Monday, January 17, 2022
The Day After
- Commentary: I don't actually have this movie in my collection, yet; it's on the way. But, I watched it last night, uncut, without commercials, at this link, The Day After, courtesy of Super Critical Podcast. Thank you, Super Critical Podcast! In case, Dear Reader, you're interested in knowing the ruminations of Super Critical Podcast about this movie, the link for that episode is here. I recommend you check it out. In fact, I've fallen in love with this channel and recommend it to you if you have any interest in movies featuring nuclearity.
So, yes, I've watched it. It is the most devastating nuclear apocalypse movie I've seen, thus far. It is not for the faint of heart, but, despite its high level of tragic believability, it's worth it. There was a small but not annoying issue of video fuzziness at the beginning of the movie but I think that may have been due to either my TV or connection, because it corrected itself almost immediately. It is loaded with well-defined characters and scenarios that won't let go of your mind, even after the final credits.
It was a TV production broadcast during the hey-years of nuclear apocalyptic films, the early 1980s. Of all the nuclear apocalyptic movies I've seen, so far, I have to say that this is the most riveting because it is the most well done and leaves nothing to the imagination. It's been less than 12 hours since I finished the movie and I continue to have images from it pop up, unbidden, in my memory. As you watch, you'll recognize several actors who hadn't yet become readily recognizable when this film was released who later went on to become big-deal-actors. You'll also notice the obvious seriousness with which this production was approached. This was one of the best blendings of message and movie I can recall, without a hint of preachiness in the script. Just daily life lived under a literal nuclear cloud.
I'll be watching it again, later after I receive it, so I may have more to say about it. Or, you know, not. It was devastatingly realistic and I have a feeling that sense of devastation doesn't let up after multiple viewings. This movie, by the way, is the film that had a huge impact on U. S. President Ronald Reagan and was responsible for causing him to rethink his nuclear war policy.
Update 1/25/22: Extra Credit Question: Who do you know (including yourself) who you think would be capable of ordering the launch of a nuclear bomb? Don't worry, Dear Reader, I'll explain and elaborate later.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jason Robards Dr. Russell Oakes Georgann Johnson Helen Oakes John Cullum Jim Dahlberg Bibi Besch Eve Dahlberg Lori Lethin Denise Dahlberg JoBeth Williams Nurse Nancy Bauer Calvin Jung Dr. Sam Hachiya Steve Guttenberg Stephen Klein John Lithgow Joe Huxley Amy Madigan Alison Ransom William Allen Young Airman 1st. Billy McCoy Arliss Howard Tom Cooper
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1983
Directed by Nicholas Meyer.
Labels: apocalyptic, bibi-besch, dramaE, haunting3, jason-robards-jr, john-lithgow, nuclear, reflective, tragedy2, TV3, war3
