Friday Movie Review: The Day After

Why not start the movie blog out with two terrifying movies? Last week, I reviewed Fail-Safe and this week we have another movie along similar lines. (I am not going to reveal too much in this review. I hope to give you enough that it will persuade you into watching it, if you already haven't.)

One of the most terrifying things about the movie is how it begins; just a normal day. You start by watching people go about their normal business. Dr. Russell Oakes and his wife are shown starting their day before the doctor takes off for Kansas City for work. Farmer Jim Dahlberg and his family are at their farm house preparing for their daughter's wedding. Stephen Klein, a student at the University of Kansas is hitchhiking home to Joplin, Missouri. The movie follows them as they do their regular routine, but then you begin to notice things that are out of the ordinary. They begin to casually mention events relating to the Cold War, and then they begin to see reports on the TV. No one can really believe what is going on, but the severity of the situation is realized once the counter attack is launched by the US and you see the missiles slowly float over the cornfields.

The attack sequence is probably the most horrifyingly real portrayal of what an attack would be like. Just have a look for yourself. If you were ever wondering what an attack would be like, this is it.

The rest of the movie follows the main characters and how they cope in the aftermath of total destruction. We see those who follow the recommendations of the CD and survive, while some do not and suffer the consequences. This is another movie where I won't reveal too much due to the fact that the shock value lies in the story and how it unfolds. I can however tell you that this movie, like Fail-Safe, does not lose this shock after multiple viewings. I watched the linked video of the attack sequence to make sure it was what it said it was, and I am thoroughly depressed now. This movie is a must see for anyone interested in the Cold War.

The Day After: DEFCON 1

-scary effects
-interesting story
-realism
-Steve Guttenberg (You have to love him!)