“There were beams of blue light coming out of the sky.”
Why it's great
One calm sentence makes an impossible sky feel visible and specific.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
There were sparks coming out of the socket just before it died.
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The Earthquake Hits the Party, Explained
This Is the End · 2013
Chapter 6 of 27 · 4'25"
The party is cut short by what everyone first calls an earthquake — then one guest insists it was something else: "There were beams of blue light coming out of the sky." The others, including the person standing beside him, flatly deny seeing any of it.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:39–2:04
The Blue Light Nobody Else Saw
25s
The Earthquake Hits the Party, explained
What happens
An earthquake interrupts the group: the ground shakes, everyone runs, and they race back to Franco's house. One person swears he saw beams of blue light sucking people into the sky, but the others insist they saw nothing. At the house, guests who felt nothing party on — until the real quake hits, and the news reports the biggest quake to ever hit LA, plus looting and martial law.
What's really going on
The chapter stages the birth of a conspiracy in real time. Something happens, the group scatters, and one witness gives a specific, impossible account — "There were beams of blue light coming out of the sky" and people "getting sucked up into the sky." The others, asked to confirm, refuse: "I have no idea what he's talking about, honestly." Even the man who was standing right there denies it — "You were there with me. What are you saying?" is the reply — and the group settles on the safer explanation, an earthquake. When the guests at the house say they felt nothing, the skeptic dismisses it as a tremor and the party continues. Then the ground shakes again and the news arrives: the biggest quake to hit LA, looting, martial law, Air Force One down. The comedy is in watching people decide, in seconds, which facts to believe.
Key lines & what they mean
- “There were beams of blue light coming out of the sky.”
- The witness's account of what the quake really was: columns of blue light pouring down, the detail that everyone else refuses to confirm.
- “All those people that were in the store with us, they just fucking vanished.”
- His version of what happened to the bystanders: everyone who had been in the store simply disappeared, which no one else backs up.
- “We are going back to Franco's.”
- The decision in the panic: whatever is happening outside, they are heading back to the safety of Franco's house.
- “What the hell? Why the fuck did you bring me down here?”
- The accusation mid-run: he blames the person who talked him into coming out, now that everything has gone wrong.
Theme
- Trust — The group rejects a first-hand account of blue light and clings to the ordinary explanation, showing how fast people dismiss what they can't accept.
- Survival — An ordinary night turns into a disaster as the quake hits, riots spread, and martial law is declared.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level4/5
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“All those people that were in the store with us, they just fucking vanished.”
Why it's great
It stacks the witnesses first, then drops the horror onto one plain verb.
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Informal
Use it yourself
All those people that were on the dance floor they just vanished at midnight.
“We are going back to Franco's.”
Why it's great
In total chaos a plain statement of direction steadies everyone who hears it.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
We are going back to the trailhead before the storm hits.
“What the hell? Why the fuck did you bring me down here?”
Why it's great
A panicked, accusatory line that captures being dragged into trouble by a friend.
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Informal
Use it yourself
Why on earth did you drag me into this mess?
Up next · 07freaking outThe scene: The Survivors Argue About StayingTakeaways
What you walk away with- Sucked up into the sky names the impossible sight plainly.
- Listen up gathers a panicked crowd with one short command.
- Get out of my way is a rough shout, not polite speech.
- The scene hides shock inside fast, clipped commands.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhat did the witness say he saw?
He says he saw beams of blue light coming out of the sky and people getting sucked up into the sky. The others, including the person who was with him, insist they saw nothing.
Why does nobody believe him?
The others say they were there and saw nothing, and the man standing beside him denies it too. Faced with an impossible story, the group prefers the ordinary explanation — an earthquake.
What is happening in the outside world?
The news reports the biggest earthquake ever to hit LA, spreading looting and rioting, police outnumbered, martial law declared, and Air Force One down.
Why does the group run back to Franco's house?
It's the safe place they know. The house turns out to be built like a fortress — guests inside felt nothing — so they retreat there while the city falls apart outside.
Does the party stop after the quake?
For a moment it keeps going. Guests who didn't feel the tremor are told it was just a little one and to relax — the party's still on — right before another rumble hits.