10.5: Apocalypse
Encyclopedia
10.5: Apocalypse is a 2006 television
miniseries
written and directed by John Lafia
. A sequel to 2004's 10.5, the film follows a series of catastrophic seismic
disasters (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
, tsunami
, and sinkholes).
The geologists at the United States Geological Survey don't understand why seismic events which usually take centuries or longer would be happening so rapidly, but Dr. Samantha Hill remembers that her father had once theorized that the earth's tectonic plates would reach a point of maximum separation, at which point they would reverse direction. The theory also states that related seismic activity would be vastly accelerated during the initial period of reversal. However, Dr. Earl Hill had been ostracized by the USGS for that theory, and had abandoned geology to become a successful professional poker player. When Las Vegas sinks into the ground, he is caught in the casino of the (fictional) Atlas Hotel.
The second part of the miniseries begins with Dr. Hill's rescue from the ruins of the Atlas Hotel just before it is swallowed up completely. At the same time, the fault line is running north and south from South Dakota. If it reaches Houston and the Gulf of Mexico, as predicted, the midwestern plains will be covered by a new ocean, just as they were thousands of years ago. A massive evacuation of the region is ordered. However, the (fictional) nuclear plant in Red Plains, Texas, is right in the fault's path. If it is destroyed, the entire area and hundreds of miles around will be contaminated by nuclear waste.
Dr. Earl Hill comes up with a desperate plan to divert the fault around the nuclear plant by opening up a secondary fault running east, by a controlled demolition which explosively ignites the massive natural gas reserves in the area. The main fault follows the new path around Red Plains, saving the nuclear plant. However, nothing can stop the fault altogether. Once again it turns south, slicing through the middle of Houston to reach the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, the northern half of the fault has reached Hudson Bay. When the waters rush into the fault, they create a new ocean which splits the United States and Canada in half.
, and Gary Pearl. Director John Lafia, who also wrote script, decided to film the sequel using digital media, stating that it would allow the producers "to achieve a whole new level of visual effects and style that have heretofore not been seen on network television."
The Sun Valley
scene was filmed at the Mont Tremblant Resort
, a popular skiing resort north of the city. All of the news reporters that appeared on TV in the film are all local news reporters for various news stations in Montreal
. The visual effects for the movie were created by visual effects company "Hybride", which is based in Piedmont, Quebec
.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
written and directed by John Lafia
John Lafia
John Lafia is an American film and television writer, director, and producer. He attended UCLA, where he received his Bachelors in Film. Lafia's first film was The Blue Iguana, which he wrote and directed...
. A sequel to 2004's 10.5, the film follows a series of catastrophic seismic
Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
disasters (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
, tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, and sinkholes).
Plot
A magnitude 10.5 earthquake destroys Los Angeles and triggers a massive tsunami which causes massive damage to Waikiki, Hawai'i. It turns out to be only the first of a series of seismic events, including the awakening of extinct volcanoes, sudden instability of aquafers, and awakening of ancient faults. Hoover Dam collapses when Lake Mead starts to heat up and expand beyond the spillway's capacity. Las Vegas collapses into a giant sinkhole when the acidic water undermines underground limestone, creating a massive sinkhole. The worst of the seismic events is a massive fault which has opened up under South Dakota, destroying Mount Rushmore in the process.The geologists at the United States Geological Survey don't understand why seismic events which usually take centuries or longer would be happening so rapidly, but Dr. Samantha Hill remembers that her father had once theorized that the earth's tectonic plates would reach a point of maximum separation, at which point they would reverse direction. The theory also states that related seismic activity would be vastly accelerated during the initial period of reversal. However, Dr. Earl Hill had been ostracized by the USGS for that theory, and had abandoned geology to become a successful professional poker player. When Las Vegas sinks into the ground, he is caught in the casino of the (fictional) Atlas Hotel.
The second part of the miniseries begins with Dr. Hill's rescue from the ruins of the Atlas Hotel just before it is swallowed up completely. At the same time, the fault line is running north and south from South Dakota. If it reaches Houston and the Gulf of Mexico, as predicted, the midwestern plains will be covered by a new ocean, just as they were thousands of years ago. A massive evacuation of the region is ordered. However, the (fictional) nuclear plant in Red Plains, Texas, is right in the fault's path. If it is destroyed, the entire area and hundreds of miles around will be contaminated by nuclear waste.
Dr. Earl Hill comes up with a desperate plan to divert the fault around the nuclear plant by opening up a secondary fault running east, by a controlled demolition which explosively ignites the massive natural gas reserves in the area. The main fault follows the new path around Red Plains, saving the nuclear plant. However, nothing can stop the fault altogether. Once again it turns south, slicing through the middle of Houston to reach the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, the northern half of the fault has reached Hudson Bay. When the waters rush into the fault, they create a new ocean which splits the United States and Canada in half.
Cast
- Kim DelaneyKim DelaneyKim Delaney is an American actress best known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama television series, NYPD Blue. Early in her career, she played the role of Jenny Gardner in the hugely popular ABC daytime television drama, All My Children...
as Dr. Samantha "Sam" Hill - Glenda BraganzaGlenda BraganzaGlenda Braganza currently lives in Montreal, Canada, is a Canadian television and stage actress who has appeared in several Canadian and American television shows and films....
as Gina Green - Dean CainDean CainDean Cain is an American actor. He is most widely known for his role as Clark Kent/Superman in the popular American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
as Brad Malloy - David CubittDavid CubittDavid Cubitt is a Canadian television actor.Born in England in 1965 to a Dutch mother and a British father, he moved with his parents to Vancouver, British Columbia when he was six months old. He studied at Studio 58 there. He has starred in the Canadian series Traders and the American series...
as Dr. Jordan Fisher - Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon as Natalie Warner
- Carlos BernardCarlos BernardCarlos Bernard is an American actor, best known for his role as Tony Almeida in 24.-Biography:Bernard received a Master of Fine Arts degree from American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco after attending Illinois State University.He performed in A.C.T...
as Dr. Miguel Garcia - Oliver HudsonOliver HudsonOliver Rutledge Hudson is an American actor. He is the son of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson, and brother of Kate Hudson...
as Will Malloy - Carly PopeCarly Pope-Early life:Pope was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, with an older brother, Kris, also an actor, and a younger brother, Alexander. She began acting during her high school years in Vancouver where she appeared in stage classics such as The Odd Couple, playing Mickey, and A Midsummer...
as Laura Malloy - Frank LangellaFrank Langella-Early life:Langella, an Italian American, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Angelina and Frank A. Langella Sr., a business executive who was the president of the Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company. Langella attended Washington Elementary School and Bayonne High School in Bayonne...
as Dr. Earl Hill - Beau BridgesBeau BridgesLloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
as President of the United States Paul Hollister - Melissa Sue AndersonMelissa Sue AndersonMelissa Sue Anderson is an American-Canadian actress. She played the role of Mary Ingalls on the NBC television series Little House on the Prairie. She starred on the show from 1974 until 1981, leaving after Season 7, but later appeared in 2 episodes of Season 8 in late 1981. She won an Emmy...
as First Lady Mrs. Hollister - Tamara HopeTamara HopeTamara Hope is a Canadian actress. Her starring roles include Guinevere Jones and The Nickel Children, a film about teenage prostitution, as well as a recurring role on CTV's Whistler as Leah McLure....
as First Daughter Amy Hollister - Francis X. McCarthy as Al Roberts
Production
10.5: Apocalypse began filming in Montreal, Canada in June 2005. A sequel to 10.5, the miniseries used much of the same staff, headed by returning executive producers Howard Braunstein, Michael JaffeMichael Jaffé
Professor Michael Jaffé was a British art historian and curator. He was Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England for 17 years, from 1973 to 1990.-Life:...
, and Gary Pearl. Director John Lafia, who also wrote script, decided to film the sequel using digital media, stating that it would allow the producers "to achieve a whole new level of visual effects and style that have heretofore not been seen on network television."
The Sun Valley
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum, lying within the greater Wood River valley. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427...
scene was filmed at the Mont Tremblant Resort
Mont Tremblant Resort
Mont Tremblant Ski Resort is a year-round resort in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada, about 130 km northwest of Montreal. It is best known as a ski destination, but also features a lake suitable for swimming and two golf courses in the summer months...
, a popular skiing resort north of the city. All of the news reporters that appeared on TV in the film are all local news reporters for various news stations in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. The visual effects for the movie were created by visual effects company "Hybride", which is based in Piedmont, Quebec
Piedmont, Quebec
Piedmont is a small municipality within the Les Pays-d'en-Haut Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, in the Laurentian Mountains of the administrative region of Laurentides...
.