Astronomers discover a comet that they believe will crash into Phoenix, Arizona. They attempt to warn officials, but no one believes them.Astronomers discover a comet that they believe will crash into Phoenix, Arizona. They attempt to warn officials, but no one believes them.Astronomers discover a comet that they believe will crash into Phoenix, Arizona. They attempt to warn officials, but no one believes them.
- Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
- 2 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe TV station in the movie, KTAR-TV, is the real life NBC affiliate for Phoenix, now known as KPNX.
- GoofsIn the scenes from the control room for the rocket that will carry the nuclear warheads to the comet, a computer screen is shown with a graphic of what is presumably the rocket. Actually, the graphic on the screen is a distillation column connected to two kettle reboilers, commonly seen in control rooms for chemical processing plants.
- Quotes
Jason Voight: You can't miss us, there's a big white arrow pointing right down on us!
- Alternate versionsIn the movie's premiere telecast, the sequence showing the impact and results lasted 4 minutes. In subsequent airings, the sequence was shortened to 2 minutes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Man Who Saw Tomorrow (1981)
Featured review
It's headed for Phoenix
Current science may have just dated this film in that the comet similar to the one depicted A Fire In The Sky would cause a lot more damage than the destruction of a major American city. It is believed that one like this spread
enough dust and debris to wipe out the dinosaurs.
But if you buy older theories than this film rates as one of the 70s better disaster films, better than a few that were on the big screen. Richard Crenna and Elizabeth Ashley head the cast. Crenna is the astronomer who discovers that bit of space debris heading on collision course with earth and he plots Phoenix as ground zero, Ashley is the media mogul who insists on the public's right to know. The public sadly reacts accordingly.
There are some standout performances in the supporting cast. Nicholas Coster is the poll driven governor whose first priority is how will he come out of this politically. Lloyd Bochner is a bean counting insurance executive and his usual hateful self with Marj Dusay as his wife. Andrew Duggan is the president of the USA. David Dukes is Ashley's husband and works at cross purposes with her.
My favorites are Merlin Olsen who takes his boys along with others on a survival hike without any communication. Olsen is a good and resourceful man. And Diana Douglas who is grandmother of would be rodeo cowboy Michael Biehn who hunkers down with Biehn and his girlfriend Cindy Eilbacher in their cellar to wait out the event. She's one tough old girl. By the way Eilbacher is Bochner and Dusay's daughter and Bochner is at his most hateful at a restaurant scene meeting Biehn.
Unless you don't like the science A Fire In The Sky holds up well even for today.
But if you buy older theories than this film rates as one of the 70s better disaster films, better than a few that were on the big screen. Richard Crenna and Elizabeth Ashley head the cast. Crenna is the astronomer who discovers that bit of space debris heading on collision course with earth and he plots Phoenix as ground zero, Ashley is the media mogul who insists on the public's right to know. The public sadly reacts accordingly.
There are some standout performances in the supporting cast. Nicholas Coster is the poll driven governor whose first priority is how will he come out of this politically. Lloyd Bochner is a bean counting insurance executive and his usual hateful self with Marj Dusay as his wife. Andrew Duggan is the president of the USA. David Dukes is Ashley's husband and works at cross purposes with her.
My favorites are Merlin Olsen who takes his boys along with others on a survival hike without any communication. Olsen is a good and resourceful man. And Diana Douglas who is grandmother of would be rodeo cowboy Michael Biehn who hunkers down with Biehn and his girlfriend Cindy Eilbacher in their cellar to wait out the event. She's one tough old girl. By the way Eilbacher is Bochner and Dusay's daughter and Bochner is at his most hateful at a restaurant scene meeting Biehn.
Unless you don't like the science A Fire In The Sky holds up well even for today.
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- bkoganbing
- Oct 18, 2020
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- Feuer aus dem All
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