Film Twitter Survival Guide

“Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing or fighting, my friend.” – from “We Can Work It Out” – Lennon/McCartney (used slightly out of context)

I typically go on a rant once a year (give or take a few months), so I figured I was overdue for another one. If you’re expecting another review, fear not. Another should be along shortly, so I hope you’ll bear with me.

I’m still hazy on the whole “Film Twitter” thing. I’ve always felt a bit like Schrödinger's cat, not sure if I’m in or out. Is there a formal application process with review by a panel of film school graduates? Do I need to own a minimum number of Criterion titles or possess the ability to recall the exact number of titles I’ve watched in a lifetime? Since I’m unsure where I sit on the fencepost, maybe I’m not the right person to comment about what’s right or wrong about Film Twitter.

Although I’ve often heard it referred to as a dumpster fire or cesspool (take your pick), my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. This post isn’t meant to be the last word on Film Twitter. It’s only a beginning. It’s part of a learning curve that never ends, and I’m sure I’ve made more than a few faux pas during my stint (cue the Spider-Man finger-pointing meme). This should be an open, ongoing dialogue, so if you think something should be added, please comment.

Here are some observations I’ve distilled:

1.     Always be kind. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with everyone all the time, but take a moment or two to consider your response before you comment on a tweet. It doesn’t cost anything to be a decent person. Don’t rain on other people’s parades. Do your part to make Twitter a more positive place to be. Sure, it’s not all puppies, daffodils and rainbows, but shaming people about their movie picks doesn’t add anything to the dialogue.

2.     Don’t follow people, only to unfollow. Some accounts that will remain nameless play this little game to inflate their follower-to-followed ratio. It’s not cool, so don’t do it.

3.     Follow wisely. Make your timeline something you want to visit, so follow accounts that will make you happy. If their tweets make you feel miserable, they’re probably not worth your time and energy.

4.     Twitter is a fickle beast. If there’s a magic formula to getting likes and retweets, I don’t know what it is. Why one tweet gets a bunch of attention while other tweets flounder remains a mystery. Maybe it’s the timing, or the general atmosphere when you tweeted, but don’t despair. Keep moving forward, and don’t look back.

5.     We don’t all like the same things, and that’s okay. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s all right to hold an unpopular opinion about a movie, without denigrating other people’s love for said film. Does that make me right and them wrong? No, it’s a matter of personal taste. When I see a tweet I don’t agree with, I can always ignore it and move on. The great thing about Film Twitter, is there’s always someone who matches your particular taste.

6.     DM responsibly. I use this feature occasionally, with people I know fairly well. Some folks, however, (probably for very good reason) don’t like to receive DMs. Be sure to respect their wishes. If you’ve just followed me and our first interaction is hawking your product or asking me to visit your GoFundMe (or similar) account, it’s not going to end well.

7.     Our unique Twitter identities. I’m tickled that so many people associate me with Peter Lorre, despite the fact that in real life, I don’t remotely resemble him in appearance or stature. There are many others who are associated with one movie, a filmmaker or actor, and that’s what makes this such a cool place to inhabit.

8.     It’s our home away from home. For many of us, this might be one of the few forums where we can openly express ourselves and our love of movies. It’s all well and good if people in our personal lives or work enjoy and appreciate our love of movies, but for many of us, especially those that contend with social anxiety (as I do) or lack adequate support networks in real life, this is the only way we’re likely to interact with our fellow film lovers.

9.     It’s not always about you. Yes, I understand that Twitter has been designed for narcissists. It’s an ideal forum for selfies, grandstanding, political diatribes and general appeals for attention, but consider for a moment that it can be used to help promote someone else. When I start feeling sorry for myself because I perceive no one’s paying attention, it’s the perfect time to look outward and retweet or give thanks to my supporters.

10.  Tag responsibly. Tagged conversations can be fun, but sometimes the discussion goes into overdrive, going on strange tangents or outstaying its welcome. That’s when it might be handy to mute the conversation. Also, I’m not naming any names, but some bloggers persist in tagging a bunch of people with their reviews on a daily (or twice daily) basis. If you’re going to frequently tag someone with your reviews/promotions, make sure they don’t mind it. It should be a reciprocal relationship, so be prepared to promote them as well.

11.  A word on polls: There’s something about Twitter polls that eggs on the contrarians. Every time I start a poll and hear someone comment, “you left out…” or “None of them” I want to get out my imaginary spray bottle and give them a spritz or two. Twitter polls only have a maximum of four choices. If you don’t like the choices that are offered, there’s nothing stopping you from running your own poll.

12.  Shout outs: Anyone’s who’s followed me for a while knows I’m a big fan of tagging folks on Follow Friday (#FF). I know that not everyone is a fan of these types of shout outs, but it’s a way of giving thanks to those I interact with the most, and a token of mutual support. I think the “follow” aspect of Follow Friday is secondary to the display of appreciation. Although many of the same names surface from week to week, I don’t have a set distribution list. If I miss anyone, it’s unintentional, but feel free to give me a holler. On the flipside, if you don’t want to be a part of these, let me know as well.

13.  Gatekeeping: Nothing seems to create a toxic atmosphere more than those who take it upon themselves to decide who is or isn’t a “real” fan. It shouldn’t be a pissing contest to see who’s the biggest fan, who knows the most trivia, or who does or doesn’t like a sequel.

14.  We’re all learning here. We can all learn much more from others than we could possibly impart as an individual. The sharing of passions is what keeps Film Twitter alive. We can benefit from one another, but there’s a right way to go about discussing the things we feel strongly about. Turning your views into a pedantic lecture probably won’t win a lot of admiration or followers.

15.  Blocking: I don’t like to mention the “B” word, because I view it as a last resort. It goes without saying that racist, misogynistic, anti-LGBTQ+, or otherwise verbally abusive rhetoric has no place in my timeline. But there’s another category: a vocal minority that thrives on being verbally abusive, overly argumentative, or condescending, feeling it’s their duty to “educate” you. Are they worth the trouble? Only you can decide, but do you really want to have that negativity in your life? 

16.  Have fun. Whether it’s the latest Halloween movie, a silent classic, or something shot on VHS for $150, Film Twitter remains a wonderful forum to discuss your passion. If something isn’t your cup of tea, move on. There’s enough room for everyone. Now go forth and create some quality content!

The Day the Earth Caught Fire

(1961) Directed by Val Guest; Written by Wolf Mankowitz and Val Guest; Starring: Edward Judd, Janet Munro, Leo McKern, Michael Goodliffe, Bernard Braden and Arthur Christiansen; Available on Blu-ray (Region B) and DVD (Region 2)

Rating: ****½

“When I had written the original treatment of the story, I sent it to the Daily Express, where we shot the film. I sent it to the Daily Express science correspondent…And he came back about a week later with a little note saying, ‘Riveting story, but bloody balls.’ …He’s been proved wrong, because everybody else has proved me right about global warming.” – Val Guest (from DVD commentary)

“They’ve shifted the tilt of the Earth. The stupid, crazy, irresponsible bastards. They’ve finally done it.” – Bill Maguire (Leo McKern)

Our hubris dictates that we can do whatever we want with our planet with no consequences. We carelessly ignore the signs of Earth’s fragile state, with the naïve conceit that everything will somehow work out. Director/producer/co-writer Val Guest’s The Day the Earth Caught Fire takes us out of our comfort zone, imagining a nightmare scenario where we have damaged the world beyond repair, and facilitated our own extinction. Guest, who previously worked on some notable Hammer science fiction films (including The Quatermass Xperiment and The Abominable Snowman), took five years to get his story produced. Several film companies, cold to the concept of a fiery worldwide calamity, passed on his script. Eventually, he used the more commercial Expresso Bongo (1959) as “collateral,” to get his film financed, for the miserly sum of 200,000 pounds.  

In the opening scene, we’re introduced to a newspaper reporter in an abandoned newsroom. Peter Stenning (Edward Judd) dictates what could be the final news story of his career and an epitaph for humanity. The story flashes back 90 days, tracing the beginning of the environmental catastrophe. On separate corners of the globe, the U.S. and Soviet Union perform tests of the most powerful nuclear warheads ever devised, subsequently knocking the Earth off its axis. The climate becomes progressively inhospitable, as the polar caps melt and temperatures soar to unprecedented levels. Stenning soon discovers that the future of the Earth is worse than originally feared, as the planet’s orbit has also changed, sending it closer to the Sun. In a final gambit to set things right, the Soviet Union plans to detonate bombs to correct the course. Will humanity prevail, or is it too little, too late?

The film works so well because it maintains a consistent sense of immediacy. Guest, who started out as a journalist, captures the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced newsroom,* as reflected by the characters’ overlapping dialogue and rapid-fire delivery. The distinct “you are there” atmosphere is reinforced thanks to a documentary-style feel. At Guest’s insistence, there is no musical score (the only music is organic to a handful of scenes). We’re caught in the middle of the commotion (other than a few stray shots of cities around the world), with the action confined to the streets of London.

* Fun Fact #1: Guest added a level of veracity by casting Arthur Christiansen, former editor for the Daily Express, basically playing himself as the paper’s head editor, Jefferson.

The special effects may appear primitive by today’s standards, but they do the job. Given the limited time, money and resources the filmmakers had at their disposal, the visuals never fail to get the point across. Les Bowie’s matte work features some impressive paintings, including shots of a bone-dry Thames and the Taj Mahal with skeletal cattle in the foreground. One of the most striking visuals in the black and white film are the yellow-tinted opening and closing scenes,* depicting a planet that’s burning up. Water is at a premium, limited to strict rationing. Everyone looks perpetually hot to the point of exhaustion, drenched in sweat. Tempers flare and inhibitions, as well as excess clothing, are discarded.** In a moment of unbridled revelry, a group of beatniks tears through a town, creating an orgy of chaos, toppling cars and splashing water on each other. 

* Fun Fact #2: Some prints of the film didn’t include the tinted scenes, which added another dimension. For the movie’s home video restoration, the BFI referenced the original yellow dyes utilized for the initial release.

** Fun Fact #3 Janet Munro’s brief topless scene earned the film an “X” rating in the U.K. and was omitted altogether from the U.S. version.

Nothing sells humanity’s dire predicament as much as the exemplary performances by the main cast members. Stenning (Judd) isn’t our typical hero, but an alcoholic burnout (pardon the pun). He’s fallen into a creative and personal slump, but finds hope for his career in what might be the scoop of the century. He finds additional inspiration in a tempestuous relationship with Jeannie Craig (Janet Munro) a strong-willed government worker. Although Edward Judd was the featured player, Leo McKern* merits special notice as the film’s true star, Stenning’s irascible, sarcastic science editor, Bill Maguire.** McKern inhabits the role as a flesh and blood individual obsessed with reporting the truth. We get the feeling that he practically lives in the newsroom, outside of a few scenes in his favorite local bar (filmed in an actual pub on Fleet Street).

* Fun Fact #4: Fans of the BBC TV series The Prisoner might recognize McKern as one of the most memorable incarnations of Number Two.

** Fun Fact #5: In one scene Maguire facetiously comments about his glass eye melting, a direct reference to the actor’s glass eye.

Janet Munro is another revelation, as Jeannie Craig, who holds a low-level position, but harbors some critical information that affects the entire world. She’s an independent woman, more than a match for Stenning’s sexist, bullying tactics, forcing him to play by her rules. Munro accepted the role as a conscious choice to shed her wholesome Disney persona (establishing herself in films such as Darby O’Gill and the Little People and Swiss Family Robinson), adopting a more grown up image. She succeeds in her nuanced performance, managing to be headstrong, yet alluring and vulnerable. In an overtly sexual scene that must have given the censors pause, she shares a smoldering (in more ways than one) moment with Judd.

The Day the Earth Caught Fire takes a dim view of the people in charge, questioning their ability to make the right decisions or willingness to disseminate information to the masses. It’s a timeless message that hasn’t lost its relevance. The film ends on an ambiguous note. While the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, the camera pans across the Daily Express printing room, revealing two opposing newspaper headlines with opposite outcomes. Although the appearance of a cathedral and ringing bells seem to suggest a positive conclusion, the screen fades to black before we can be sure. The filmmakers seem to leave everything in our court, suggesting our final chapter hasn’t been written, and it’s up to us to decide our fate. The Day the Earth Caught Fire is an exceptional example of a “what if” film, which deserves to be regarded as a classic.