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Poster for A Fire in the Sky

A Fire in the Sky

Seen it?

1978 | 150 min | Drama, Science Fiction, TV Movie

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With soft box office and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
A natural pick for fans of newsroom stories and people who need a laugh after work. It's about the digging, and what it costs to get the story. If you loved Moon or A.I. Artificial Intelligence, start here. Anyone who's had a job will recognize these people.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
A big, patient story, at 2 hr 30 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • It's long: 2 hr 30 min.
  • Made in 1978: an older pace and style.
  • Not the one if you want explosions or easy laughs.

Astronomers discover a comet that they believe will crash into Phoenix, Arizona. They attempt to warn officials, but without 100% certainty, the governor of Arizona is reticent to cause a panic. Even after a television news reporter discovers the truth and threatens to go live with it, the response is understated enough to doom some residents of Phoenix to certain death.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 18K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Jerry Jameson

  • Richard CrennaJason Voight
  • Elizabeth AshleySharon Allan
  • David DukesDavid Allan
  • Joanna MilesJennifer Dreiser
  • Lloyd BochnerPaul Gilliam
  • Merlin OlsenStan Webster
  • Andrew DugganThe President
  • Maggie WellmanCarol
  • Nicolas CosterThe Governor
  • Marj DusayEllen Gilliam