quietearth [Celluloid 07.08.07] post apocalyptic movie review



Year: 1962
Director: Ray Milland
Writers: John Morton & Jay Simms
Cataclysm type: Nuclear War
IMDB entry: IMDB
Trailer: link
Amazon link: link
Post apocalyptic concentration: 6 out of 10
"Mad Max" level: 0 out of 10
Review by: wilcoy
Rating: 7 out of 10
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Key Characters:
Harry Baldwin (Ray Milland)
Ann Baldwin (Jean Hagen)
Rick Baldwin (Frankie Avalon)
Karen Baldwin (Mary Mitchel)
Carl (Richard Bakalyan)
Mickey (Rex Holman)
Ed Johnson (Richard Garland)
Dr. Powell Strong (Willis Bouchey)


"Woops, there goes LA, oh well it turns bad in another 10 years."


Overview:
Set in the early sixties during the height of the cold war, the Baldwin family is off on a fishing trip to Shibe Meadows. Soon after they leave home from Los Angeles they see a mushroom cloud coming from that direction. It soon becomes apparent that L.A. and many other major U.S. cities have been destroyed due to an atomic attack. The Baldwin’s now have to survive long enough until civil order is restored.


"HAH! We win!"


"Beat it flatfoot"

The Story:
After realizing that civil order is breaking down all around them due to the atomic attack, Harry Baldwin leads his family through the California countryside to safety at a large isolated hunting and fishing campground far in the country, Shibe Meadows. Before getting to the campground Harry Baldwin stocks up on food and supplies and in the process has to fight local store owners because the prices have shot through the roof. Also, on the way to the campground the family encounters hoodlums and scared town folk who are not happy that strangers from all over are streaming through their towns. Soon after getting to the campground Harry sets his family up in a cave and hides the food and supplies. But, after they settle into the cave they run into the same hoodlums and Harry and his son Rick are forced to defend their family.


"Friggin punks!"

The Rating:
I give the movie a 7. It’s not a bad movie despite not having hardly any special effects or big budget sets. The story line is actually quite good and I’m sure if you watch it you’d probably do the same thing if you were in the Baldwin’s shoes. The story line could very well be in the present time and still work.


"Ah just like home."

This a good Saturday afternoon matinee movie and, if you spot it on your local cable station I’d recommend checkng it out. Sure, you’re not going to get a lot of the bells and whistle like most post apocalyptic movies today but, the mood is there and it gives you a glimpse of the past.

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