The Black Hole (TV 2006)

An atomic research experiment goes awry in St. Louis, Missouri unleashing not only a big black hole, but also a creature from beyond that feeds on electricity through the streets of this Midwest city.

Director:

Tibor Takács

Writers:

Kenneth M. Badish (story), Boaz Davidson (story),

Stars:

Kristy Swanson, Judd Nelson, David Selby

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kristy Swanson	...	Shannon Muir
Judd Nelson	...	Eric Bryce
David Selby	...	General Ryker
Heather Dawn	...	Sgt. Alicia Bennett
Jennifer Lyn Quackenbush	...	Elizabeth Williams (as Jennifer Quackenbush)
Christa Campbell	...	Advisor Coldwell
Peter Mayer	...	General Tate
Julia Sinks	...	Kayley Bryce
James Anthony	...	Spencer Tolland (as Jim Anthony)
Kevin Beyer	...	Dr. Hauser
Daniel Buran	...	Kent (as Dan Buran)
Tim Snay	...	Hayes
Adrian Rice	...	Lt. Samson
Greg Carr	...	Guardsman
Chris Nolte	...	Lt. Hendricks

Storyline

It's 2 A.M. in St. Louis when a routine scientific experiment goes terribly wrong and an explosion shakes the city. A scientific team investigates, clashing with an intergalactic, voltage-devouring creature that vaporizes them. By 7 A.M. a chain of earthquakes is tearing the city apart while a massive swirling black hole is consuming the remains. The alien is devouring every source of electricity it finds and destroying every human who blocks its way. Mass chaos rules as St. Louis is being evacuated. Only a few people, scientist Eric Bryce, his assistant Shannon, and General Ryker comprehend the mortal danger. By midnight, the Pentagon initiates a nuclear attack against the black hole. Bryce has only one hour to find a solution to obliterate the alien and the colossal black hole before mankind is annihilated.

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Plot Keywords:

black hole | electricity | creature | st. louis missouri | scientist | 

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Taglines:

No force from this world can stop it!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for sci-fi violence, peril and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Sci Fi Channel

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Black Hole - Das Monster aus dem schwarzen Loch

Filming Locations:

Bissells Point Water Treatment Plant - Bissell and Blair Streets, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nu Image Films, Active Entertainment, Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH & Co. KG III

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Soldiers Memorial is a World War I museum built during the Depression and so neglected that the elevators don't work. It is situated on Chestnut Street in downtown St. Louis, however, which is low-traffic yet double the width of other downtown streets, which means a movie company can show a rented helicopter landing in the middle of downtown without messing up local traffic too much.

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Goofs

Though the alarm in the lab is going off and a voice on the intercom instructs all personnel to evacuate immediately, when Sgt. Bennett is sent to search for a missing person, three people in red shirts can be seen idly standing around in an overhead shot.

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Connections

References The Void (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Out of Your Life"
Performed by Whitney Jordan
Written by Paul Taylor (BMI) & Jeanette Willard Jordan (BMI)
Published by Revision West (BMI)
Courtesy of Marc Ferrari / MasterSource

User Reviews

Yes, it really is as bad as they say

In this SciFi Channel original, an accident in a nuclear lab in St. Louis causes not only the creation of a black hole, but unleashes an alien creature that feeds on energy. A scientist and his female partner team up with a maverick general to solve the growing menace while the military embarks on a typical blow-it-up solution that could wreak disaster for the world.

I found the idea of a small black hole created on Earth intriguing, and it was interesting watching it eat up everything around it. (So it "can't" happen, but hey, it is science fiction!) Unfortunately, screenwriter David Goodin, who is responsible for "Larva," another TV movie that flopped, again shows himself adept at giving us a general plot and characters who are tired and clichéd. You know, the implausible story of the world-threatening event that is handled by the lone scientist (instead of every intelligent professional in the world) and simplistic government officials who make FEMA look good! Even if we accept this script as a mediocre formula tale, we would hope for at least semi-intelligent dialogue and a director who had some slight ability for pacing. (Tibor Tacaks has, according to IMDb, directed some 28 films, and I don't think any of them rated over 5). Perhaps with such a weak structure, we can forgive the wooden, lackluster acting from a cast who must have figured at least it was a way to make a quick buck.

I'm pretty tolerant of formula sci fi, even when the premise is implausible, but this one is bad even for a TV movie.