Eclipse fever is upon us...or at least, those of us who are in, approaching, or entering the path of totality for the April 8 celestial event. Total solar eclipses are not as rare as you might think, occurring about once every 18 months from Earth's perspective. The trick is to be able to see it happen.
This month's solar eclipse is a big deal because its visible path extends to major population centers in North America. Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis, Buffalo and Montreal are all major cities in the path of totality, while Thousands of miles of partial view will be visible along the path of totality. either direction. Due to the relative rarity of being in the right place at the right time, solar eclipses are almost always highly symbolic events in movies. They never happen naturally .
While we all prepare to see beautiful things in the real world, in movies, solar eclipses are almost always disturbing or even downright ominous. There's a feeling that once the sun starts to fade, the normal rules no longer apply. Revelations and transformations are on the table. A solar eclipse can suggest the victory of the weak over the strong, or conversely, the victory of darkness over light.
Unlike a solar eclipse, which should never be viewed without good eye protection, you can just watch these 12 movies.
"Eclipse," or the Courtship of the Sun and the Moon (1907)
You are no doubt familiar with French film pioneer Georges Méliès's most famous film, 1902's A Voyage to the Moon . This wasn't his only cinematic journey into paradise, though, and he was equally interested in later projects. What begins as a stuffy science class in a room full of stuffy old professors (including Méliès himself) turns into a highly erotic encounter between the sun and moon in the night sky (for anyone with a modicum of imagination) To the audience, it's absolutely filthy).
For decades, people have debated whether this represented an entirely direct encounter, as the evil masculine sun snatched the gender-ambiguous moon from behind. Regardless, it was clear to Méliès that a few minutes of darkness during the day, when other people's attention was distracted, might represent some kind of opportunity. if you know what I mean.
Where to stream: YouTube
Connecticut Yankees in King Arthur's Court (1949)
Mark Twain's seminal satirical novel downplayed traditional images of medieval life and chivalry that were popular in other English literature at the time. It was also the complete overthrow of monarchy and unfettered capitalism. The 1949 film version ditched much of the interesting subtext (and plot) while retaining the can-do American spirit that Bing Crosby represented. It's all great fun, culminating when Crosby's time-displaced Hank accurately predicts a total solar eclipse as he's about to be executed (great timing). Fortunately, he traveled with a book that recorded the times and dates of such events, reminding us to think carefully about what we bring with us on our journeys through time.
The sticking point: There is no recorded solar eclipse in June 528 in the movie, but Twain may have based a similar event in the novel on real history: Christopher Columbus, who was terrible at everything he set out to do, was Earning a last-minute reprieve and thanks to a bit of foreknowledge, his final voyage is completed. After stranding the no-longer seaworthy ship off the coast of Jamaica, his crew began mistreating the locals, who soon lost interest in feeding the hungry sailors. Columbus used his foreknowledge of an upcoming solar eclipse to convince local leaders that his god would punish them. They relented, and Columbus survived, caught a rescue ship, and lived out the rest of his life being derided as a tragic failure by his contemporaries (he was granted an American holiday in his afterlife). As for the premise of the movie, early medieval scientists would have known about solar eclipses and their causes (one of King Arthur's original sources was the monk Bede, who described quite accurately how eclipses occur), but it's not unreasonable to think of normal solar eclipses . If Bing Crosby showed up and seemed to order the sun to dim, people would be freaked out.
Where to play: Tubi
Barabbas (1961)
The film isn't as remembered as the other big biblical epics of the 1960s, but it contained lavish sets and a great (if slightly ridiculous) classic Hollywood cast, including Anthony Quinn, Anthony Kennedy , Ernest Borgnine, Jack Palance and Sharon Tate. Quinn plays the title character, a thief freed by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus. A special innovation in the film is the scene in which Barabbas returns to witness the death of Jesus: according to the New Testament account of the coming of darkness, the sequence was filmed during a real total solar eclipse on February 15, 1961, The incident was clearly visible in the skies over Italy where it was filmed. I don't think there was a second take.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Bloody Birthday (1981)
This underrated horror film follows a group of three children born on the same day during a less-than-convincing solar eclipse. The circumstances of their birth naturally lead them to become ferocious and evil by their tenth birthday. (You can't argue with basic science.) The kids start stalking horny teens, and the movie quickly feels like a cross between " The Bad Seeds" and "Friday the 13th." Susan Strasberg and José Ferrer lend a little believability to the drama and help one understand the moral ("Don't give birth during a solar eclipse" !what's on your mind!").
Where to play: Tubi
Ladyhawke (1985)
Richard Donner's unfairly forgotten medieval fantasy pits young thief Philip Gaston (Matthew Broderick) against the cursed Captain Navarre (Rutger) Hal) became friends. Navarre and his lover, Lady Isabeau Anjou (Michelle Pfeiffer), can never be together - he turns into a wolf at night and she into an eagle during the day. The eclipse is the narrative's answer to their prayers: in a time that is neither completely night nor completely day, the two are able to assume true human form simultaneously, giving them a real chance to defeat the jealous wizard who Wizards screwed them over.
Where to play: Tubi
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
The origins of the carnivorous, plump-lipped Audrey II are not entirely clear, but what we do know is this: In the shop of an old Chinese plant seller (who unfortunately displays hints of outdated exotic Orientalism), the plant Out of nowhere. It's during the solar eclipse. Audrey II identifies herself as a mean green mother from outer space who apparently comes from the stars but seems to be able to do so only under very special conditions. So eclipse day may not be the best time to buy plants.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Dolores Claiborne (1995)
Stephen King has never been shy about making connections between his novels, but often does so in subtle ways—sometimes throwing in little Easter eggs here and there. The novels "Gerald's Game" and "Dolores Claiborne" were both published in 1992, and were further planned as a novel. Each film deals with the pain of men whose lives have been devalued and controlled, and each involves significant narrative events interspersed with the real-life total solar eclipse that occurred on July 20, 1963 (although the films date back to 1970s). Here, Kathy Bates' Dolores kills her abusive husband (David Strathairn) in a flashback set against the backdrop of a vanishing sun. The novel adds details of a solar eclipse party that captures the attention of most of the residents of the island they live on. Either way, as your attention is drawn to the sunset, now is a good time to be mindful of everything that may be going on around you.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Pitch Black (2000)
Solar eclipses are a matter of perspective, but they're also universal. All you need is a sun, an orbiting body to block it, and a person in the right position to notice. Humans have even seen this: a partial solar eclipse captured on Mars by the Perseverance rover. Sci-fi comedy "Pitch Black" takes us to a more distant world and witnesses a prison ship carrying the likes of Vin Diesel's Richard B. Riddick crash. The survivors learn that although Earth's three suns make it almost perpetual daylight, solar eclipses do occur - when the world's evil subterranean monsters come to the surface to feed. Of course, a solar eclipse is coming. Fortunately, the light-sensitive Reddick is tougher and scarier in the dark.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Sunshine (2007)
Danny Boyle's Sunshine , written by Alex Garland, doesn't deal with an actual solar eclipse (at least not as viewed from Earth), but it's thematically on par with anything on this list Other movies are just as good. Blending science and psychology in the style of "Solaris" or "2001 ," the film tells the story of a team of eight trying to reignite our dying sun in the near future of 2057. Real life solar eclipses delivered. No matter how scientifically we understand the process, it's hard not to feel uneasy when the sun disappears from the sky at noon.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Gerrard's Game (2017)
As mentioned, the eclipse here, at least in Stephen King's novel, is the same one in which Dolores Claiborne fatally confronts her husband's abuse and violence. This moment connects Dolores spiritually and psychologically to young Jesse, who faced horrific sexual abuse at the hands of his father. The film version jettisons this connection but retains the significance of the sexual violence that binds the two women. Here, Jesse (Carla Gugino) is trapped in a remote cabin after the death of her husband. In addition to some horrific physical threats, Jesse's isolation forces her to think about the sexual trauma of her youth, punctuated by that eclipse, and how it has followed her throughout her life.
Where to stream: Netflix
Veronica (2017)
You should feel sorry for 15-year-old Veronica and her friends, who are plagued by paranormal activity. But honestly, using a Ouija board for a séance during a solar eclipse, even if you've been told that eclipse magic is used to summon dark spirits, well, feels like asking for trouble. It's a horror demonic possession movie based entirely on a true (well, "true") story, although a solar eclipse was added to the film version. Still, even non-superstitious people might be advised to avoid trying to summon spirits during a total eclipse.
Where to stream: Netflix
Avatar: Path of Water (2022)
James Cameron's Pandora is not a planet, but a satellite of the (possibly fictional) gas giant Polyphemus, which itself orbits the (real) star Alpha Centauri A, It is part of the Alpha Centauri three-star system. The point of it all: Complex orbital dynamics mean Pandora itself doesn't see much darkness, even at night. However, it does experience periodic moments where Polyphemus completely obscures Pandora's sun, leading to a particularly cool visual effect in the movie involving bioluminescence. One such eclipse occurs during the final battle in Water Path . In a sense, it heralded a possible victory for the seemingly weaker Metkaina clan over RDA forces in the colony, but it also heralded a major change to come.
Live broadcast location: Max, Disney+
