# Your favorite post-apocolyptic movie?



## Knightfall (Dec 7, 2005)

Okay, I'm not up-to-date on all the post-apocolyptic movies out there and won't even try to make a list. Would the Terminator movies be included in this category? Those are more like science fiction/time travel movies, as the Terminator apocalypse hasn't actually happened in the timeframe of the movies.

Anyway, I'll start off with Mad Max.

*Mad Max (1979):* In an Australian dystopia of decaying order and violent highways, a police pursuit driver is drawn into a path of vengeance after a motorcycle gang targets him for the death of their former leader.

*Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981):* Max is travelling in a post apocalypse Australia where Gasoline is the most valuable commodity. He becomes involved in a struggle between bandits and a town that has build defenses around a small refinery. He must cross the no man's land several times to allow them to make a dash for freedom, pursued by the bandits in their vehicles.

*Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985):* Bartertown is a city on the edge of a desert that has managed to retain some technology if no civilization. Max has his supplies stolen and must seek shelter there in a post apocalypse world where all machines have begun to break down and barbarians hold what is left. He becomes involved in a power struggle in this third Mad Max film where he must first survive the town, survive the desert and then rescue the innocent children he has discovered. [Didn't like this one as much.]

Plus, coming next year (knock on wood)...

*Untitled Mad Max 4 Film (2006):* Mad Max, finally with us in his fourth incarnation, still wanders the wastelands of a post-apocalyptic Australian Outback.

Anyway, besides Mad Max, which are your favorite post-apocolyptic movies? Are there any other good ones? And who, besides me, actually likes Waterworld (see below)? And what would you give to see a Gamma World movie?

*Waterworld (1995):* Sometime in the future, the polar ice caps have melted and the world's oceans and seas have covered the land. People are few and far between, living in small communities at sea or sailing from one to another as traders. All the people seek dry land.. something nobody has seen.

I know a lot of people hated this movie, but I thought it was strangely fascinating.  

Cheers!

Knightfall1972


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## Cursed Quinn (Dec 7, 2005)

Do various George Romero movies count? If so, make mine zombie!!


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## Knightfall (Dec 7, 2005)

*Also...*

*Reign of Fire (2002):* It is twenty years in the future, and the planet has been devastated by vicious fire-breathing dragons. The last vestiges of humanity now struggle for survival in at remote ouposts. In a ruined castle in the English countryside, Quinn is desperately trying to hold together a band of frightened, restless survivors. As a boy, Quinn watched his mother die protecting him from one of the beasts, and is still haunted by the memory. One day, a group of American rouges shows up, led by a brash, tough-guy named Van Zam. He claims to have discovered a way to kill the dragons once and for all, and enlists Quinn's help. But doing so will force Quinn to confront his own frightening memories. This, and Quinn's responsibilities to those that are under his protection, results in a battle of wills between the two men. In the end, events cause them both to realize that they must work together to defeat the monsters--both without and within.


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## Knightfall (Dec 7, 2005)

Cursed Quinn said:
			
		

> Do various George Romero movies count? If so, make mine zombie!!




I would say so... the Land of the Dead movies, right? (Forgive my ignorance.)

Another for my list...

*Judge Dredd (1995):* In a dystopic future, where urban areas have grown into megacities that cover entire coastal regions, the justice system has evolved to a single person invested with the power of police, judge, jury, and executioner: the Judge. Among the Judges of Mega-City One, Judge Dredd is one of the best, and a particular favorite of the Head of the Council, Judge Fargo. But there are evil forces at work in the Justice Dept: block riots and the escape of Rico, a homicidal maniac, are only steps in a plan that ultimately lead to the sentencing of Dredd for a murder he didn't commit. And Dredd must discover the secrets of his own past and survive to stop the evildoers.


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## WayneLigon (Dec 7, 2005)

The Omega Man
The Last Man on Earth
The Day After Tomorrow

"Where Have All the People Gone?" A 70's TV movie about a family who was camping. They decided to explore a cave in the afternoon and camped in it that night. That afternoon, 'something' happened perhaps to the sun - and everyone who wasn't protected by several feet of stone or metal turned into dust. They come back to find civilization is just over. 

12 Monkeys
The Stand
Most zombie movies
Armageddon
Deep Impact
Day of the Triffids

When Worlds Collide is one of my favorites. 

Of the list and the others I've seen, I probably like 12 Monkeys as one of the best non-zombie end-of-the-world films. Before that: Mad Max 2.The very end of MM3 I liked better than the entire rest of the film (which I did like) - where the kids finally get to where they are going and we see it's an empty Sydney, and they talk about 'lighting the city' like they heard about... very sad and moving. 

I'm sure I'm forgetting some better films.


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## Conaill (Dec 7, 2005)

*Delicatessen (1991):* Off-beat french post-apocalyptic black comedy by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, City of Lost Children). An ex-clown turns up seeking work at an ancient tenament in the middle of nowhere. Little does he know that the landlord, a butcher, feeds his tenants, in these days of extreme food shortages, on fattened up handymen.

Heartily recommended!


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## DMH (Dec 7, 2005)

The original Planet of the Apes. I can't think of a better ending in a PA movie.


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## Wombat (Dec 7, 2005)

Conaill said:
			
		

> Delicatessen (1991)




A truly excellent film! (edit:  hmmm, I wonder if _City of Lost Children_ counts?  Make the fun double bill!)

And then there is...

_A Boy And His Dog_


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## Crothian (Dec 7, 2005)

Night of the Comet!!!


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## Firebeetle (Dec 7, 2005)

*Blood of Heroes*

Several great movies here, I always like apocalypse movies for some reason.  My obsession with Mad Max was so great I played Car Wars for years and years as a youth.

A Boy and his Dog is fantastic, a cult hit and a must see.

Day of the Triffids is a classic.  

My all-time favorite is. . .

Blood of Heroes with Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen, and Vincent D'onofrio.  

It's a sports movie about a post apocalyptic sport called Jugging.  It managed to be completely convincing while having a low budget.  I love that kind of film-making, where you end up rooting as much for the director for pulling it off as you do the characters.  Great film, and highly recommended.


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## Tonguez (Dec 7, 2005)

*Zardoz* - In a dystopic future possibly Sean Connery's worst movie? (but I liked it)
*Logans Run* - In a dystopic future where birthdays are no longer fun
*Cherry 2000* - In a dystopic future Melanie Griffith looks for a robot sex doll
*Robocop* - In a dystopic future, Detroit is crime ridden, and run by a massive company. The future of law enforcement.


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## sydbar (Dec 7, 2005)

I have to agree Planet of the apes is the best post-apocolyptic film of all time, especially the ending, an all time classic.  The Road Warrior comes in a close second.


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## Skrit (Dec 7, 2005)

Wow I heard some real good ones in this list.. Thought I was alone in "Day of the Triffids", "Night of the Comet", "Omega Man". Good to know I'm in the presence of Like minded people =)

Those are some of My favs too..


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## Crothian (Dec 7, 2005)

THings to Come: It shows the next war and then showes how civilkiation gets altered.


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## Tonguez (Dec 7, 2005)

I'm not sure if it counts but *Apocolypse* and *Left Behind * are both 'christian movies' which tels of what happens during the apocolypse as depicted in the Bible - from Tribulation to rise of the Anti-christ etc. I enjoyed them...


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## Dirigible (Dec 7, 2005)

> Cherry 2000 - In a dystopic future Melanie Griffith looks for a robot sex doll




A massively underrated classic!

Also, The Quiet Earth.


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## Hand of Evil (Dec 7, 2005)

What, No Hell Comes to Frog Town?  Omega Doom?  Last Man on Earth? 

Planet of the Apes (old), Road Warrior (all) are about the best but there are some Amine that are damn good.


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## iwatt (Dec 7, 2005)

Escape from New York

Escape from LA

I'm strangely fascinated with Snake Plisken, and have alwats wondered what happened in Cleveland.


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## Lhorgrim (Dec 7, 2005)

Does anybody remember "Damnation Alley"?  I think it was a made for TV movie in the 70's.  All I remember about it was these cool (for the time) multi wheeled military type vehicles, and some giant scorpions.  I was kind of young, but I remember enjoying it at the time.


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## Klaus (Dec 7, 2005)

IIRC, there was a post-apoc movie where the main charcaters were astronauts orbiting the Earth, and when they came back down everything was a mess (they first notice the utter degradation when some survivors are hunched over eating, and when one of them turns around, the snack is a human leg.

Anyone know what film this is?


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## The Grumpy Celt (Dec 7, 2005)

_Last Man on Earth._

_Mad Max_

_The Stand_

Possibly any episode of _Teletubbies_, which takes place after the last war kill all but a half dozen people and they were mutated into pastel-color creatures with things coming out of their heads...

Why are post-doomsday movies always dystopian. Why not happy? I mean, for one thing there would be a lot less traffic to deal with on the way to work.


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## Klaus (Dec 7, 2005)

I noticed no one mentioned The Postman...


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## Shane_Leahy (Dec 7, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> IIRC, there was a post-apoc movie where the main charcaters were astronauts orbiting the Earth, and when they came back down everything was a mess (they first notice the utter degradation when some survivors are hunched over eating, and when one of them turns around, the snack is a human leg.
> 
> Anyone know what film this is?




Sounds like Def Con 4 or something like that...

Yeah thats it, not well liked though...


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## tecnowraith (Dec 7, 2005)

WayneLigon said:
			
		

> The Omega Man
> The Last Man on Earth
> The Day After Tomorrow
> 
> ...




These I would not considered post-apocolyptic movies cause their more pre-apocolyptic and more of disaster genre movies than post-apocolyptic movies.
When Worlds Collide
Armageddon
Deep Impact


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## CarlZog (Dec 7, 2005)

Lhorgrim said:
			
		

> Does anybody remember "Damnation Alley"?  I think it was a made for TV movie in the 70's.  All I remember about it was these cool (for the time) multi wheeled military type vehicles, and some giant scorpions.  I was kind of young, but I remember enjoying it at the time.




*Damnation Alley* was the first movie I thought of when I read the title of this thread. It was a real movie, not "made-for-TV".

I, too, loved this movie as a kid, but I haven't seen it in years. I've seen DVDs on ebay, but I think they're all bootleg. 

Both the incredibly cool ARK II vehicle and the steel-plated cockroaches (not giant scorpions) were ACTUALLY REAL! Below are some trivia notes from IMDB, and there's even a fansite for the ARK II (Landmaster):

http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/landmaster/


    *  The 12-wheeled "Landmaster" vehicle used in the film was created by Jefferies Automotive in Universal City, California. Despite the appearance of two "Landmasters" in the film, only one was built at a cost of $300,000 in 1976. The Landmaster is powered by a 391 cubic-inch Ford industrial engine, and features a fully-functional, custom-built "tristar" wheel arrangement, which could actually help it "crawl" over boulders. It also used an innovative steering mechanism that guided the vehicle, not by the front wheels, but by "bending" the middle section with hydraulic rams to affect a turn. The Landmaster's bodywork was made with 3/8-inch steel plating, which helped it tip the scales at over 10 tons. It was so tough, in fact, that it survived a 25-foot jump during testing with no damage. 

    * The infamous armor-plated "killer cockroaches" are in fact Madagascar "hissing" cockroaches. In reality, they are three-inches long (as seen in the film), and are quite benign. They make the "hissing" sound to communicate with one another, and when they are agitated.

Carl


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## Neo (Dec 7, 2005)

The OMEGA MAN
A Boy and His Dog
Night of the Comet

those would be my three favourite PA movies from memory.. but all very old and cheesey by todays standards.


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## buzzard (Dec 7, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> I noticed no one mentioned The Postman...




And there's a damned good reason for that. 

buzzard


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## buzzard (Dec 7, 2005)

I am fairly amazed that nobody mentioned The Matrix. It is definitely post apocalyptic, and is a very good movie. 

buzzard


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## Particle_Man (Dec 7, 2005)

Tonguez said:
			
		

> *Zardoz* - In a dystopic future possibly Sean Connery's worst movie?




No, that would be The Avengers.  I heard that after that one, Connery wanted to blackball the producer, writer and director.


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## Particle_Man (Dec 7, 2005)

Need love for:

Six String Samurai!!!!


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## Richards (Dec 7, 2005)

Actually, _Damnation Alley_ featured both the armor-plated cockroaches mentioned by Carl Zog and the giant scorpions mentioned by Lhorgrim.  (I remember some of the characters in the movie riding motorcycles on the beach by the giant scorpions.)  I always liked _Damnation Alley_; based on a story by Roger Zelazny, it's also one of the few movies featuring a missileer in a positive role.  (At least one of the main characters in the movie was a missileer.)  Pilots get _Top Gun_, while those of us in the ICBM world get _Damnation Alley_.  Oh well, it's a good thing I didn't become a missileer for the glory.  

Johnathan


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## sniffles (Dec 7, 2005)

*Mad Max: The Road Warrior* is definitely my favorite post-apocalyptic film.

*A Boy and His Dog* - thanks for mentioning that one, Wombat! It's a great film. Based on a great Harlan Ellison story.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned *Soylent Green* yet.   

@Knightfall1972 - I liked *Waterworld* too. Not my favorite film, but I think it was better than a lot of people made it out to be.


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## iwatt (Dec 7, 2005)

sniffles said:
			
		

> @Knightfall1972 - I liked *Waterworld* too. Not my favorite film, but I think it was better than a lot of people made it out to be.




I liked it as well. The only thing that really bothered me was the cheesy Smoking==Evil. As a former smoker I can tell you that Smoking==Stupid, not evil.


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## Dark Jezter (Dec 7, 2005)

Lhorgrim said:
			
		

> Does anybody remember "Damnation Alley"?  I think it was a made for TV movie in the 70's.  All I remember about it was these cool (for the time) multi wheeled military type vehicles, and some giant scorpions.  I was kind of young, but I remember enjoying it at the time.



 I remember that one, particularly the armor-plated, flesh-eating cockroaches that took over Salt Lake City. 

Here is another (two, actually) post-apocalyptic movie that hasn't been mentioned yet.  In fact, it's an anime title...

*Vampire Hunter D (1985):*  Thousands of years in the future, human civilization has crumbled and the land is crawling with supernatural terrors while vampire overlords rule over the few surviving humans in a form of government that is almost feudalistic in nature.  In the movie, a young woman hires a vampire hunter to kill the vampire who has bitten her and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.  This is one of the first anime titles I was ever exposed to, and to this day remains one of the only ones I like.  The setting is very dark and interesting (it would make a cool setting for a horror RPG), and the main character in the movie kind of reminds me of Clint Eastwood's character from Sergio Leone's "The Man With No Name" trilogy.

*Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust (2000):*  Set many years after the original, the reign of vampire overlords has all but crumbled as they found themselves systematically eliminated by fearless vampire hunters.  In this film, the mysterious vampire hunter known as D is hired by a wealthy man to rescue his daughter who was kidnapped by a vampire.  This movie features much better animation than the original, as well as better voice acting and a better storyline as well.


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## tecnowraith (Dec 7, 2005)

Akira
Equilibrium
Fist of the Northstar (both the old and new anime movie)
Logan's Run
Omega Doom


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## Klaus (Dec 7, 2005)

buzzard said:
			
		

> I am fairly amazed that nobody mentioned The Matrix. It is definitely post apocalyptic, and is a very good movie.
> 
> buzzard



 Yeah, it is very good.

Somebody should make a sequel to it someday...


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## sydbar (Dec 7, 2005)

Six-String samurai isn't one of my favorite post-apocolyptic movies, but it is one of the most creative movies ever made, but only the hardcore gamers have seen it, since its a movie that you need to hunt for, instead of just finding, but it should be seen.

   Damnation Alley is also a great film, but the vegas cockroaches still send a small shiver down my spine when i'm surprised by a cockroach. 

   Soylant green is also good, but just remember what soylant green is.

   The Omega Man is also a good movie.


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## Klaus (Dec 7, 2005)

I have vague recollections of liking Steel Dawn (1987, with Patrick Swayze) back when I was 13. Haven't seen it since.


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## buzzard (Dec 7, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> Yeah, it is very good.
> 
> Somebody should make a sequel to it someday...




Now why would anyone want to ruin a nice perfectly open ending like that?

buzzard


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## sniffles (Dec 7, 2005)

buzzard said:
			
		

> Now why would anyone want to ruin a nice perfectly open ending like that?
> 
> buzzard



Sigh. I _liked_ the Matrix sequels.   

For tv post-apocalypse, I enjoyed the cheesy *Genesis 2* back in the '70s.


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## Hijinks (Dec 7, 2005)

I belive the Patrick Swayze movie was _Red Dawn_, not _Steel Dawn_

I liked _13 Days Later_, a British film about zombies infected by rage


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## Black Omega (Dec 7, 2005)

In addition to other excellent movies already mentioned...

When The Wind Blows.  An interesting animated movie about a british couple that survive a nuclear war.  It's fairly low key, no big explosions, and spends alot of time on the dreary and lethal aftermath.  A very sad movie.


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## jester47 (Dec 7, 2005)

HARDWARE
Max Headroom


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## DMH (Dec 8, 2005)

Hijinks said:
			
		

> I belive the Patrick Swayze movie was _Red Dawn_, not _Steel Dawn_




Steel Dawn has Swayze- I tried watching it a few months ago it and want my time back.


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## buzzard (Dec 8, 2005)

Hijinks said:
			
		

> I belive the Patrick Swayze movie was _Red Dawn_, not _Steel Dawn_
> 
> I liked _13 Days Later_, a British film about zombies infected by rage




I don't know if I'd call Red Dawn post apocalyptic. It's a war movie. World War III, but still a war movie. Maybe you could call it mid-apocalyptic. 

buzzard


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## Urizen (Dec 8, 2005)

Lhorgrim said:
			
		

> Does anybody remember "Damnation Alley"?  I think it was a made for TV movie in the 70's.  All I remember about it was these cool (for the time) multi wheeled military type vehicles, and some giant scorpions.  I was kind of young, but I remember enjoying it at the time.




I never saw the movie, but read that OUTSTANDING book.

Ok, I'm chiming in with my favorites.

The Road Warrior
The Omega Man
The Postman ( I know, they totally screwed with the book)
Deep Impact
The Day after Tomorrow
The Planet of the Apes
Made for tv movie "The Day after"
Stephen Kings "The Stand"
And I'll throw in Dawn of the Dead and  28 days later


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## Knightfall (Dec 8, 2005)

sniffles said:
			
		

> *@Knightfall1972 - I liked Waterworld too. Not my favorite film, but I think it was better than a lot of people made it out to be.  *



*

That's exactly my opinion. It won't ever be a cult classic, but it was enjoyable. And BTW, I didn't mind the Postman movie the first time I saw it. However, watching it a few years later made me realize it wasn't very good.

And how could I have forgot Zardoz and Cherry 2000. Zardoz is just a weird movie you can't look away from, because it's so cheesy, while Cherry 2000 is just a fun movie. Here's some more info...

Zardoz (1974): In the distant future Earth is divided into two camps, the barely civilized group and the overly civilized one with mental powers. A plague is attacking the second group after which it's members cease to have any interest in life and become nearly catatonic. When Sean Connery one of the barbarians, crosses over, the tenuous balance in their world is threatened.

Cherry 2000 (1987): In the future, a man travels to the ends of the earth to find that the perfect woman is always under his nose. When successful businessman Sam Treadwell finds that his android wife, Cherry model 2000 has blown a fuse, he hires sexy renegade tracker E. Johnson to find her exact duplicate. But as their journey to replace his perfect mate leads them into the treacherous and lawless region of 'The Zone', Treadwell learns the hard way that the perfect woman is made not of computer chips and diodes, but of real flesh and blood!*


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## Neo (Dec 8, 2005)

Hijinks said:
			
		

> I belive the Patrick Swayze movie was _Red Dawn_, not _Steel Dawn_




Actually they were both Swayze movies.

Red Dawn was about the US being invaded and Swayze and some other kids forming a resistance

Steel Dawn was a post apocalyptic setting where swaye played some sword wielding law man.


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## Rackhir (Dec 8, 2005)

iwatt said:
			
		

> Escape from New York Cleveland.
> 
> Escape from LA
> 
> I'm strangely fascinated with Snake Plisken, and have alwats wondered what happened in Cleveland.




Cleveland was where he staged the bank robbery with Brain that got him caught. There's scenes from it on the Extended Edition DVD for Escape from New York.

I loved "Salute of the Jugger"/"Blood of Heroes" as well. It's the only movie that I've ever seen where I really wanted to get up and cheer at the end and I hate sports movies. I just wish I could get a copy of the original "Salute of the Jugger"/Ozzy version. I got to see it when I was in Japan and I liked the extra footage at the end which goes beyond the "feel good" american finish. In the American version it ends at the victory party. In the SotJ version Salo and the other members of the team (minus Kidda and Gar who join the league) have to return to playing the dog towns. Lord Vlle has a malicious speach about how having a jugger like Salo being condemed to playing Dogtowns is almost as good a revenge. Finally, there's a nice scene with Salo reasuring the nervous new quick before a game. Also there were a few more scenes earlier in the movie as well, such as when they encounter a patrol from the Red Cities. I bought the soundtrack for this. You gotta love the drums during the games. 

Twelve Monkeys is another fave. My favorite Gilliam movie. It's so cool when you finally get to understand what's been going on and see the whole plot laid out before you.


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## KaosDevice (Dec 8, 2005)

Hijinks said:
			
		

> I liked _13 Days Later_, a British film about zombies infected by rage




Ummm..I'm thinking you are talking about 28 Days Later? Great film.

I'd like to throw a shout out for 'On the Beach' the original and remake with Armand Assante as well.


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## Azlan (Dec 8, 2005)

_The Last Man on Earth_ is an old movie. (It's in B&W, right?) Which is surprising, because its premise – a lone man surviving in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by vampires – seems like something that was made up within the past 20 years or so. But, no, that movie was based on Richard Matheson's novella, "I Am Legend", which was first published in the 1950s. The movie came out about 10 years later.

I saw a lot of post-apocalpyse sci-fi movies on TV, when I was growing up. _The Last Man on Earth_, I first saw when I was around 8 or 9 years old. Then I saw Charlton Heston in _The Omega Man_, which has a premise a lot like _The Last Man on Earth_'s. I was around 10 years old when I saw Heston in _Planet of the Apes_, and the final scene of that movie left an indelible mark in my memory and imagination.

I've been fascinated with post-apocalypse sci-fi ever since.


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## KaosDevice (Dec 8, 2005)

Azlan said:
			
		

> Then I saw Charlton Heston in _The Omega Man_, which has a premise a lot like _The Last Man on Earth_'s. I was around 10 years old when I saw Heston in _Planet of the Apes_, and the final scene of that movie left an indelible mark in my memory and imagination.




The Omega Man is based on the Richard Matheson story 'I am Legend' I'm not sure if The Last man on Earth was or not. There was a pretty high cheese factor in The Omega Man, I'd like to see a remake that took itself more seriously (as, in fact the story does). 

Just as an aside, it seems to me that post-apocolyptic fiction was more popular during the cold war era and with the fall of the Berlin Wall has been on something of a low burner ever since. Sad, because as J.G. Ballard shows, there can be _all sorts_ of armeggedons.


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## Azlan (Dec 8, 2005)

KaosDevice said:
			
		

> The Omega Man is based on the Richard Matheson story 'I am Legend' I'm not sure if The Last man on Earth was or not.



Maybe they're _both_ based on the novella, "I Am Legend"? But I re-read the novella recently, and I recall _The Last Man on Earth_ following the plot more closely than _The Omega Man_ did. (Then again, it has been a long time since I last saw either movie.)


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## Rackhir (Dec 8, 2005)

Azlan said:
			
		

> Maybe they're _both_ based on the novella, "I Am Legend"? But I re-read the novella recently, and I recall _The Last Man on Earth_ following the plot more closely than _The Omega Man_ did. (Then again, it has been a long time since I last saw either movie.)




They are both based on the novella.

Spoilers


Spoiler



The only real change between "Last Man on Earth" and the original novella was the end, where in the story he was going to be executed by the vampire society that had arisen and he realizes that he has become the boogieman for the new society, the horror that the parents will use to frighten their children with. Thus the title "I am Legend".

I get the impression that Omega man was influenced by Heston's NRA sympathies (all the guns, which were useless in the original story) and the ending was considerably different with the overt Christ imagery and "cure" through his blood. There was no "cure" in the novella, the vampires had become the new society and humanity was extinct


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## sniffles (Dec 8, 2005)

All the discussion of _I Am Legend_ reminds me of a post-apocalyptic short story I read once that was obviously inspired by Matheson's tale. I can't remember the title or author, though. But all the adults but one had been killed by a plague, and the children had turned into feral monsters who wanted to kill the adult. Sort of a mix of _I Am Legend_ and "Miri" from the original Star Trek.


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## Rackhir (Dec 8, 2005)

sniffles said:
			
		

> All the discussion of _I Am Legend_ reminds me of a post-apocalyptic short story I read once that was obviously inspired by Matheson's tale. I can't remember the title or author, though. But all the adults but one had been killed by a plague, and the children had turned into feral monsters who wanted to kill the adult. Sort of a mix of _I Am Legend_ and "Miri" from the original Star Trek.




Did it feature a head that had managed to survive the apocalipse that was turned off at the end of the story.

Here's an interesting web site that I found recently. It's a bibliography with synopsis for post nuclear war stories.

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/nuclear/a.htm#A


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## Mark CMG (Dec 8, 2005)

Favorites?

28 Days Later
The Bed-Sitting Room
A Boy and His Dog
The Day After
Delicatessen
Five
The Omega Man (I agree it could use a remake.)
On the Beach
The Planet of the Apes
Threads
Twelve Monkeys
Zardoz

Others? (Were these mentioned and I missed them?)

Logan's Run
Mindwarp
Prototype
The Sisterhood
World Gone Wild


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## Villano (Dec 8, 2005)

Road Warrior
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Judge Dredd
Omega Man
Last Man On Earth
The Planet of the Apes films (excluding the remake)
Hell Comes To Frogtown
Vampire Hunter D
Steel Dawn
Cyborg
Matrix (just the first)
The Day The World Ended
Teenage Caveman (the '50s original)
Battlefield: Earth (I like it because it's so bad)


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## Tyler Do'Urden (Dec 9, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> I noticed no one mentioned The Postman...




Yet another case of a good novel made into a really bad movie- which threw out half of the plot of the book (including the most interesting parts), failed to explain the background- and even neglected to mention that the whole darn thing took place in Oregon...

Anyway, David Brin wrote the book as a response to "Road Warrior" and "Atlas Shrugged" type apocalyptic fantasies- which he sees as immature, immoral and misanthropic.  It's sort of an anti-apocalypse novel, in a similiar (but strangely reversed) fashion to Norman Spinrad's "The Iron Dream", Spinrad's takedown of high fantasy.


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## Reynard (Dec 9, 2005)

Six String Samurai: Part Road Warrior, Part Kirosawa, and Part Elvis Movie.


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## Reynard (Dec 9, 2005)

Neo said:
			
		

> Actually they were both Swayze movies.
> 
> Red Dawn was about the US being invaded and Swayze and some other kids forming a resistance
> 
> Steel Dawn was a post apocalyptic setting where swaye played some sword wielding law man.




Hmm... I never thought about it before.  maybe _Steel Dawn_ was a sequel to _Red Dawn_?


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## Rackhir (Dec 9, 2005)

Reynard said:
			
		

> Hmm... I never thought about it before.  maybe _Steel Dawn_ was a sequel to _Red Dawn_?




Steel Dawn was just "Shane" with Road Warrior outfits.


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## Tonguez (Dec 9, 2005)

Villano said:
			
		

> Battlefield: Earth (I like it because it's so bad)





Yet another case of a _bad novel_ made into a really bad movie


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## VirgilCaine (Dec 9, 2005)

Hijinks said:
			
		

> I liked _13 Days Later_, a British film about zombies infected by rage




28 Days Later?

Personally...

The Omega Man
Night of the Comet
Romero's Zombie Cycle
Mad Max Series
Last Man on Earth (with Price)
(I'd like to see) Damnation Alley
                 ....The Day After (all the way through)

Hardware--Does this movie start with a sunrise/set and a radio jockey talking about the UV levels. Then there's a fat junk dealer paying several people?


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## Dark Jezter (Dec 9, 2005)

Reynard said:
			
		

> Hmm... I never thought about it before.  maybe _Steel Dawn_ was a sequel to _Red Dawn_?



 Considering that Patrick Swayze's character died at the end of _Red Dawn_, not to mention that World War III ended without the fall of civilization, I highly doubt it.


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## James Heard (Dec 9, 2005)

My personal favorites are:

*Mad Max: Thunderdome*: I thought the first two were great too. The characters in Thunderdome might have been over the top, but they're easily some of the most memorable ones ever. Plus it made me jealous of Ike Turner, which obviously took a lot of excellent storytelling.

*Night of the Comet*: Night of the Comet...bad acting, poor plot, ridiculous method for murdering the world...Why do I like this movie? Kelly Maroney, and Valley Girls with Uzis. Genius.

*The Quiet Earth*: Best apocalypse ever. If only the secondary actors weren't so bad it might be on my list of best _movies _ever. It easily gets the most kudos for having a complex, well-thought out series of action/consequence of any "the world ends" movie I can think of. I would love to see someone capable redoing this film.

And...Just for giggles since we're also allowing zombie movies:
*Shaun of the Dead*: What's not to like?


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## freebfrost (Dec 9, 2005)

Hmm... can't believe no one has mentioned *Warrior of the Lost World*, a movie so bad that you *have* to see it to believe it.

Appropriate review by MST3000 is here.

So... utterly... bad.


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## Arnwyn (Dec 9, 2005)

Some of my favorites:

- Planet of the Apes
- The Omega Man
- The Day After
- Judge Dredd
- Six-String Samurai
- Twelve Monkeys
- Logan's Run


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## David Howery (Dec 9, 2005)

I saw Damnation Alley because I'd read the story it was based on...  the movie was less than interesting... everything gets fixed at the end because the earth tilts a little?  Right...

My fav. post- apoc. movie has to be The Road Warrior... just so neat, with Humongous rules the wasteland and all that...

The Postman?  That was never made into a movie, nope, didn't happen, just a good book and nothing more...  :\


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## sniffles (Dec 9, 2005)

Rackhir said:
			
		

> Did it feature a head that had managed to survive the apocalipse that was turned off at the end of the story.
> 
> Here's an interesting web site that I found recently. It's a bibliography with synopsis for post nuclear war stories.
> 
> http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/nuclear/a.htm#A



No, no disembodied heads. Just this one lone guy who survived because he was working in the sewers or something when the apocalypse arrived. Now that I think about it, I believe it was actually aliens who killed all the adults with a virus. It was in an anthology of post-apocalyptic short stories, printed some time in the '80s, I think.

Wow, that is an amazingly comprehensive site. Fascinating link, thanks, Rackhir!


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## KaosDevice (Dec 9, 2005)

Hey, what about the Twillight Zone episode 'Time Enough At Last'...c'mon, Burgess Meridith, you can't go wrong...

Or, and I can't believe I remember this, does anyone else recall a cancelled (hard to believe) sitcom on Fox called 'Whoops' about the survivors of an apocalypse?


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## VirgilCaine (Dec 9, 2005)

James Heard said:
			
		

> *Night of the Comet*: Night of the Comet...bad acting, poor plot, ridiculous method for murdering the world...Why do I like this movie? Kelly Maroney, and Valley Girls with Uzis. Genius.




Those were MACs, NOT Uzis.

"Dad could have gotten us Uzis!"


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## Dragonfriend (Dec 9, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> I noticed no one mentioned The Postman...




I say the Postman. Great, great, great movie


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## WizarDru (Dec 9, 2005)

CarlZog said:
			
		

> Both the incredibly cool ARK II vehicle and the steel-plated cockroaches (not giant scorpions) were ACTUALLY REAL! Below are some trivia notes from IMDB, and there's even a fansite for the ARK II (Landmaster):
> 
> http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/landmaster/




Now the funny part here is that the VERY FIRST SENTENCE tells you that the Landmaster (used in Damnation Alley) is NOT the Ark II from the TV series of the same name (which I loved...I mean, they had a ROCKET PACK!)!  Irony, thy name is CarlZog. 

Anywho, even though Damnation Alley is a pretty goofy movie, I still loved it way back when.

Planet of the Apes
All 3 Mad Max movies ("I am...the HUMUNGOUS!")
The Omega Man
The Quiet Earth....one of the most disturbing apocalyptic movies I've ever seen.


I don't count movies like 12 Monkeys (excellent though it is) and Logan's Run as I don't really see them as post-apocalyptic.  12 Monkeys features glimpses...but mostly takes place in the modern world.  Logan's Run's world isn't really apocalyptic so much as depopulated...hence the fun-filled flight across an America gone Wild.  Soylent Green is a dystopian future...horrible things happen, but it's more to do with the horror of the future than anything else.  The same applies for the Matrix, to me.  It's post-apocalyptic, true...but the apocalypse isn't really the focus...cyber-world is.  I'd say that the second two Matrix movies ARE post-apocalyptic movies, the third more than the second.

Night of the Comet and Sleeper are the comedy entries, IMHO, and good ones at that.  Both are silly and totally unrealistic...but any film that features the line "We're not crazy...we just don't give a %&#*!" is OK in my book.


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## sniffles (Dec 9, 2005)

KaosDevice said:
			
		

> Hey, what about the Twillight Zone episode 'Time Enough At Last'...c'mon, Burgess Meridith, you can't go wrong...
> 
> Or, and I can't believe I remember this, does anyone else recall a cancelled (hard to believe) sitcom on Fox called 'Whoops' about the survivors of an apocalypse?



I don't remember a Fox series, but there's a British comedy film titled *Whoops Apocalypse!* from the '80s. I've never seen it. I should, though - it's got Peter Cook.


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## KaosDevice (Dec 9, 2005)

sniffles said:
			
		

> I don't remember a Fox series, but there's a British comedy film titled *Whoops Apocalypse!* from the '80s. I've never seen it. I should, though - it's got Peter Cook.





That sounds really familiar, I'll have to track it down. Thanks!


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## Soel (Dec 13, 2005)

Threads - British cousin to The Day After, much more harrowing and bleak

Survivors - mid 70's british tv series depicting aftermath of a modern plague outbreak.                
               Fascinating and thought provoking.

Boy and His Dog - Don Johnson and a telepathic dog. And it gets weirder!

Testament - Another dramatic nuke film circa Day After. Also sadder.

Human Animals - two men and a woman, post-apoc, akin to Quest for Fire, but more odd

Last Days of Planet Earth - Japanese 70s' film about the prophecies of Nostradamus. Features                     
               mutant animals and sky mirrors


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## John Q. Mayhem (Dec 13, 2005)

Soel said:
			
		

> Human Animals - two men and a woman, post-apoc, akin to Quest for Fire, but more odd




Ooooh...do you mean the Maiden song _Quest for Fire_? About the caveman tribe fighting dinosaurs and cannibals while looking for fire? Awesome


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## WizarDru (Dec 13, 2005)

John Q. Mayhem said:
			
		

> Ooooh...do you mean the Maiden song _Quest for Fire_? About the caveman tribe fighting dinosaurs and cannibals while looking for fire? Awesome




Huh?  Maybe I'm misremembering, but there were no dinosaurs in Quest for Fire...in fact, that was one of the chief intents of the director.  There were wooly mammoths, as I recall.  While there were some anachronisms in the movie, that wasn't one of them, iirc.  Maybe you're thinking of Ringo Starr's Caveman? 

Edit: Ohhhhh....Duh.  You mean a song by Iron Maiden.  Got it.  I'll shut up now.


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## cattoy (Dec 14, 2005)

Fist of the Northstar / Hokuto no Ken.

But not the live action version. Oh dear god not the live action version.


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## Rackhir (Dec 14, 2005)

cattoy said:
			
		

> Fist of the Northstar / Hokuto no Ken.
> 
> But not the live action version. Oh dear god not the live action version.




There were two really sad things about the live action movie.

1) They really were trying very hard to do it right and just failed completely and horribly.

2) In the manga when Kenshiro would unleash one of his secret delayed horrible death attacks the Villian would usually say something on the lines of "Were you trying to tickle me?" just before his head would explode. The saddest thing about the live action movie was that when ken unleashed his famed hundred blow attack, it REALLY did look like he was trying to tickle the bad guy. (sob, sob)


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## Vigilance (Dec 15, 2005)

Big fan of the genre, have to go with:

Planet of the Apes (the original)
Logan's Run
The Day After
Soylent Green (maybe there was no apocalypse- but there should've been)
Road Warrior


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## Soel (Dec 15, 2005)

John Q. Mayhem said:
			
		

> Ooooh...do you mean the Maiden song _Quest for Fire_? About the caveman tribe fighting dinosaurs and cannibals while looking for fire? Awesome




Nah, the film, although I'd like to see one based on the Somewhere in Time cover (even if its a ripoff of Deathlok!)

While were at it, some old Voivod covers were typical of the post apoc genre...


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## Nighthawk (Dec 18, 2005)

Mad Max. I enjoyed it when I was a youth. I found it has been one of the few movies from my youth that has passed the test of time, so to speak.


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## Angel Tarragon (Dec 18, 2005)

12 Monkeys
Battlefield Earth
Day After Tomorrow
Enemy Mine
Last Starfighter
Night of The Living Dead (B&W original)
Planet of the Apes (Original & Remake)
Vampire Hunter D
Waterworld


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## DMH (Dec 18, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Enemy Mine
> Last Starfighter




How are these post apocolyptic?


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## Fast Learner (Dec 18, 2005)

Unfortunately I can't remember the film's title, but I remember enjoying it a lot, so want to add it to the list. Maybe someone else remembers it:

Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth (presumably) where winds from terrible storms have scoured the entire surface, leaving only canyons to live in. The story follows a couple of characters, one who is a pilot (I believe) and who flies a glider through the canyon at some point, and another is a very distinquished English butler (I believe). Unfortunately most of my other memories are just of hazy scenes and enjoying the film. Anyone? (Not animated, for clarification.)


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## Brakkart (Dec 19, 2005)

Crothian said:
			
		

> Night of the Comet!!!




Definately gets my vote too. Very cool film, and they are making a sequel with most of the original cast. Can't wait to see that.


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## Rackhir (Dec 19, 2005)

Fast Learner said:
			
		

> Unfortunately I can't remember the film's title, but I remember enjoying it a lot, so want to add it to the list. Maybe someone else remembers it:
> 
> Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth (presumably) where winds from terrible storms have scoured the entire surface, leaving only canyons to live in. The story follows a couple of characters, one who is a pilot (I believe) and who flies a glider through the canyon at some point, and another is a very distinquished English butler (I believe). Unfortunately most of my other memories are just of hazy scenes and enjoying the film. Anyone? (Not animated, for clarification.)




Sounds like Slipstream - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098350/
Did it star Mark Hamill?


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## WizarDru (Dec 19, 2005)

Fast Learner said:
			
		

> Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth (presumably) where winds from terrible storms have scoured the entire surface, leaving only canyons to live in. The story follows a couple of characters, one who is a pilot (I believe) and who flies a glider through the canyon at some point, and another is a very distinquished English butler (I believe). Unfortunately most of my other memories are just of hazy scenes and enjoying the film. Anyone? (Not animated, for clarification.)




That would be none other than Slipstream , one I'd completely forgotten and actually enjoyed a great deal.  Starring Bob Peck (the hunter from Jurassic Park) as a fugitive, Bill Paxton as the pilot who helps him and Mark Hamill as the bounty hunter chasing him.  Lots of fun cameos by folks like Ben Kingsley and F. Murray Abraham, too.  A very low key movie...it's got a few weak spots, but was suprisingly good, IMHO.


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## Greythrax (Dec 19, 2005)

Anyone remember Damnation Alley.


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## WizarDru (Dec 19, 2005)

Greythrax said:
			
		

> Anyone remember Damnation Alley.




Only for last three pages or so.


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## Fast Learner (Dec 20, 2005)

Slipstream, exactly!

I thought it starred Paxton, but didn't recognize the name of it in his credits, and couldn't remember Bob Peck's name aat all.

And amazing, completely forgot about Hamil!

I agree that there were definitely some weak spots, but overall I very much enjoyed it, a very fun premise with some great scenes.

Also, I note in the IMDB comments that folks have found it on DVD for $1 at Family Dollar stores, packaged with Abraxas. That's 50 cents for the film. Dude!


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## Angel Tarragon (Dec 20, 2005)

DMH said:
			
		

> How are these post apocolyptic?



They just seem that way to me.


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## Aris Dragonborn (Dec 20, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> I have vague recollections of liking Steel Dawn (1987, with Patrick Swayze) back when I was 13. Haven't seen it since.




Speaking of movies with 'Dawn' in the title and featuring Patrick Swayze...

Would *Red Dawn* count as PA? Cheesy, but still a cool movie (for those of us who grew up during the Cold War, kind of a scary one too   )

*The Matrix* trilogy makes for a great PA story.

*Battlefield Earth*, anyone? *ducks*


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## Angel Tarragon (Dec 20, 2005)

Aris Dragonborn said:
			
		

> *Battlefield Earth*, anyone? *ducks*



Hey, I'm with you. Love it.


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## Vargo (Dec 27, 2005)

Tani-no Kaze-no Nausicaa - aka Nausicaa of the Valley of Winds.  There was an earlier butchered english version named "Warriors of the Winds".  Avoid at ALL costs, it was a total hackjob.  Not traditional post-apoc - there are giant intelligent potato bugs and giant biological robot warriors, but the film itself is set some time after the "seven days of fire" during which most people died...

Also, Brazil might fall into a post-apoc world.  There are plenty of hints that Something has happened in the past...  Of course, it's also a farce about bureaucracy.

I was going to mention "The Quiet Earth," but somebody beat me to it.  Same with "28 Days Later" and "The Postman" - ah, poor David Brin.  Your books will get the treatment they deserve someday.  I hope you're alive to see it.


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## Joker (Dec 28, 2005)

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.  Part II of course.


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## KaosDevice (Dec 28, 2005)

What abou the later instalments of 'Phantasm'? That was a post-apocalyptic planet if I ever saw one.


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