Tornado!
Promotional film poster
Genre	Action Drama
Written by	John Logan
Directed by	Noel Nosseck
Starring	Bruce Campbell Shannon Sturges Ernie Hudson L. Q. Jones
Music by	Garry Schyman
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Robert M. Sertner Frank von Zerneck
Producers	Artie Mandelberg Stacy Mandelberg Randy Sutter Ted Babcock (co-producer) David C. Thomas (co-producer)
Production location	Austin, Texas
Cinematography	Paul Maibaum
Editors	David Codron Robert Florio
Running time	89 minutes
Production company	Hallmark Entertainment
Original release
Network	Fox
Release	May 7, 1996 (1996-05-07)

Tornado! is a 1996 American made-for-television disaster film that is directed by Noel Nosseck and starring Bruce Campbell and Shannon Sturges and was aired on the Fox television network on May 7, 1996.^[1]

Plot

Jake Thorne (Bruce Campbell) is a storm chaser whose friend and former graduate school advisor, Dr. Joe Branson (Ernie Hudson), has developed a machine that may be able to provide earlier tornado warnings. Samantha Callen (Shannon Sturges) is a government auditor who must determine whether Dr. Branson's project warrants more funding. Jake has to try to convince Samantha that the machine is worthwhile. During the process, Jake and Samantha become romantically attracted to each other, but powerful tornadoes threaten the lives of all the major characters. The film ends with Jake's grandfather, Ephram, sacrifices himself to drive machine's disabled leg into soil. The tornado takes Ephram, while everyone in the storm cellar starts to clean up. Jake becomes upset that his grandfather died, but Samantha tells him that he saved their lives by fighting this tornado, and that Jake must never let anything like this happen again.

Cast

• Bruce Campbell as Jake Thorne
• Ernie Hudson as Dr. Joe Branson
• Shannon Sturges as Samantha Callen
• Bo Eason as "Tex" Fulton
• L. Q. Jones as Ephram Thorne
• Shannon Woodward as Lucy

Filming

Tornado! was filmed primarily in Austin, Texas, including scenes at local Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate KTBC. The film runs 89 minutes, and has been released on VHS, DVD and Netflix. It is rated PG for some perilous weather sequences, mild language, and sensuality.