In May 1988, a 1981 documentary called The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, narrated by Orson Welles, sparked panic in Los Angeles. It suggested that Nostradamus predicted a massive earthquake, “The Big One,” would hit that week. The film’s ominous tone, not just Nostradamus’ words, fueled the fear. People rushed to video stores across Southern California, from LA to San Bernardino, to rent the movie, causing a frenzy—some stores even tripled late fees due to demand. City and state officials called the pre