Top 5: Storms on screen
By Tom Bruce
Our good nation weathered quite a storm a fortnight ago, but it’s not over yet. Get ready to batten down the proverbial hatches once more because this list features some of the worst weather ever seen on the silver screen.
5. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
One of the more believable and well-acted disaster movies of recent years, TDAT warns us of the dangers of our continued pollution. Most terrifying moment: Huge tornados tearing through LA whip a billboard down a street and take out a news man, live on air. Talk about frontline reporting!
4. Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs (2009)
Flint Lockwood’s ‘Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator’ saves the town of Swallow Falls from economic crisis by making it rain…cheeseburgers. Soon the weather turns nasty as a spaghetti twister creates buffet-ing winds. Buffet? Anyone?
3. Romeo and Juliet (1996)
Pathetic fallacy at its best. Mercutio condemns the Capulets and Montagues to pestilence and despair as a thunderous storm signals the sudden turn from comedy to tragedy.
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The vast Persian navy is punished by the cruel Greek seas, a sneak preview of the welcome they can expect when they meet the Spartans.
Strictly speaking this is not an actual storm, but it’s inspired by the 7th Egyptian plague – a biblical downpour of hail and fire- so it still counts. The morbidly inventive Dr. Phibes uses an ice spewing death machine to murder Dr.Hedgepath. You can’t get much more cold-blooded than that.