Night of the Big Heat main backdrop
Night of the Big Heat main poster

Night of the Big Heat

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5.4/10 • 50

1967-05-011h 34m

Science FictionHorrorThriller

Searing Terror! Burning In Its Intensity!

While mainland Britain shivers in deepest winter, the northern island of Fara bakes in the nineties, and the boys at the Met station have no more idea what is going on than the regulars at the Swan. Only a stand-offish visting scientist realizes space aliens are to blame.

Directors
Terence Fisher
Editors
Rod Nelson-Keys

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Christopher Lee

    Christopher Lee

    Godfrey Hanson

  2. Patrick Allen

    Patrick Allen

    Jeff Callum

  3. Peter Cushing

    Peter Cushing

    Dr. Vernon Stone

  4. Jane Merrow

    Jane Merrow

    Angela Roberts

  5. Sarah Lawson

    Sarah Lawson

    Frankie Callum

  6. William Lucas

    William Lucas

    Ken Stanley

  7. Kenneth Cope

    Kenneth Cope

    Tinker Mason

  8. Percy Herbert

    Percy Herbert

    Gerald Foster

  9. Thomas Heathcote

    Thomas Heathcote

    Bob Hayward

Reviews2

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Wuchak Avatar

Wuchak

Apr 2, 2020

6/10

Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and a “slut” are burning up off the coast of Britain A sultry woman (Jane Merrow) travels to Fara, an Island in Northern UK, to work as the secretary of an author (Patrick Allen). The latter’s naïve wife (Sarah Lawson) runs the Inn where everyone stays, including a polite man (Peter Cushing) and a standoffish scientist (Christopher Lee). It’s the middle of the winter yet temperatures are rising to well over 100 degrees and people are turning up dead. What’s going on? “Island of the Burning Damned,” aka “Night of the Big Heat” (1967) was made by the same short-lived company that released the similar “Island of Terror” a year earlier, both featuring Peter Cushing and director Terence Fisher. It walks the balance beam between sci-fi and horror and should be appreciated by fans of Lee, Cushing, Hammer, Amicus, Tigon and American International. It helps that some human interest is offered with a tense triangle. Interestingly, the secretary is overtly called a “slut” by the author, which is a little surprising for such seemingly “refined” people. The story maintains your interest as suspense slowly builds, especially concerning what’s causing the heat and the deaths. There’s a deus ex machina but, hey, the story had to end. Merrow is pretty stunning, but her character needs slapped. The film runs about 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot at The Swan Inn and Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England, as well as Dorset. GRADE: B-/B

Media

  • Night of the Big Heat poster
  • Night of the Big Heat poster
  • Night of the Big Heat poster
  • Night of the Big Heat poster
  • Night of the Big Heat poster
  • Night of the Big Heat poster
  • Night of the Big Heat poster
  • Night of the Big Heat poster
  • Night of the Big Heat poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
sheepislandscotlandalienscientistheatwave