The Day After - The 80's Nuke Movie That Terrified The Public

GetPocket ^

[AggregateThreat]

I remember watching this as a kid, everyone was freaking out. Had an almost War of The Worlds radio broadcast feel to it.

Before Nicholas Meyer's made-for-television film The Day After had its official airing on November 20, 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan and his Joint Chiefs of Staff were given screening copies. In his diary, Reagan recorded his reaction to seeing Meyer's graphic depiction of a nuclear holocaust that devastates a small Kansas town, writing:

"It's very effective and left me greatly depressed. So far they [ABC] haven't sold any of the 25 spot ads scheduled and I can see why. Whether it will be of help to the 'anti-nukes' or not, I can't say. My own reaction was one of our having to do all we can to have a deterrent and to see there is never a nuclear war."

[Flatus I. Maximus]

I was wondering if anyone else remembered that one.

I watched it at about the same time as I was reading a book about the fire-bombing of Dresden. A lot of the really hideous stuff in that movie was taken verbatim from the history of the Dresden raid.

[grey_whiskers]

I always wanted to go around the neighborhood letting off old-fashioned photographic flashbulbs outside people’s windows during the movie...

[djf]

Yup. His name was Stanislav Petrov. He died a few years ago.

[shoff]

I was thinking the same thing about When the wind blows.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090315/

[SES1066]

I saw it as an adult and immediately regarded it as an anti-Reagan agitprop piece. The piece was entirely one-sided, the destruction of the United States AFTER we launched our missiles. As I recall it, there was no mention of who or what started the nuclear exchange, it was effective in just showing the results.

The contemporary context though is revealing, this was when Cold War Tensions between US & Soviet Union were getting hot again. The Soviets were going through a gerontocracy crisis as long-time ruler Brezhnev had died in 1982. His successor, Andropov, came in at age 68 and very ailing, dying in 84. Reagan was challenging their abilities with the SDI (Star Wars) initiative and putting the Pershing II IRBM into Europe.

The Soviets also got a lot of mud on their face with the shoot-down of KAL-007 on 01 September 1983. Their positives were the usual anti-nuke movements in Europe and the US, well attended, well funded and well covered in the media. Was this movie a part of this movement? It certainly spoke to the movement’s fears!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Your link went to the main Wiki page. Let’s try;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Game

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Add to the list;

Miracle Mile (1988)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097889/

[a fool in paradise]

National Lampoon reported that there were fewer commercials after the bomb dropped.

Much like in real life I suppose

[a fool in paradise]

The Left in the US and UK were certain that Ronald Reagan was going to launch a nuclear war.

It was the Soviets who were a fingerstroke away from launching a Mutually Assured Destruction attack in late 1983. The order had been given and was refused.

[JimRed]

A generation earlier there was a book, “Alas, Babylon” that dealt with the aftermath of a nuclear war. I was high school age, and it scared me!

[Rastus]

And yes, the thing that stuck with me, was how quickly language became dumbed-down, because the kids didn’t really go to school.

I remember that! And that one man was educated, so the guy said to him, “Well, don't want to sound like a dick or nothin', but, ah... it says on your chart that you're f***** up. Ah, you talk like a fag, and your s***’s all retarded.” That was powerful.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Same with the media, people like my Aunt believe whatever they say 100%

[gundog]

Yup. Can you imagine if Germany had been first with television and Goebbels had it at his disposal?

[Telepathic Intruder]

I watched it on TV as a teenager. Then to help alleviate the fears of viewers, Carl Sagan appeared immediate after the show and told them that a real nuclear war would be much, much worse.

[nomorelurker]

Panic in Year Zero, more survivalist than nuke war, pretty watchable. On the Beach, good actors music lousy science. Come to think of it most of these movies have lousy science including The Day After.

[dfwgator]

I think that was a different movie, LOL!

[dfwgator]

The Left in the US and UK were certain that Ronald Reagan was going to launch a nuclear war.

Yep. Had a heck of an "Armageddon Soundbook" from the 80s:

Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
99 Luftballoons - Nena
Stand or Fall - The Fixx

among others.

[simpson96]

"...everyone was freaking out. Had an almost War of The Worlds radio broadcast feel to it."

That's a bit much. I would say it gave some people pause, because it was not pleasant. No one I knew or saw was "freaking out" over it, much less even talking about it.

[a fool in paradise]

>>That Terrified The Public, GrandJediMasterYoda wrote:
They should make a movie called “4 years after” about what the country and world would be like after 4 years of Joe Biden.

Red Nightmare(1962) (30 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgR4apcz_Ew

[a fool in paradise]

>>That Terrified The Public, GrandJediMasterYoda wrote:
They should make a movie called “4 years after” about what the country and world would be like after 4 years of Joe Biden.

Despotism (1946) - 10 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaWSqboZr1w