Crack in the World [Blu-ray]

Director: Andrew Marton Andrew Marton

Overview

A scientist trying to better mankind nearly destroys the world as we know it in this sci-fi thriller. Dr. Stephen Sorensen (Dana Andrews) is doing research in geo-thermal energy; he's convinced that if men can find a way to drill through the earth's outer crust into the molten magma near the center, the heat can be harnessed and used to warm dwellings around the world. His assistant, Ted Rampion (Kieron Moore), is skeptical about this idea and believes that there could be dire consequences, but Sorensen boldly moves ahead with his plan, prodded by his secret knowledge that he suffers from a terminal illness and might not live long enough to undergo a longer testing period. However, Rampion's fears soon prove well founded when Sorensen's drilling causes a large crack in the earth which begins to rapidly expand, threatening to split the world in two with disastrous consequences. Crack in the World was praised on initial release for its intelligent approach and solid special effects work.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/05/2011
UPC:	0887090028301
Original Release:	1965
Rating:	NR
Source:	Olive
Region Code:	1
Language:	English
Time:	1:36:00
Sales rank:	12,967

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Dana Andrews	Actor
Janette Scott	Actor,Actor
Alexander Knox	Actor
Kieron Moore	Actor
Peter Damon	Actor
Gary Lasdun	Actor
Mike Steen	Actor
Todd Martin	Actor
Jim Gillen	Actor
Alfred Brown	Actor
Emilio Carrer	Actor
John Karlsen	Actor
Ben Tatar	Actor

Technical Credits

Jon Manchip White

Julian Zimet

Andrew Marton	Director
Bernard Glasser	Producer
Lester A. Sansom	Producer
Alex Weldon	Special Effects
Philip Yordan	Executive Producer
Jon Manchip White	Screenwriter
Julian Zimet	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Doomsday movies abound, but few are as offbeat as this one. It tells of a runaway fault line that threatens to circle the earth and crack it in two like an eggshell. Far-fetched? Yes. Good fun? You bet. The trouble begins after scientists explode an atomic bomb underground to tap an unlimited supply of geothermal energy. But instead they trigger a cataclysm. While the crack girdles the earth, there's time for romance and frantic 11th-hour attempts to save humanity. Dana Andrews heads the cast as Dr. Stephen Sorenson, a scientist in a control center monitoring the progress of the crack opened by the explosion. He and co-stars Janette Scott (Dr. Maggie Sorenson), Kieron Moore (Dr. Ted Rampion), and Alexander Knox (Sir Charles Eggerston) all perform capably as they attempt to forestall doomsday with crack-stopping schemes. Although Crack in the World is a B-movie, it has an intelligent script that relies more on judicious pacing and suspense-building than on special effects. Consequently, it is superior to so-so doomsday flicks such as Asteroid (1997), Meteorites (1998), Armageddon (1998), and Independence Day (1996). Experts in plate tectonics -- a science that studies the strata making up the earth's outer shell -- may pooh-pooh the plot as implausible. Then again, they just might enjoy seeing Mother Nature throw a tantrum.

All Movie Guide - Mike Cummings