End of the World (1977)

‘There is everything to look forward to… except tomorrow’

End of the World is a 1977 American science fiction horror disaster film produced by Charles Band and directed by John Hayes (Dream No Evil; Garden of the Dead; Grave of the Vampire) from a screenplay by Frank Ray Perilli (Mansion of the Doomed; Laserblast; Zoltan, Hound of Dracula). It was released a month before Close Encounters of the Third Kind and is now in the public domain.

The film stars Sue Lyon (Lolita; Crash!; The Astral Factor), Kirk Scott (Heathers), Dean Jagger (Evil Town; So Sad About Gloria; Alligator), Lew Ayres, Macdonald Carey, Liz Ross, Jon Van Ness. Christopher Lee is top-billed but appears for just a few minutes.

Plot teaser:

Professor Andrew Boran (Kirk Scott) is a research scientist who discovers strange radio signals in space that appear to originate from the Earth. The signals seem to predict natural disasters occurring around the globe.

When he and his wife (Sue Lyon) decide to investigate the source of the signals, they end up being held captive in a convent that’s been infiltrated by aliens. These invaders plan to destroy the world with the natural disasters. As the human, Father Pergado and alien leader Zindar (Christopher Lee) explain – the Earth is a hotbed of disease that cannot be permitted to continue polluting the galaxy…

Reviews:

‘End of the World is truly forgettable and isn’t really worth it even for the most hardcore of B-Movie fans. I had hoped for a better introduction into Charles Band’s 1970s output, but this one was sorely lacking. That being said, the final ten minutes or so are pretty enjoyable, so if you must, try to only see that section. Unless you suffer from insomnia…’ Silver Emulsion Film Reviews

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‘For very long stretches End of the World is merely boring, betraying the promise of that somewhat spectacular diner scene. It’s really Perilli who saves the day by taking his writing to a special level of bad. It is bad both as concept and as dialogue. It is such science as Ed Wood would have laughed out of the room. Sir Christopher Lee is shamelessly straight-faced while uttering it all in the guise of an emotionless alien.’ Mondo 70: A Wild World of Cinema

‘The pacing is incredibly dull and even when the aliens are introduced, still not very much happens. To its credit, the same plot, minus the convent angle and with the addition of a whole lot more coherence, also served as the basis of the much better The Arrival (1996). Through it all, Christopher Lee plays with customary booming gravitas and gives an entirely silly role far more than it deserves. Joel Goldsmith, the son of celebrated, Oscar-winning composer Jerry, delivers a score made up of early electronics.’ Moria