The Day the World Ended (2001) (TV)

Director:

Terence Gross

Writers (WGA):

Brian King (story)
Max Enscoe (teleplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 November 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Tagline:

Sometimes quiet little boys have terrifying secrets.

Plot:

Horror film finds a killer alien, who is just misunderstood, devouring people. A school psychologist...

Plot Keywords:

Boy | School Psychologist | Doctor | Alien | Extraterrestrial

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Nastassja Kinski	...	Dr. Jennifer Stillman
Randy Quaid	...	Dr. Michael McCann
Bobby Edner	...	Ben Miller / McCann
Harry Groener	...	Sheriff Ken
Lee de Broux	...	Cook Harlan (as Lee DeBroux)
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Principal Ed Turner
Debra Christofferson	...	Nurse Della Divelbuss
Nik Dressbach	...	Buzzcut
Brandon de Paul	...	Frankie Carter
Kate Fuglei	...	Waitress Carlita
Neil Vipond	...	The Judge
Brian Steele	...	The Creature
David Getz	...	Deputy #1
Kathryn Fiore	...	Maggie Miller
David Doty	...	Nice Guy
Robert Hill	...	Deputy #2
Alexander Gould	...	Young Ben
Olivia Marlow	...	Woman in Crowd

Directed by
Terence Gross

Writing credits (WGA)
Brian King		(story)
Max Enscoe		(teleplay) &
Annie DeYoung		(teleplay)

Produced by
Lou Arkoff	....	producer
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
Dan J. Birnbaum	....	associate producer
Colleen Camp	....	producer
Steve Ecclesine	....	line producer
Buddy Epstein	....	executive producer
Brian J. Gilbert	....	co-producer
David S. Greathouse	....	co-producer
Carrie Iglehart	....	associate producer
Andrea Lapins	....	associate producer
Shane Mahan	....	co-producer
Robyn Rosenfeld	....	executive producer
Scott Shapiro	....	associate producer
Stan Winston	....	producer

Original Music by
Charles Bernstein

Cinematography by
Mark Vargo

Film Editing by
Stephen Mark

Production Design by
Jerry Fleming

Art Direction by
Peter Borck

Set Decoration by
Betty Berberian

Costume Design by
Julia Schklair

Makeup Department
Barbara Cantu	....	key hair stylist
Stephanie Coffey	....	makeup artist
Polly Lucke	....	assistant hair stylist
Myke Michaels	....	makeup department head
Richard Wetzel	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Larry Ferguson Jr.	....	post-production supervisor
Marsha L. Swinton	....	production supervisor
Robert E. Warner	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dirk Craft	....	first assistant director (as Dirk Wallace Craft)
Jessica W. Leung	....	second assistant director
Elenie Mansalis	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Manuel Baca	....	assistant property master
Sarah Bullion	....	art department assistant
Lance DeSpain	....	lead scenic artist
Steven P. Duchscherer	....	property master
Bill Luckey	....	property maker
Lisa Robinson	....	on-set dresser
Christopher Schultz	....	swing
Wayne Springfield	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Kami Asgar	....	supervising sound editor
William Freesh	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kyle Rochlin	....	foley mixer
Tim Tuchrello	....	first assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Joe Andreas	....	special effects
David Gallion	....	special effects foreman
Chris Grossnickle	....	technician: Stan Winston Studio
Richard J. Landon	....	key mechanical designer
Lindsay MacGowan	....	design artist: Stan Winston Studio
Bob Mano	....	key mechanical designer: Stan Winston Studio
Bob Mano	....	puppeteer
David Monzingo	....	technician: Stan Winston Studio
Steve Newburn	....	technician: Stan Winston Studio
Justin Raleigh	....	technician: Stan Winston Studio
Arjen Tuiten	....	crew member: Stan Winston Studio
Jor Van Kline	....	special effects coordinator
Stan Winston	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Oliver Arnold	....	digital artist
Eric Heavens	....	digital compositing supervisor
Dan Schmit	....	visual effects supervisor
Stan Winston	....	visual effects

Stunts
Shauna Duggins	....	stunts
Thomas M. Ficke	....	stunt coordinator (as Tom Ficke)

Camera and Electrical Department
J.D. Bishop	....	assistant chief lighting technician
D.R. Curtis	....	set lighting technician
Casey Ellison	....	set lighting technician
Mary Funsten	....	first assistant camera
Daniel H. Goldstein	....	set lighting technician
Matthew Livingston	....	dolly grip
Brett Lood	....	grip
Bob Myers	....	grip
Jeff Noble	....	grip
Stephen Martin Paull	....	lighting technician
Michael Pescasio	....	grip
C. Shipley	....	best boy grip
Chris Shipley	....	best boy grip
Donna Simons	....	grip
Christian Franz Staab	....	grip
Bruce Swift	....	key grip
Richard Tibbetts	....	grip
Jason Young	....	electrician
Chuck Zlotnick	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Shari Steinberg	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tess Inman	....	set costumer
Daniela Kurrle	....	costume manufacturer
Daniela Kurrle	....	costumer
Mandi Line	....	assistant costume designer
Hayley Stuppel	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Pharaba Hacker-Witt	....	post-production assistant (as Pharaba Witt)
Mark Hartzell	....	assistant editor
Jonny Jenks	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Dino A. Moriana	....	music editor (as Dino Moriana)

Other crew
Michael Barnes	....	financial legal services
Eamon Buehning	....	payroll accountant
Robert Cable	....	first assistant accountant
Charles Canzoneri	....	key set production assistant
Robert Gluck	....	location manager (as Bob Gluck)
Andrew Harrison	....	assistant location manager
Stephen Jensen	....	paralegal
Samantha C. Kirkeby	....	script supervisor (as Samantha Clair Kirkeby)
Shari LaFranchi Blakney	....	production coordinator (as Shari LaFranchi)
Richard J. Landon	....	puppeteer
Charissa McLain	....	assistant production coordinator
Darin Pfeiffer	....	assistant to executive producer
Jeffrey Pritz	....	personal assistant: Lou Arkoff
Austin Rodriguez	....	medic
Lynn M. van Kuilenburg	....	location manager

Thanks
James H. Nicholson	....	dedicated to the memory of

Production Companies

• Creature Features Productions LLC

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (2001) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• RTL Klub Televízió (2007) (Hungary) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (200?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• First Unit Inc. (visual effects)
• Stan Winston Studio

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Digital Symphony  avid editing
• Entertainment Partners  payroll
• Level 3 Post  post-production services
• Michelson Food Services  catering
• Rocky Mountain  camera equipment provided by
• Sony Pictures Studios  post-production services
• Xtraz Casting  extras casting

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence, some language and a sex scene

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 | Canada:18+ (Ontario) | Singapore:PG13

Filming Locations:

Wrightwood, California, USA

Company:

Creature Features Productions LLC

Movie Connections:

References The Birds (1963)

No masterpiece, but still creepy fun...holds interest, and a mature cast

Yes, I'm giving a higher mark to this film. There are several things that make this an above-par effort. The story will hold your interest, the cast is mature and the acting is with enough conviction. It gives a nice B-movie feel without resorting to bad CGI effects for a creature.

The Day The World Ended has the classic cliché elements for a perfect B flick: a mysterious misunderstood child, a town with a secret, and an alien (or IS it?). While not a direct remake of the 1956 film of the same title, it utilizes the original film by showing segments on a TV seen within the story and showing that VHS video box cover as part of the child's interest in aliens. High production values combined with B movie flair work just enough to be passable entertainment for some, but if you enjoy the *wink-wink* of its intended fun, it comes out a winner. It has the look and feel of a decent X-Files episode with the more psychological horror elements of the newer Outer Limits. That's not bad at all, considering.

Younger audiences may not give this a chance as the cast (except for the child) is well over 40, but I welcomed that element gladly as the older classic sci-fi/horror films always used a mature cast as well. They cast who would work well with the story instead of who was young and hot at the moment. By casting the way they did, this film will hold up better in years to come. Choosing a teen-looking cast would obviously date it when those stars have faded from the spotlight. Randy Quaid and Nastassia Kinski both give convincing performances, and Stephen Toblowsky adds just enough humor to his role as the principal.

The creature itself is hit-or-miss: in some scenes it looks fine, in others it doesn't. But the fact that it was actually part person/puppet/mechanics helps a lot even if it's not entirely convincing, as these days too many films just use computer animation which becomes distracting like watching cheap animation mixed in with live action.

Yes, this is a B movie. But it's a fun one, just like the old classics of its genre but with a bit more cussing and violence. Don't let the R rating keep you back on that part, as it's not gratuitous and just in the right doses. As for the MPAA's warning of a "sex scene"...it's so brief, rather awkward, and basically humorous that it's not even worth fretting over. Otherwise, those looking for sex and breasts better look elsewhere, this film concentrates on the story and its stronger psychological horror.

Those who are collectors of -- and particularly of ones that are homages to -- old B films will be quite satisfied and not worry that the DVD has just the basics to offer, plus some inside views from Stan Winston and Shane Mahan on a commentary. Others just looking to pass the time might not find the price worth it. I personally think this one will be one that years from now will still entertain. It's good enough, smart enough, and doggone it -- just creepy enough that people might like it. I know I've enjoyed this one a heck of a lot more than the most recently hyped theatrical blockbuster yawners, so give this one a try with a big bowl of popcorn and enjoy! Don't have extreme expectations and you'll be fine!