The Flux Capacitor 11.23.07: Week 10 - Ten of the Best
Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 11.23.2007
A special edition of everyone's [ahem] favorite sci-fi column, looking at the best doomsday films you can find! Plus, all the latest from the world of SF.
Welcome to "The Flux Capacitor", the column that examines the past, present and future of the science fiction genre. I'm your host, Owain J. Brimfield, and this week we have something slightly different - as readers of my retro gaming column over at 411 Games, "The Wonder Years", may know, I have a bit of a special love for decimal editions of the column, so I thought I'd replicate the ten-weekly features in this column too. Later on I'll also discuss some of the latest SF news and see how it impacts on the genre. For now though, let's get the DeLorean on the road - this week's theme is:
TEN OF THE BEST: DOOMSDAY
Regular readers may remember I've already taken a look back at apocalyptic and "last man" science fiction in two earlier regular editions of The Flux Capacitor, so some of these films I may have discussed before. That shouldn't matter, though - doomsday SF is a favorite sub-genre of mine, and has seen some fine examples from both ends of the budget scale. It's equally appealing to the cinematic mind to see overwrought scenes of mass world destruction as it is to see one man's quest to discover if he is truly alone. For this feature I'm going to look at some of the films that have successfully paved the way to end of the world, and entertained the hell out of us along the way. So let's get started!
When Worlds Collide (1951)
Based on a 1932 novel and produced by SF veteran George Pal, this is one of the first successful cinematic depictions (in science fiction at least) of a doomsday scenario. As a renegade gas giant marches into the solar system and encroaches on Earth with malicious intent, scientists begin the construction of an ark to carry the cleverest and wealthiest citizens off the planet and land them on the gas giant's moon, which happens to be conveniently Earth-like. The film gains points for not relishing the destruction of our planet (although there are some memorable scenes of a flooded New York later on) and for concentrating instead on the increasingly frantic scientific endeavour to save Earth from the collision. The final moments on Zyra, while definitely embodying a B-movie style, present a satisfying climax, too. Soon to be remade as a Spielberg production, it'll be interesting to see what changes are made to bring the film into the realm of scientific plausibility.
On the Beach (1959)
The least science-fiction-y of all the movies on this list, On the Beach is essentially a romantic tale set in the aftermath of a World War III, where only scattered parts of the southern hemisphere are still habitable to man, and even those left alive will soon succumb to radiation sickness (yes, nuclear war is a very common SF doomsday device). With a radio signal received from the presumed-devastated United States, man's man Gregory Peck is sent on a naval mission to discover the source of the transmission, forcing him to leave behind his new love Ava Gardner while dealing with the death of his wife and family. Although Nevil Shute's novel is arguably more poignant (particularly the ending), the film is still effective as a love story and paean to lost humanity set against a sci-fi backdrop, and as Gardener was memorably misquoted, Melbourne is the perfect place to film a movie about the end of the world.
The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
Although sounding from the title like a pulp 50s B-movie, the film is actually much more intelligent than you might initially expect, and carries some wonderful overtones of British stoicism in the face of adversity. It's a simple premise - multiple nuclear tests by the US and USSR have caused the Earth to shift in orbit, moving the planet closer to the Sun. As a consequence, the planet's surface temperatures are reaching critical levels and mankind's only hope (according to the boffins, anyway) is to detonate a series of nuclear warheads in Siberia. With the USA at the height of its Cold War against the evil empire of the USSR, the majority of the world's population felt as though they were on the brink of disaster. Naturally, the science fiction genre couldn't help but tap into the cultural zeitgeist, and the prevalent mood of the time is perfectly encapsulated by this British disaster-classic.
The Day of the Triffids (1962)
As made famous by, of course, John Wyndham. Although the film is considerably lighter in tone than the book (and what in god's name is that stupid ending all about? Salt? Really?), the setup remains one of the most terrifying in sci-fi cinema, with a cavalcade of alien spores blinding the vast majority of the world's population through a meteor shower and taking over the planet. The mass hysteria engendered by the triffids' masterplan cripples the population, who are soon herded into farms by the nine-foot plant monsters (which are a lot scarier than they sound), and it's up to a small cadre of unaffected humans to somehow turn the tide. Yes, the resolution is weak, but the film remains a fun and scary alien horror tale, and the triffids themselves are a menacing and memorable nemesis of humanity.
Damnation Alley (1977)
Easily the most obscure film mentioned here, mainly due to the fact that it's been out of print for an obscenely long time. Thankfully, it's apparently coming to DVD within the year, so you can sample a wonderful military-flavored post-apocalyptic tale. Once again, the earth has been ravaged by nuclear warfare, and with a radioactive planet tilted off its axis, members of the US air force (some of whom were partially responsible for the global meltdown) travel through Damnation Alley - the path of least resistance - to discover the source of a lone radio signal, encountering mutant cockroaches and barbarians along the way. The film is beset by some horrendous production (despite its apparently sizeable budget), but remains just above B-movie level. Crucially though, as a science fiction film release by 20th Century Fox in the fall of 1977, it never really stood a chance against its stablemate. It remains an interesting exercise in 70s moviemaking, though, and if you can get past the production values it tells a ripping yarn.
Threads (1984)
One of the most grim and harrowing depictions of nuclear holocaust you'll ever see, and not just because it's set in the North of England (although the oppressive greys of working-class Sheffield certainly lend a downtrodden vibe to the film even before the first warhead goes off). Threads is a British TV movie from the pen of Barry Hines, and it's difficult to imagine just how disturbing the film must have been when it was aired during the (admittedly final period of the) Cold War. The relentless devastation caused by a premature nuclear conflict, and life in the ensuing radioactive world, presents a life completely devoid of any hope. Not a trace of human spirit survives the end of the world, and by the time the final scene rolls around, with its complete overkill of "depressing", you'll be hard pressed to venture out into the outside world. I still wonder why the BBC saw fit to pull the transmission of The War Game for being too horrifying, and yet allowed this to go out on air.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
A triple whammy in terms of the doomsday scenario - not only has the word survived one 1,000 years previously, courtesy of biological warfare, it now faces another two in the shape of a gathering army of weird, hostile bug-things, and the culminating conflict between the lands of Pejite and Tolmekia, the latter of whom has unearthed a God Warrior, one of the weapons of mass destruction that caused the planet's original decline. The most overtly SF of the films here, Hayao Miyazaki's creation is an engaging tale that while not quite up to his usual standards is still a furlong or so ahead of a large portion of the competition. As well as the surfeit of creativity on display in the animation, there are a number of environmentalist sub-themes to keep you going as well as the fantastical central story of the young heroine Nausicaa and her journey to the Sea of Decay in a quest to maintain the peace of the world.
When the Wind Blows (1986)
The second animated entry on the list couldn't really be further removed from the first. Coming from the imagination of Raymond Briggs (he of The Snowman fame**), here we have a simple, darkly comic depiction of the lives of an elderly couple struggling to understand and cope with the effects of nuclear fallout. The film, based on a graphic novel by the same creative mind, is quintessentially British, with jokes about Sunday roasts finding their way into the tale of a naive husband and wife stricken with radiation sickness. Although the anti-war soundtrack with songs from the likes of Genesis and David Bowie is a distraction, this is still an immensely sweet film that brings home the humanity of the genre.
** "I'm Aled Jones, it's all gone wrong for me"
Armageddon (1998)
Yes, dammit, someone has to defend this movie. Sure, the premise is completely ludicrous, but it's pretty obvious the film isn't exactly taking itself seriously. The only real misfire is the casting of Ben Affleck and his love affair with Liv Tyler, but as for the rest of it - Bruce Willis in full-on awesome motherfucker mode, Steve Buscemi awesome as always, some awesome shots of asteroid-related city destruction, and Aerosmith's awesome power ballad all add up to make a glorious cheese-fest of a doomsday movie. I'm not claiming it's great science fiction, but I'll be damned if anyone tells me it's not great entertainment. Plus, that Russian guy has some awesome lines.
War of the Worlds (2005)
Probably the most decent recent entry into the sub-genre is Steven Spielberg's re-telling of the H.G. Wells classic, distinguished from earlier (and more faithful) adaptations by dropping the 'The' from the title. Although the Cruiser isn't exactly convincing in the title role, he's reasonably solid - the real draw, though, is the Tripods, given new life by CGI and presenting one of the most formidable threats to humankind seen on the screen this decade. Well, if you don't know how the book ends, that is. Their warcry, if you're watching on a passable surround sound system, is genuinely chilling, and the suspense is always...er... suspenseful. Many have argued that the film would have been more successful (creatively at least) had Justin Chatwin not made his grand re-appearance right at the conclusion, and they're probably right, but WOTW is still a convincing slice of apocalyptic SF.
...AND ONE OF THE WORST
Meteor (1979)
Golly, Sean Connery in a bad film? Hey, at least I didn't mention Zardoz...oh, wait. Meteor stems from the crop of classic 1970s disaster movies, but unfortunately director Ronald Neame must have left the "classic" lying around one day and forgotten about it. Inspired, as many asteroid films have been, by Project Icarus, MIT's brainchild of using missiles to deflect near-Earth objects, Meteor's first mistake is not to name itself Asteroid - given that meteors are by definition something that exists only when an asteroid enters Earth's atmosphere. By that point, it's just a tad too late to avert the danger. Despite the presence of some big names such as Connery, Martin Landau and Henry Fonda, and a well-intentioned if slightly patronising attempt to include the Soviets as allies in the US of A's quest to thwart the evil intentions of the cosmos, Meteor is tedious, flawed and sadly no better than a TV movie. Hang on, wasn't Threads a TV movie? Meteor, then, is sadly no better than a shit movie.
The Infosphere
The word is that Warner Bros. is set to announce the cast for Justice League of America this week.
Well it's about time, although this will probably mean I have a lot less to talk about in this section of the column. It looks as though some good choices and some mediocre choices have been made so far, so hopefully once the announcement is made we'll have a proper idea.
JoBlo.com reports that McG (Charlie's Angels) is likely to direct Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. The film will show the beginning of the climactic war between Skynet and the remnants of mankind.
Arrgrgh! Fucking McG. The man doesn't even have the humility to hold a decent nom de plume. And to think I was talking about this film being a potential success a few weeks back. Kiss of death, McG, kiss of death!
British actor Ben Cross will play Sarek, the Vulcan father of Mr. Spock, in JJ Abrams' new Star Trek movie.
Intriguing choice, and I think it will prove to be a good one. Cross is a solid actor with a less-than-solid CV, so this should give him a nice meaty role.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine was slated to begin shooting in Australia before the end of the year, but it now appears that production could be delayed.
It's all Baz Luhrrman's fault, apparently, for directing Hugh Jackman in another film that's taking up all the sets that Wolverine wanted to use. Ah well, there's no need to rush the film, as the original X-Men trilogy is still fresh in the mind.
David Twohy, the director of The Chronicles of Riddick, posted on his official Web site that another movie featuring Vin Diesel's iconic character is still possible. (courtesy of Sci Fi Wire)
A mixed blessing, this. Riddick is undoubtedly a cool and interesting character, but for all the low-key success Pitch Black deservedly enjoyed, Chronicles was pretty shit. If Twohy can get back to what made the original so good, this should be encouraged.
And finally…
As always, reader feedback and suggestions are welcome, I respond to everything so just drop me a line. You can also check out my column "The Wonder Years" over at 411 Games. Next week in "The Flux Capacitor" - it's an alien invasion. Until then - keep watching the skies.
