We humans are a narcissistic lot.
There is nothing we like better than to think that we are the end all be all of this planet, and nothing gives us a thrill more than watching it go ‘boom’.
A theory that was proven once again last weekend with the respectable box office opening of Tom Cruise’s post apocalyptic action flick, Oblivion. And we’ll be seeing more end of the world tales including World War Z, Elysium, and even a comedy about global meltdown in This is The End.
Every generation has their own anxieties about the end of the world, for boomers it was conformity and the atomic age, in the 70s it was about shadowy conspiracies and for those in my age group, the 80s were all about nuclear annihilation.
A topic that was inescapable in the news and the big screen (it was even in the top 40..thanks a lot, Sting).
So today’s installment of The List are the films that used to keep my up at night about the end of the world as we know it (I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself)…
This film traumatized an entire generation of kids (myself included) with the stories of regular people trying to survive after a nuclear missile attack in Missouri. And while technically a TV movie, the story of ordinary people dealing with the after effects of a nuclear war definitely deserves a spot on this list…for no other reason than the final scene with John Lithgow calling out for other survivors on his crappy short wave radio. A scene that still bums me out to this day.
2. Night of the Comet
This film is the only one on the list that isn’t about a nuclear holocaust, but I couldn’t make a list about apocalyptic 80s movies without it. On a personal note, my love of this particular film probably has something to do with the the idea of riding out the end of mankind in a mall that was particularly appealing to my pre-teen self.
But, Thom Eberhardt’s sci-fi horror about two teen girls surviving a zombie plague`has much more to recommend it than a passion for consumerism. The film successfully mixes comedy, horror, and a bit of social commentary with some truly cool shots of a city under the cloud of a deadly ‘Red Dust’.
3. Miracle Mile
This real time apocalyptic thriller starring Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham as doomed lovers was a box-office failure, but was a hit with critics and over the years has gained cult status. If you are looking for a happy ending, this isn’t the movie for you.
But, if you like a little tragedy in your romantic thrillers, you won’t be disappointed.
4. Testament
Here we have another nuclear drama about a family trying to survive in the wake of a attack. Originally intended for PBS, this end of the world scenario isn’t flashy or filled with special F/X of major landmarks crumbling.
Instead you get a very real (and horrifying) portrait of a family in a small town slowly succumbing to disease and struggling to remain hopeful for a better day.
5. War Games
This 1983 sci-fi thriller centered on a young hacker (played by an obscenely young Matthew Broderick) who almost starts WWIII when he mistakes a NORAD AI for a kick-a** computer game. Ask just about anyone of a certain age about the flick and you’ll get nothing but fond memories and reminiscing about classic computers. But it’s not just nostalgia that earned the film a spot on the list (it was a was a huge hit at the time, too, and even won three Academy awards).
Instead, this flick earned the final spot for inspiring a generation of kids to become computer geniuses, even if most of us never got further than an iPad.
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