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Movies & TV

The Day Of The Triffids

THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (eOne, 2009) D: Nick Copus, w/ Dougray Scott, Joely Richardson. Rating: NNN DVD package: NN Rating: NNN


John Wyndham’s classic tale of ambulatory carnivorous plants loose in a suddenly sightless world gets an update and plot changes in this three-hour British miniseries, but the key moments and overall feel of the story remain.

Most of the splash comes in the first hour, with the cosmic light show that blinds most of the world’s population, then with the spectacle of London in chaos as the triffids chow down.

Among the few still sighted are a triffid researcher (Dougray Scott) and a radio reporter (Joely Richardson). They get press-ganged into an organization formed to help the blind, but it swiftly morphs into a brutal mob dedicated to the glory of its leader (a wonderfully oily Eddie Izzard). Things sag in the middle, when the researcher goes looking for his father, but an interlude in a convent and a pair of small girls with big guns provide lively twists.

Despite generally excellent effects, a certain amount of cheese clings to the triffids themselves. It helps that director Nick Copus keeps them fog-shrouded and semi-seen except for key moments. More irritating is the complete lack of chemistry between the leads. Individually, Scott and Richardson are fine. Together, they’re as flat as yesterday’s beer.

The extras offer only a superficial look at production.

EXTRAS Making-of doc. Widescreen. English audio and subtitles.

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