jfv wrote:

rsmurphy wrote: Sat May 17, 2025 8:35 pm This created quite the hubub on its release. Major watching event. Terrified the fuck out of everyone. Cadet Mahoney is in it.

The way it went from “Yay America! So wholesome!” to what it ended up being was… effective.

I’m gonna go watch some bird videos now to cheer me up.

I was sent to bed when this came on, I've wanted to see it ever since.
There's another one (with little Lukas Haas) that I think is maybe scarier... and also a Brit version that scared the shit out of all the Brits. Can't remember titles...

Teacher's Pet wrote: Tue May 20, 2025 6:01 pma Brit version that scared the shit out of all the Brits. Can't remember titles...

Threads!

rsmurphy wrote: Sat May 17, 2025 8:35 pm

jfv wrote: Sat May 17, 2025 8:24 pm The YouTube algorithm recommended to me this made-for TV film from 1983 about The Day After a US-Soviet nuclear war.

This created quite the hubub on its release. Major watching event. Terrified the fuck out of everyone. Cadet Mahoney is in it.

As a child of the 80s, this movie traumatized the crap out of me. I can still remember, for months afterward, asking my dad, “Is that a mushroom cloud?” when I’d see columns of smoke from industrial smokestacks.

Teacher's Pet wrote: Tue May 20, 2025 6:01 pm There's another one (with little Lukas Haas) that I think is maybe scarier... and also a Brit version that scared the shit out of all the Brits. Can't remember titles...

I believe you’re referring to Testament, which was not as scary — but way more depressing. (In fact, for a good portion of my early life, Testament was my benchmark for “most depressing movie I’ve ever seen”.)

Threads is the UK nuclear-aftermath shocker from the 80s. The Day After did my head in when I saw it aged 13, probably took me a decade to recover.

The Yeoman Ghost wrote:I believe you’re referring to Testament, which was not as scary — but way more depressing. (In fact, for a good portion of my early life, Testament was my benchmark for “most depressing movie I’ve ever seen”.)

I had forgotten all about Testament until now. That movie uncovered so many layers of sadness in "All My Loving." So depressing.

The Yeoman Ghost wrote:

Teacher's Pet wrote: Tue May 20, 2025 6:01 pm There's another one (with little Lukas Haas) that I think is maybe scarier... and also a Brit version that scared the shit out of all the Brits. Can't remember titles...

I believe you’re referring to Testament, which was not as scary — but way more depressing. (In fact, for a good portion of my early life, Testament was my benchmark for “most depressing movie I’ve ever seen”.)

I don't know, I saw a bit on TV as a kid and it involved little Lukas bleeding from his butt with radiation sickness, that scared the shit out of me. Like scared me so bad I've never gone back to check whether I dreamed it or not. Yikes.

I started watching The Day After last night and it was more somehow more serious than I'd expected form early 80s broadcast TV. A little tacky but still pretty terrifying. It incorporates documentary footage (I think?) in a pretty effective way. Not sure I really need to go back and finish it (I fell asleep).

Maybe I'll watch Max Dugan instead...

Teacher's Pet wrote: Wed May 21, 2025 12:45 pm I started watching The Day After last night and it was more somehow more serious than I'd expected form early 80s broadcast TV. A little tacky but still pretty terrifying. It incorporates documentary footage (I think?) in a pretty effective way. Not sure I really need to go back and finish it (I fell asleep).

When I watched it a few days ago (for the first time), I was trying as best as I could to think what it was like in the 80s, but shit, I was 5 or 6 years old. And even then, it's not fair to compare it to the blockbusters from that era, because it was a made-for-TV film with a much lower budget ($500,000, apparently?).

The rapid change in tone is what I think makes it so effective and real. The stuff in the film that happens before and after that is sort of a drag to get through. But it does really nail the "oh yay normal life" to "oh shit we're fucked" transition.

Miracle Mile belongs in the Testament/Threads/The Day After pile. Devastating ending, incredible Tangerine Dream soundtrack, and hey, look- it's Mykelti Williamson!

rsmurphy wrote: Sat May 17, 2025 8:35 pm

jfv wrote: Sat May 17, 2025 8:24 pm The YouTube algorithm recommended to me this made-for TV film from 1983 about The Day After a US-Soviet nuclear war.

Hmm. I guess this is what I’m doing tonight.

This created quite the hubub on its release. Major watching event. Terrified the fuck out of everyone. Cadet Mahoney is in it.

TIL they made a movie about this movie >>

Teacher's Pet wrote: Fri May 30, 2025 1:33 pm TIL they made a movie about this movie >>

Will have to seek this out. Apparently it's available on PBS and Kanopy.