Intermission

Have you ever seen one of the old movies where the darn thing is so long that they give you what is called an intermission in the middle of the film? Usually something along the lines of Dr. Zhivago or another film that is 4+ hours long will include an intermission.

Well, for the sake of keeping with the film theme of this blog, let's just consider the past few months absence of any posts an intermission, shall we? I'm sorry I let this slide, and I'm ready to get back to checking out, reviewing and viewing various genres of survival films, how about you?

I will endeavor to make this a weekly blog, where you can at least get a review or watch an online survival film each week. Stay tuned and subscribe to the RSS feed. I'll be starting this weekend with hopefully semi-regular posts again. :)

Orson Welles' War of The Worlds

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the most famed radio broadcast of all times. Yes, it was on the evening of October 30, 1938, that the Mercury Theater performed Orson Welles' War of The Worlds live on the radio. Based on the 1898 novel by H.G. Wells entitled The War of The Worlds. Below you can listen to the actual radio broadcast that caused panic around the country. According to reports from that time, people found the broadcast at a commercial break during other broadcasts at around 12 minutes after the hour. Given the show's news-styled format, many readers believed they were hearing live news reports of an alien invasion.



Since this is technically a "film" blog, I felt compelled to provide you with a few trailers from the most famous adaptations of this story that have hit the big screen. First up is the trailer from the 1953 version from Paramount studios. It's in HD, so enjoy!


Next up is the most recent offering featuring Tom Cruise. Having seen both films I would have to say that this one is my favorite. This one will get the survivalist in your blood going. Check it out and be sure and rent the movie. You won't be disappointed.

A Boy and His Dog (1975)

A post-apocalyptic tale based on a novella by Harlan Ellison. A boy communicates telepathically with his dog as they scavenge for food and sex, and they stumble into an underground society where the old society is preserved. The daughter of one of the leaders of the community seduces and lures him below, where the citizens have become unable to reproduce because of being underground so long. They use him for impregnation purposes, and then plan to be rid of him. (NOTE: This one is rated 'R')

Survival Under Atomic Attack (1950)

What starts out as another typical day in the life of the Mitchell family turns into a nightmare when a hydrogen bomb is dropped on New York City, fifty miles from the Mitchell home. A horrifying story of the aftermath of an atomic attack unfolds in this gripping dramatization. This movie made during the time of Cold-War-paranoia of the 1950s – providing the viewer with the disturbing vision of an atomic holocaust. Be sure and look for a very young Walter Matthau.

Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends - Survivalists

This is an interesting series of videos from a BBC series that ran in 1998. Reporter Louis Theroux takes a trip to one of the "hottest" survivalist spots in North America: Northern Idaho. Interesting visit with "patriots", "hippies", "racists" and locals. Author of "The $50 and Up Underground House Book" is featured, so you don't want to miss this.

PART ONE:


PART TWO:


PART THREE:


PART FOUR:


PART FIVE:

The Shelter (Twilight Zone Episode)

One man in the neighborhood is prepared with a bomb shelter when the air sirens go off. His friends and neighbors face tough decisions as their own lives are at risk. Perhaps the danger in times of trouble lies closer to home than we think.

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) is the only survivor of a devastating world-wide plague due to a mysterious immunity he acquired to the bacterium while working in Central America years ago. He is all alone now...or so it seems. As night falls, plague victims begin to leave their graves, part of a hellish undead army that''s thirsting for blood...his!