Scorcher (2002)

The only hope for humanity to survive a natural disaster is to detonate a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles, California.

Director:

James Seale

Writers:

Graham Winter, Rebecca Morrison

Stars:

Mark Dacascos, John Rhys-Davies, Tamara Davies

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Dacascos	...	Ryan Beckett
John Rhys-Davies	...	Dr. Matthew Sallin
Tamara Davies	...	Julie McGrath
Mark Rolston	...	Special Agent Kellaway
Rutger Hauer	...	President Nelson
Rayne Marcus	...	Faith Beckett
G.W. Bailey	...	General Timothy Moore
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Anderson
Sam Lloyd	...	Fingers (as Samuel Lloyd)
Michael Jace	...	MacVaughn
Jeffrey Johnson	...	Styles
Billy Maddox	...	Norris
Alex Datcher	...	Janet Hill
Cathleen Kaelyn	...	Tara Beckett
Joel West	...	Zero

Storyline

After a disastrous nuclear accident, scientists discover the Earth's tectonic plates are shifting and creating immense pressure that will destroy the Earth in a fiery global eruption, and it's up to a few top scientists to find a way to stop it.

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Plot Keywords:

explosion | exploding car | exploding building | gas explosion | mushroom cloud | 

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Taglines:

La Terre est en péril... (Earth is in peril...)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening sequence in which Ryan Beckett (Mark Dacascos) saves Julie McGrath (Tamara Davies) from a volcano in South America used driving shots taken from Dante's Peak (1997).

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Goofs

When they carry the two nukes to the plane, they put the second one under it just when the team has walked on board. When the president comes, they once again carry both nukes to the plane.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Arctic explorer 1: Hey! Don't die on me yet!
Arctic explorer 2: Give me your hand!
[He grabs hold of the hand]
Arctic explorer 2: How much further?
Arctic explorer 1: Over the ridge!
[They go over the ridge and witness part of Antarctica in flames]
Arctic explorer 2: What the hell is that?
[pause]
Arctic explorer 2: Is that what you were expecting?
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The film has been distributed in its original 1.33:1 "full frame" aspect ratio as well as a cropped 1.85:1 "widescreen" aspect ratio.

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Connections

Edited from Mighty Joe Young (1998)

User Reviews

There's bad, and then there's BAD.

Wow, is this bad.

The problem with this movie--besides a budget of $11--is that the premise contains no real conflict for the hero to overcome--it just wouldn't be that hard for the US military to detonate a bomb in an evacuated Los Angeles. So the makers start pulling obstacles and conflict out of thin air about halfway through--none of which make a lick of sense.

Characters inexplicably turn bad or suddenly start behaving contrary to everyone's interest, including their own; boogie men pop up out of nowhere for no discernible reason; and of course the hero's daughter improbably needs to be rescued from conveniently nearby. She, by the way, survives a car fire by hiding--get this--in the trunk. Yeah, that would work.

About three-quarters of the way in you realize that the reason the bomb has to be detonated in Los Angeles is that the director needed to shoot this movie across the street from his brother's dry cleaning shop so he wouldn't be late for his shift.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "A-hah! This guy doesn't recognize a spoof when he sees one! Clearly this movie is tongue-in-cheek!"

Wrong--it isn't. It's just really, really bad.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deep Core 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinetel Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1