Armageddon behind the scenes photos

"Armageddon," the Bruce Willis action flick from 1998 featured South Dakota's Badlands even if no one recognized them. The other-worldly-looking landscape was further enhanced by movie magic to create the impression of a nasty asteroid the size of Texas headed straight for Earth.

Willis and his crack oil well drilling crew are sent to the asteroid to plant explosives and save the world from obliteration. They crash land a pair of space shuttles on the asteroid and drive a specially-built drilling vehicle to the critical spot.

Former South Dakota Film Commissioner Gary Keller took photos of the filming, including the crashed shuttle lying in the Badlands darkness.


And here's the "Armadillo" drilling rig ready for action.


I wasn't lucky enough to see this filming, but I did see the Armadillo parked at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida a few years ago.

For those of us here in South Dakota, it was fun to hear the small town of Kadoka mentioned in the movie.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming issue of South Dakota Magazine, which will feature South Dakota movies, including more interesting movies.