I recently watched the 1983 TV movie "The Day After." It's about what would have happened had the US and Russia had a nuclear exchange; specifically, in Lawrence, Kansas. It didn't matter that the effects were dated, it was really an affecting and powerful movie. Especially considering its TV origins..it's hard even today to imagine one of the major networks airing something like that prime time.

Imagine if the ending shots of "Fail Safe" were at the 40-minute mark, and you saw what came after. Truly chilling.

So now I'm curious about other nuclear holocaust-themed films...I have a strong morbid fascination with them. I've heard of a similar British one called "The War Game," but haven't seen it.

what are some other good ones?

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

quote:

Originally posted by PRG:
Red Dawn takes place in Colorado.

Yes, but in the movie, the three specific cities they mentioned by name as getting nuked are Kansas City, Washington (assuming DC), and Omaha. Not that I paid that much attention to the movie .

Red Dawn takes place in Colorado.

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:

P.S. Rember that after the first post, everything goes backwards from the bottom!

Since when?

P.S. - Sorry, I think this is the second or third time I've referenced to Red Dawn in a post. It's just too good, apparently.

Hey, I think you're the only guy talking about Red Dawn, but I'm sure that will move the forum in a certain direction!!

P.S. Rember that after the first post, everything goes backwards from the bottom!

quote:

Originally posted by Commontone:
I recently watched the 1983 TV movie "The Day After." It's about what would have happened had the US and Russia had a nuclear exchange; specifically, in Lawrence, Kansas. It didn't matter that the effects were dated, it was really an affecting and powerful movie. Especially considering its TV origins..it's hard even today to imagine one of the major networks airing something like that prime time.

Yes, Kansas City has been through it's fair share of disasters - riots, floods, tornadoes, Dewey defeats Truman, the Royals (1990-present), Tech N9ne, Hannah Montana concert sell-out, Jayhawk wars, and more than a few nuclear attacks (The Day After and Red Dawn). I remember watching the Day After in like 6th or 7th grade. Considering my age at the time, it was pretty traumatizing watching a film about my home city being obliterated.

Speaking of Red Dawn, it's kind of The Day After's antithesis, and thus the absurdity of its plot the subject of scorn and ridicule. I personally think it's a darkly funny movie that I've seen one too many times on cable. Shortly after the Iraq war started, I remember reading a news article quoting from an American soldier entering Baghdad comparing their entrance to that of the Russians in Red Dawn. Taken from that perspective, Red Dawn does have some 'real world' implication like The Day After, albeit un-intentionally. Just replace jingoistic patriotism with Islamic fundamentalism; highschool children with hundreds of thousands of hardened Fedayeen, Islamic jihadists, and Iranian/Syrian militants; and rural Colorado with the Anbar Province; and Cubans with blackwater security guards. Walla, you have a disgustingly simplified version of whatever the Iraqi words are for "Red Dawn".

This message has been edited. Last edited by: La La Love Pixies,

I saw The War Game in college, and I remember being very impressed by the "reality" of it, but I haven't seen it for over 30 years.

Some other ones which are worth watching would include On the Beach, The World, the Flesh and the Devil and A Boy and His Dog (although that last one is more in the vein of a satiric Mad Max). There was another movie similar to The Day After which was released to theatres about the same time called Testament, with Jane Alexander and William Devane. It was very low-key and had no FX at all. It was only about the people, mostly one family.

If you have any questions about those, I'll try to go into more detail.