Drive In Sci-Fi: The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961)

This little gem comes to us from Britain, and it shows. As the poster tell us the earth is coming closer to the Sun due to atom bomb testing. The whole movie is basically a story told by a newspaper writer. The "Reality" is set in red colour and the story in black and white, a nice way to use abuse the low budget that didn't allow colour cameras for them. Now in reality earth is getting closer to sun. Around 1,5 centimetre per year to be exact. Though it will take thousands of years till that makes any effect whatsoever, so don't call apocalypse yet.
The story begins in news office as well, as they hear about a communication problem caused by sunspots. Good thing you destroyed the electromagnetic layer of earth wasn't it? well sunspot offence towards our electromagnetic field does confuse birds and they end up flying to cities en-masse, so there is some truth to this. so far Brits are looking good, and their accents aren't that bad either. Its raining outside, which seems t be very intentional since they zoom in to show it couple times.
They also appear to test biggest atom bomb explosion yet and it is the cause of sunspots, that's new. Or at least that's what the journalist likes to think so, and its not often they are correct in that, so yeah. Right at the same time Russians test their own. they times that both exploding were right at the moon in the night time, which makes earth leave its orbit and head closer to sun. It also shows the beginning of the peace movement against atom bombs, its 61, so that was pretty bold move for them. it was not "popular" yet. They also have an unscheduled eclipse the next day. it was 10 days early, so they scientists go on trying to figure out and try to calm people from rising new nostrums. Apparently the whole world is full of crazy weather. This really looks like they did their homework, to be expected from British movies.
ANd the heat-fog attacks city and its all going into ruckus. even the underground is closed. It semes to stay down very well and fourth floor is already above it, they see nice view from it too. It apepast to also happen in France, Italy and even India, bot not in America. they theorize it could be caused by huge amount of ice melting for the polar caps due to atom bombs shifting the tilt of earth. They almost got it. we also have an extensive drama betweek the lead story man who also happens to be the writer and a girl that works in meteorological department. its well written though and really is enjoyable unlike most of the couple insertions in movies of the time.
During the night storm comes around and wrecks even more havoc in London. it flips cars, sinks boats, and even brakes buildings. apparently it also snowed in the middle of summer. at least the fog is gone. They finally find out that they really tilt the earth axis 11 degrees to the west,which explains the wierd weather. World tips over is the headline. They show many catastrophic weather clips around which really seems to be pretty convincing, except that Germany pretty much wash away their people who protest this, which is more silly than realistic. British however decide "weather change is what were used to". When the fires from draught starts it really gets too much though, i found myself looking at the clock and thinking "is there nothing better they got to show?". The draughts is so big that they even put on community water and turn of the tap water.
It is Russians that make the final breakthrough and find out that earth is 11 degrees off orbit too and earth has around 4 months to live. that explains why not only some places are getting hotter, all places. Things het hoe in the couple drama too as the movies comes to culmination. Government does start to ration water. whats worst is that people have to stand in line in the sun for it.
Earths plan - make another explosion, on the other side, to kick earth back into orbit. People go crazy over the last supply of water that they spend bathing! Here we come back to the present as the last people left in newspaper are awaiting the atom explosion to bring back. it is clearly shown that its a global issue. the cities are empty, the rivers are dry, its now or never. we have some small earthquake and we are left to wonder, did this work or did it not. that is left to find out for the viewer.

Story: 10/10. superb story-writing. they really did it this time.
Acting: 7/10. well enough. the two leads and msot of people in newspaper were great. extras not so much.
Sound: 6/10. Even this was better than the usual. it had some knives in its back but i guess sound is the thing that gets dated most easily in movies of these times.
Sci factor: 10/10. they did it. they really did it. they were great on this one, i should watch more British movies now.
Lasting Appeal: 10/10. global warming, it was as important in 60s as it is now (that is, too little)
Overall rating: 9/10.