Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Panic In Year Zero

Panic In Year Zero is a fun film from the fifties.  It wasn't meant to be fun, being about nuclear war and all, but time can mellow a picture even against its will.  It was directed by Ray Milland and he stars in it so he's seriously committed to it.  In it he's just a normal family man taking his family on vacation.  Suddenly BOOM las Angeles is gone.  Really the city of angles now.  The survivors are hitting the roads like crazy and law and order go out the window.  Ray's character takes to lawlessness with an ease that seriously puts off his wife but in his eyes he's just being practical.  He needs to keep his family alive till order is restored, the question is can he do it?

It's just sort of amazing to see a major crisis occurring before the 24 hour news channels and cell phones.  Actually, I think the most scary thing abou the film wasn't the nuclear bombs but speeding like your nuts were on fire on two lane black top.  I know those are the type of roads that as a child my mom left fingernail marks in my arm as dad drove them like he owned them.

Anyway a good little film and morality play for the nuclear age.

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