THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (1963)

• Director: Steve Sekely & Freddie Francis
• Cast: Howard Keel, Nicole Maurey, Janette Scott
• Film: 93mins | UK | No Subtitles + Intermission
• Event: 20:45 – 23:10 [18+]

“A BRAIN-CHILLING TALE OF TOMORROW HAPPENS IN OUR WORLD TODAY!”

After a meteor shower leaves most of the human population blind, a merchant navy officer must find a way to conquer aggressive plants that start moving… and killing!

Cult film night BAR TRASH continues with CELLULOID JAM, an unofficial celebration of 50 years of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975).

Token Homo spent his childhood obsessing about John Wyndham’s very British horror stories (The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids, and The Midwich Cuckoos), so this “blunderingly effective” (Halliwell’s Film Guide) adaptation of THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (1963) feels kinda personal. American movie star Howard Keel (CALAMITY JANE) appears as a merchant seaman, waking up in a world turned blind by a shower of meteorites, where killer plants have the power of locomotion (just not in a Kylie way ;). The film’s vicious vegetation and bleak outlook remain shocking, even if the ending rather waters down Wyndham’s unforgiving vision. 

”THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS endures as a fascinating blend of horror and science fiction, capturing Cold War-era anxieties about both environmental destruction and the fragility of human civilization. While it strays from the original novel in some respects, its imaginative adaptation of Wyndham’s themes creates a distinct cinematic experience that has stood the test of time.”

Basement of the Bizarre

Polite warning: THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS has not been restored to HD standards, so we will be screening it from DVD. We’ve tested several releases to find the best available: think ‘vhs’ and you’ll get the idea. We are showing THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS without subtitles in glorious anamorphic widescreen.

// Part of BAR TRASH: CELLULOID JAM, a fan-powered celebration of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo (creator of BAR TRASH and QUEER HORROR NIGHTS) and friends, all films screen with an introduction, intermission, and subtitles/captions (where possible!). Tickets from £3.50. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo on Instagram for news and updates. //