Search - The Day of the Triffids on DVD

Samuel K. (Solvanda)
Reviewed on 7/2/2018...

"Day of the Triffids" is IMO the best novel John Wyndham ever wrote, although perhaps on par with "The Kraken Wakes". His other notable works were "The Midwich Cuckoos", "Chocky", and "The Chrysalids". Day of the Triffids is a post-apocalyptic work, at a time when these types of tales were few and far between.

This BBC production is a miniseries which is very faithful to the novel (unlike the most recent adaptation a few years ago.) There are some truly unsettling moments of despair here. Wyndham creates progressive pin pricks which allow the viewer to slowly sink into what the end of the world might be like.

There's a movie from 1962 (which I noticed is available with Prime) that is also worth watching, although the series is definitely better. I was reminded recently of this title while reading an article on the spread of the invasive Giant Hogweed which grows up to 14 feet tall and can cause blindness. Also 3rd degrees burns. At least they don't eat people!

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

BBC adaptation that is faithful to the original novel...

T. S. Sofia | Newport, OR United States | 09/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"NOTE: As I own the 2/4 region version of this film, my review deals with the substance of the story (NO spoilers!). I have preordered a copy coming from Amazon and will update my review immediately after receiving that one.



This is a six part mini-series based on the book by John Wyndham, first broadcast in the UK in 1981 and subsequently shown on PBS (where I first saw it). The Day of the Triffids is quite the father to "28 Days Later", in that it is an end-of-the world-as-we-know-it tale, but it has a good deal less gore and offers up a romance between the leads John Duttine (as Bill Masen) and Emma Relph (as Josella Payton).



The plot centers on two main elements: the introduction of a complex, new form of plant life that provides a highly profitable type of oil and the appearance of a massive meteor shower that is eagerly viewed by most of the inhabitants of the world.



As this is a BBC television production, the sense of a play unfolding and the accents of some of the characters may not appeal to some American viewers. Yet, the dialogue is crisp and the emotional interplay very human in a situation where the world seems to have gone mad. The special effects are minimal but fairly convincing (remember this was made over 25 years ago).



This is one of my favourite science-fiction movies of all time. The actors do a very solid job of bringing the characters to life, there is a very real feeling of dread as the veiled nature of the triffids becomes apparent and the responses of various peoples to the crisis rings true throughout.



It should be noted that an earlier effort at adapting the book for film starred Howard Keel (many will have seen this courtesy late night movies). That version ended up quite a mishmash and strayed very far from the source material - I would assign it just two stars.



I highly recommend The Day of the Triifids done by the BBC.



NOTE: Received the Region 1 version from Amazon. It is a near exact copy of the other; again highly recommend this disc!

"

FINALLY IT'S HERE

Josef H. Buerger III | Houston, Texas USA | 09/13/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"THIS [THE ORIGINAL BBC VERSION] IS FAITHFUL TO JOHN WYNDHAMS BOOK. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER 20 YEARS TO GET A PROFESSIONAL COPY OF IT. WHEN I FIRST SAW IT IN 1985, I MADE A VHS COPY WHICH I WORE OUT IN 10 YEARS! I WISH THAT THEY HAD REMASTERED THE SOUND [DOLBY DIGITAL] AS WELL AS THE PICTURE. IT'S APPROACH [LIKE MOST MOVIES FROM THE UK] IS RELATIVELY LOW KEY [IT'S NOT A SHOOT EM UP!]. IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS PRESENTATION BEFORE, GET IT FOR YOUR LIBRARY. IT'S HEAD & SHOULDERS ABOVE THE 1962 MOVIE BEARING THE SAME NAME. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!"

Not Janette Scott's Triffids (these spit poison and kill)

R. Celaya | SF Bay Area, CA United States | 12/14/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The reviews so far seem to be of two different camps - fans who fondly remember the BBC series from the 1980's and non-fans who jeer at the dated production values. This version of day of the Triffids holds up well over 25 years after it was first broadcast - especially compared to other TV series of the same era. I am specifically thinking about the Louis Jourdan version of Dracula which I fondly remembered but now seemed hokey with lame psychedelic effects. But Triffids is still very effective and thought provoking, it is well acted (especially John Duttine as Bill Masen) and the Triffid plants seem plausible (though I think they move a little to fast). But this series is not a $100 million blockbuster, so if that what you are expecting, avoid this DVD. This TV version is far superior to the 1962 movie."