Tag Archives: end of the world

Uncategorized

“Dawn of the Dead” (1978) – With These Zombies, it’s Black Friday everyday

Leave a comment

George Romero continued the tale of the decimation of society by a zombie outbreak with this follow up to “Night of the Living Dead”.

Romero angled for social commentary more heavily this time showing a horde of zombies inhabiting a shopping mall and lumbering about all the trinkets and merchandise available in a multi store shopping mall.

There are comments from the still human cast about how the undead have returned to a place of comfort where they wiled away hours, buying and looking at products and shit, when they were still counted among the living. Consumerism is criticized but the mall setting in the film allows all occupants the ability to find life sustaining supplies and ample shelter.

We can muse over the pros and cons of the self-contained mall environment on this, Black Friday.

Or not.

Uncategorized

2024: Things To Keep In (The Very Back Of) Mind

Leave a comment

Not to start the New Year off on a bad note but I recently read an interesting article that outlines some of the difficulties we currently face in our global society and possibly safe places to go in case of catastrophe. (I guess it may not matter if you get there and don’t already have a compound set up and self-sufficient means of survival set up!) But Definitely food for thought in our currently turbulent times. When aren’t times on this planet turbulent? But read on and enjoy!

The link is here:

7 Best Places to Go in the U.S. in Case of a Societal Collapse (msn.com)

Let’s look at an end of the world movie scenario that you can cozy up to. I am adding the link to a Top 10 Post Apocalyptic Movies video clip for your amusement.

Happy New Year!

Uncategorized

“No Blade Of Grass” (1970) – The End of Love

Leave a comment

They ain’t kidding with the bit about “the end of Love”. This is a very violent, depressing environmental horror tale from the early 1970’s which sets the downbeat vibe with the title sequence showing a parched desert floor with the anguished silhouettes of contorted human figures laboring across it. We then see a montage of car exhaust pipes and factory chimneys spewing out ugly exhaust, polluted waterways and landscapes, and scenes of overcrowded, congested cities. (The title sequence from “Soylent Green”, another grim portrait of a futuristic nightmare society, nicked this montage.) It doesn’t help matters that folkie Roger Whittaker chortles the movie theme song and chronicles the ills of a polluted, dying Earth. Hence, “The End of Love”.

“No Blade of Grass” looks at the extreme measures taken by world governments to combat a deadly virus and its aftermath. Wheat, grass and grain are destroyed which leads to global famine conditions. Millions die. When society starts to collapse, martial law and the extermination of dissenters ensues. A family leaves a stricken London and ventures toward a rural Eden but a hellscape awaits instead.

It is shocking to consider that this movie was made over 50 years ago and conditions of pollution and overpopulation were considered a serious worldwide threat even then. Fast forward to 2023 and we are clearly past the point of no return. The environmental maladies have now surged to unscalable levels. Maybe if we had put more serious effort into dealing with the situation back then we wouldn’t be in quite the mess we are now. Nah! There is always time enough for everything. Famous last words.

(See also “Panic in the Year Zero”)

Uncategorized

THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE – 1961

Leave a comment

Climate disaster strikes in this gritty, black and white science fiction picture from Britain. The US and Russia are independently testing nuclear weapons at opposing poles in the same time frame. The resultant detonations have calamitous effects on the rotation of our planet setting it on a course a bit too close to the Sun for our own good. London experiences drastic temperature rises. The Thames dries up, looting and riots break out and panic sets in. The authorities decide on a desperate course of action: fire off a couple more nuclear devices in an effort to get the Earth back on its normal rotation. The movie ends with the detonations imminent but the final outcome not revealed. Brutal. Many similarities to our current times resonate throughout. Very enjoyable science fiction.

Uncategorized

Building A Better Biological Bug And Then It All Went Wrong – “The Stand” (1994)

Leave a comment

There were news items circling around where the plot from Steven King’s “The Stand” has been compared to the current global pandemic featuring the irrepressible COVID-19. King denied that there were really any similarities. As we progress through this mess, more details emerge as to the origin of the coronavirus. Did it begin in one of the “wet markets” in Wuhan, China, where a varied selection of animals are sold for consumption? It has also been mentioned that there are a couple of virology labs close by the wet markets where tests were being made on bats for who knows what reason and that a doctor involved may have been infected and took the virus and spread it amongst the general public. That theory alone would make it similar in concept to King’s “Stand” beginning. Maybe one day, we will learn about the true origins of our real life virus problems. For now, take an exhilarating trip with “The Stand” miniseries from 1994. This opening clip from the miniseries, directed by Mick Garris, which shows how an influenza strain escapes from a DOD laboratory and infects the world is really good stuff. Equally killer is the usage of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear The Reaper” as the soundtrack. AWESOME!!!!

action, action adventure, disaster movie, end of the world, mysterious sounds, science fiction, science fiction films

Sci-Fi Movie Sonic Weapons: Technological Breakthrough Or Budgetary Restriction?

Leave a comment

I have had time to catch up on some reading while sheltering at home with the coronavirus pandemic raging on. I came across an interesting observation made by Kim Newman in his “Apocalypse Movies” book. He observed that in several 1950’s era science fiction movies, the military and scientists combined their efforts to rid the world of alien menaces with some new sonic based weapons. Newman imagined that the sonic weapons could have either been introduced as a safer, more progressive form of warfare, especially when having to secure the safety of the civilian population, as opposed to nuclear weapons which could definitely get messy. But another supposition of Newman’s was that the use of the audio based weapons could have been a function of the science fiction films having too low of budgets to afford more spectacular, expensive visual shows of cities exploding and similar destructive spectacle. Great point! Here is a clip full of some scientific mumbo-jumbo detailing how the good guys in “Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers” plan on using their sonic weapon to take out the offending alien threat. We’ll take their word for it.

action adventure, science fiction, science fiction films, suspense

“Andromeda Strain’s” Virus Arrives From Space (1971)

Leave a comment

With our world’s current battle with COVID-19 on everyone’s mind, a lot of folks are looking back on similar storylines that occurred in works of fiction. I know there are a lot of examples but I will discuss “The Andromeda Strain” (1971), a big-budgeted science fiction film from the Seventies based upon the novel by Michael Crichton. It explored an alien virus piggybacking on a speck of meteor that ends up embedded in a space-borne satellite. The satellite crashes down near a small desert town. The natives naturally are curious about the object and examine it but not before getting exposure to the out of this world life form. The results are disastrous and deadly. After the entire town is found to be dead, a secret government biological research division goes into action and isolates the organism in a vast, underground laboratory complex. It is now up to the “experts” to prevent the bacterial strain from mutating and spreading across the globe. There are some interesting futuristic (at the time) devices and special effects used in this movie. It still holds its charm for me and is very suspenseful in spots but can be a little tedious at times as the four main protagonists go about their tests and experiments to scientifically make sense of this unknown, threatening quantity and try to find a means to eliminate it.

We don’t know how long our present pandemic will last or if the worst of it is behind us but we can certainly agree that it would be best if life did not imitate art after seeing any of the nightmare scenarios detailed in these pandemic themed works of art.

action, action adventure, end of the world, mysterious places, Uncategorized

Desert Is Stunning in “Satan Bug”

Leave a comment

“The Satan Bug” (1965) has an intriguing concept, the world could possibly end if a germ warfare agent known as the Satan Bug were to be accidentally exposed to an unknowing public. Well, in the desert, there exists a germ warfare lab and it appears that a vial of the Doomsday Drink is missing. Ah…..Espionage is afoot. This is all well and good but I must say that trying to follow all the clandestine activity and all the bodies involved in the nefarious deeds and double crosses (TODAY’S HEADLINES, ANYBODY?) was a bit migraine inducing. What I find very alarming and interesting in this spy potboiler is the scenery in which it takes place. The desert has never looked so inhospitable, arid and beautiful. I found this cool video which was assembled to show the cool Mojave Desert and Palm Springs locations.

Horror, horror movie

THE THAW – 2009 – CREEPY CLIMATE CHANGE CRAWLIES – UPDATED REVIEW

Leave a comment

The premise of this queasy little tale is that climate change, aka global warming, has caused the partial thawing of a wooly mammoth up in Northern climes that is infested with an ancient parasite that emerges ready and willing to infest a New Age.  The roughly cockroach sized bugs burrow under your skin and lay eggs that basically feed on their host and then emerge ready to find a new home.  This movie is definitely not for the squeamish!  Yes.  I felt my skin crawl on more than one occasion. There are numerous grotesque set pieces throughout this flick.

All in all, an engaging horror film with a cameo from Val Kilmer as the scientist who finds the insects and reiterates the potential horrors lurking unseen that will be unleashed by climate change.  Whether that is true or not is of course speculation or inevitability depending on your point of view.

action, end of the world, monster movie, mysterious places, science fiction, science fiction films, suspense

THEM – (1954) – Regular Ants Are Bad Enough!

Leave a comment

A real creepy premise in this flick:  giant, mutated ants are on the loose and stalking victims in isolated areas of the God forsaken desert!

I bring you this cinematic, sci-fi gem because of a recent summer time invasion of the small variety of ants in our house in pursuit of the cat’s food.  These little beasts are annoying enough in their present miniature state as they scamper in all directions as you try to eradicate their presence inside your home.  In addition to the trouble of getting them picked up and removed, you get the sinister feeling that the insects are crawling all over you!  Imagine how you’d feel if the ants in question were 10 or more feet in length?

This is a classic science fiction film from the 1950’s that postulates that exposure to radiation could mutate a small ant into a formidable, potentially man destroying monster.  And what if there were a nest of these giants?

You get the idea.  Arm your self with a flame thrower and an automatic weapon and you may stand a chance of survival against these denizens from some unnamed Hell!  Give it a look and drink up the lovely desert studio set ups!  Some definitely scary set pieces crop up in this engaging science fiction thriller.

action, end of the world, horror movie

WORLD WAR 3 – (1982)

Leave a comment

Although this TV movie was released in 1982, it seems like history rolls around again and the Cold War is a timely topic again.  War and aggression in the World.  Some things never change.

A strategic United States “listening post” located near the Bering Strait becomes compromised by Russian agents masquerading as U.S. soldiers and suddenly a gateway opens up to an invading force to get onto American soil.  Hostilities have been brewing between both countries as a result of a grain embargo that would have otherwise fed starving Russian masses and then some KGB machinations take place which result in assassination and, Voila!  A standoff occurs between the two countries’ forces at an oil pipeline station.  Only the fate of both nations and maybe the rest of the world hangs in the balance.

Nice turn by David Soul who is best known for his beefcake turn as one of the cops in “Starsky and Hutch”.  He is tasked with the impossible role of being the commander of a tattered force of soldiers who are outnumbered by an invading horde.  There are the echoes of the American Revolution where guerilla warfare must be resorted to in order to cripple a superior force trying to kill you.  Not to be forgotten for his thespian skills is The Rock.  Hudson, that is, as the guilt ridden POTUS, appalled at the thought of World War 3 and the ensuing exchange of nuclear arsenals that is inevitable.  As you can well imagine, things don’t end well.

mysterious places, science fiction, science fiction films, suspense

IN THE YEAR 2889 – OVER 2 MILLION VIEWS!

Leave a comment

I like this talky, little tale of a group of characters trying to hole up in a cabin and ride out a nuclear holocaust.  We see some stock footage at the start of this thing that compiles various angles of mushroom clouds.  A prophetic voice over accompanies the footage.  Great start!  We get more rehashed, archive films of mountains, trees and the outdoors to enable the finishing up of the audio narrative.  The folks who end up reluctantly spending time together are running out of space and time.  Radioactive fallout may soon be encroaching onto their turf and the surrounding countryside is inhabited by unfortunate, radiation poisoned mutations who are hungry!  Still, there are folks who would rather venture outside the compound to take their chances somewhere else.   That’s what creates drama, after all!  This is a rather plodding flick but it has a quaint, amateurish style that I find attractive.  2 million YouTube viewers CANNOT be wrong!

science fiction, science fiction films

COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT – WIDESCREEN TRAILER

Leave a comment

very-odd-computer-photo

This is a riveting tale of a brilliant scientist’s creation of a super computer that can assist with the automation and running of America’s military defense systems.   Things go horribly awry when the computer, Colossus, combines “minds” with a Russian super computer equivalent, Guardian.  The two machines decide that their superior intellect and control of their respective nations’ defense systems make them perfectly suited to usurp their inferior human creators.  The emotionless computer trust then begins to tighten its grip of control over humanity with some indelicate displays of might, namely dropping nukes on some US and Russian sites.  Things get worse after that.  Lead actor Eric Braeden’s performance as Forbin runs from the gamut from proud, “paternal” figure overseeing Colossus’ early achievements to a grief stricken, broken man unable to control his creation which no longer listens to him or his pleadings to stop the enslavement of humanity by thinking machines.  A precursor to the Terminator series, Colossus originated as a speculative fiction book written by DF Jones.

Uncategorized

END OF THE WORLD PART 3 – THE DAY AFTER

Leave a comment

th (2)

Tensions between America and the Eastern Bloc escalate into a devastating nuclear exchange.  We see the bleak results unleashed on one of our large cities and its populace.

There is an extended sequence in this made for television movie, “The Day After”, detailing a very harrowing nuclear missile attack on Kansas City, USA.  It is an interesting collage of actual documentary footage detailing the effects on structures and the landscape by the detonation of atomic weapons, sound effects, and newly created film effects of buildings and bodies vaporizing in the flash heat fires which accompany nuclear blasts.  Awful.