes in the original semi-widescreen format, vibrant color and a sound track with dialog you can actually understand (an increasingly rare attribute lately).

"Crack in the World" is a great addition to any DVD library of truly classic science fiction movies. Now if only "Gog" and "The Day the Earth Moved" would come out on DVD, I'd be a very happy camper...

Just image, all of Earth's energy problems are about to be solved! That's what a team of scientist think as they prepare to take the most critical step in Project Inner-Space. Located in the Tanganyika outback, they have managed to do the impossible: bored a large hole through the Earth's mantle; only a thin, but impregnable layer prevents them from tapping the magma in the Earth's outer core . . . .

If you are Dr. Steven Sorenson you have persuaded the Defense Department to provide you with a nuclear-tipped missile to fire down the hole. Everything is set to go, but first you need the international commission's approval. You assure them the risks are minimal. However, there was one dissenter on your team, and in his absence, you gloss over the concerns of Dr. Rampian . . . .

If you are Dr. Ted Rampian you were ticked off when you got back and discovered that Steven had convened the commission behind your back. You are old friends, he had been your mentor and professor, but he could be vexing at times with his manipulative ways of getting what he wanted. The commission must see your data! As you pack, Mrs. Sorenson stops by; she offers to darn your socks. You quietly harbor old romantic feelings for her but keep them in check . . . .

If you are Dr. Maggie Sorenson you love Steven dearly, you want to start a family with him, but lately he has been acting so strangely: what's he hiding? You did once love Ted, but you have made your choice. But what concerns you now: what if Steven is wrong and Ted is right? Mending the world won't be as easy as mending socks . . . .

Picture (Blu-ray): 3.5 to 4. No specials or subtitles.

I haven't seen this film in many years but the new Blu-ray version from Olive films is surprisingly entertaining. Its your basic early 1960s end of the world cautionary tale where messing around with mother earth could destroy the planet. Dana Andrews plays a scientist who plans to exploit the planets subterranean mineral resources by detonating a nuclear bomb miles below the earth. The results of this detonation leads to the films descriptive title and the mad rush to come up with a method to save the planet. The special effects are not bad at all for a low budget 60s film and the dvd transfer, though not Criterion quality, is very good with vivid colors which add to the overall sense of heat since the catastrophic scenes involve lots of fire imagery. Besides Andrews, who fantasy film fans will recognize from Jacque Tourneur's classic 1956 film Curse of the Demon(aka Night of the Demon), there is Janette Scott and Kieron Moore who both appeared in The Day of the Triffids a few years earlier. Sci-fi trivia buffs will also recognize Eugene Lourie's name in the opening credits. Lourie directed three of the 1950/early 60s 'dinosaur on the rampage' films, The Giant Behemoth, Gorgo and most importantly The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Last but not least, the film's ending is quite unique though the science is a little/a lot dubious! If you enjoy this film, you might want to checkout the British film The Day the Earth Caught Fire which was made around the same time but is actually more ominous.

I remember seeing this movie in the late '60's and enjoyed it. I have been, for the last few years, searching for this movie and stumbled upon it quite accidentally. It , to my mind, is old school sci-fi because of the story, the quality of the special effects, acting and continuity flaws. I don't want to spoil it for anyone. it is apocalyptic in some respects, but it is fun and a good romp just the same. if you do not take the movie too seriously it is pretty enjoyable. if you recall some of the sci-fi "B" movies from '60's and '70's you know what I mean. if you are too young to have seen these type of movies, give it a whirl, you may be pleasantly surprised on how entertaining it is.
Enjoy!

Crack in the world. It's one of the better SF movies from the 1960's concerning itself with Dr Sorenson's (Dana Andrews) bid to discover a way to tap the geothermal energy of the earth itself as an energy source. Seems, though, that he's reached a point where conventional drilling equipment cannot get through a layer of rock so he seeks to use a thermonuclear device mounted on a rocket to burn through this layer.

Fellow scientist, Dr Rampion (Keiron Moore), disagrees with Sorenson's theory that the device will burn through the layer. He feels that it will shatter the earth's crust with the explosion because of its weakening due to previous atomic undergroud testing -- endangering the very existence of the planet.

The device is fired and initially all goes well. However, soon reports of seismic activity begin to flood in from around the globe. Seems Rampion was right after all. A crack has begun forming under the sea close to the site of the explosion. Undersea earthquakes and volcanic activity begin a sharp upswing. Now the problem is how to stop the earth from spitting in two.

The science for this is streched and has since been revised. However, that does not take away from the film itself. For an hour and a half, we are entertained by some superb acting and interesting special effects. The ending of the movie is unique to say the least and tickles our imagination.

The DVD is crisp and clear visually and has top quality sound. This film has been on my DVD wish list for so long, I'd about given up ever seeing it released (I had an old VHS copy I recorded from television). But here it is, fresh and new.

If you've never seen one of the old "B" SF or monster movies, you're in for a treat here. This is a true gem.

Highly Recommended for all ages.

~P~