Past Tense - Nuclear Apocalypse '80s Style Part II




Same moment above - the differences are huge. A lot of artifact distortions and jagged edges. Plus the film is cropped. I did not expect that. Why? I don't know. On the right is the Kino version - holy crap so much was cropped out. You can now see all the various details like those pipes and fallout shelter sign.

There not much more to say. If you want to own this movie, don't bother with the MGM DVD. Oh - those still were just after the first nukes impacted.

I should, this is for some - unseen.

The movie is mostly focused on a middle of America town of Sweetsage, Missouri. We follow families and individuals who are dealing with the after effect of a nuclear exchange. Why Sweetsage? It was next door to a U.S. missile defense silo and near Kansas City - one of Russian targets.

This is a farm lands. We follow the Dahlberg family who was at the time getting ready for the wedding of their eldest daughter, various dress rehearsals. Nope. Nuke happens. Then this gears towards the dying and what happens when authority break down, even the loss of technology - the explosion created an EMP killing everything with a computer chip.

We are witnessing society coming undone. This is bleak, people die. And no, no happy ending. As I wrote, the living would envy the dead. [smiles] And no SkyNet.

This has some Hollywood tropes, but held strong in presenting a realistic 'what if', few punches pulled. Can imagine this movie made a lot of people upset and scared. Not just from the war, but from man's inhumanity to man. If you could put a label on it - 'life isn't fair'.

- - -

Okay I'm gonna shift a bit, but not by much. Once again, story...

So after the mega hit that was "The Day After", the Brits wanted their own version - what would happen to England if such a nuclear exchange happened? They opted to go more graphic with more gut punches with "Threads". The BBC (Two) aired on September 23rd 1984. This was a two hour movie.

Both "The Day After" and "Threads" are considered companion movies.

Their production could be considered a docudrama - what could happen to a working class city of Sheffield, England as society unravels from the deaths, hoarding and utter chaos.



Above is the home video ad; this was released as a remastered, special edition on DVD ($19.95) and Blu-Ray ($25.95) from Severin Films, Inc on January 30th, 2018. Extras are the same on each format.

Commentary with director Mick Jackson - moderated by film writer Kier-La Janisse and Severin Films’ David Gregory. Interview with actress Karen Meagher. Interview with director of photography Andrew Dunn. Interview with production designer Christopher Robilliard. Interview with teleplay writer Stephen Thrower and U.S. trailer.

Four months after broadcasting in England it aired in America and was the most watched basic cable program of its day, making history; [B]Superstation TBS[B] on January 13th, 1985. Unlike the U.S. film, this included the harsh after effects of a nuclear winter. Later it would air on PBS. It was a big deal, TBS presented the film without commercial breaks.

I have both TV movies on DVD; Kino and Severin. There is more. The movie was repeated on BBC (One) on July 31st, 1985; aired as part of their fortieth anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

They didn't want just to re-air the program, they wanted more and found it. In 1966, during the Cold War, documentary filmmaker Peter Watkins was commissioned to do a docudrama about what could happen after a nuclear attack on Great Britain - to inform folks. It was called "The War Games". He didn't pull punches. The BBC said it was too much and refused to air it (too graphic).

Now it's '85. They were looking for additional content and rediscovered this unaired program. It took nineteen years, but Watkins' docudrama finally aired - aired before the movie. Sway.



On July 25th, 2006 it was released on DVD as a double feature - "The War Games/Culleden: The Cinema Of Peter Watkins" from New Yorker Video for $29.95. I have it, but have yet to watch. I paid thirty bucks for it in September of 2018. Now this is going for 'like new' for $50.39, used. It came with a commentary by Patrick Murphy and a booklet on the history of the production.

To be clear - this was screened at several film festivals, just not aired on TV.

There you go. Yeah, it's a gloomy post. Depressing stuff, but not woes are negative. Seek them out. Okay.

See you here on September 16th, 2021 - back to the normal stuff. And yeah, October is coming. Just saying. *wink*