Day of the Triffids is a 1962 alien-invasion/ apocalypse horror, staring the incomparable Howard Keel and smouldering Nicole Maurey. After a meteor shower blinds most of the world, the few left with their sight intact struggle to survive the takeover of Earth by cannibalistic Triffid plants. Naval officer Bill Masen and student Susan leave desolated London in search of survivors, while biologists on an offshore lighthouse try to find the Triffids’ weakness.
Based on the novel by John Wyndham, this sci-fi horror has a long-lasting imprint on horror cinema, and many interesting parallels with Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. In this episode, we look at this unique film as an adaptation including the many changes, that famous scene of empty London, what worked and what didn't, and finally why this underdog film made it into horror history.
