Miscellaneous Movie Musings - Page 412

Alex · 02-17-2009, 05:30 PM

In addition to the three you're thinking of (I'm assuming Planet of the Apes, Omega Man, and Soylent Green) I'd add Earthquake one of the great cheesy disaster epics of the '70s. Post-apocalyptic, but on a more local scale.

Then there is Solar Crisis in which the post-apocalypse must be prevented. It was a proto-Armageddon (for which Heston provided narration services). Astronauts must go drop a bomb into the sun to prevent a solar flare that will destroy the earth.

Plus a small part in the Tim Burton Planet of the Apes remake.

I think he was just such a big presence on the screen (sometimes good and sometimes bad) that he just needed to be in the middle of massive-scale events for him to not overwhelm things.

Betty · 02-17-2009, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I'm behind the times here but I saw I Am Legend the other night. I thought it was just okay. They should have used real actors to play the zombie vampire people. The CG characters looked fake. I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic movies, though. It was decent enough, they could have stretched the story along a little bit more, I think.

Oh - the book (was it a short story?) was WAAAAAAAY better. With a very different ending actually. Totally different - as in changed the whole story different.

Alex · 02-17-2009, 06:00 PM

Yeah, the short story is justifiably a classic (though I don't care for much else by Matheson).

Gemini Cricket · 02-17-2009, 06:07 PM

So is there something wrong with me that I like post-apocalyptic stories/movies? I love The Stand. I recently bought a documentary called Life Without People. It was very interesting, it talked about what would happen to the Earth if man suddenly disappeared one day. I'm even writing a story right now about alien beings visiting Earth five hundred years after everyone on it has died...

cirquelover · 02-17-2009, 06:37 PM

I'm right there with you GC. I love the Stand and we really enjoyed the Discovery special too!

I recently saw Omega Man and Logans Run again, the guys having been watching the old movies on netflix. We have to give the kid a good rounded education, don't we

alphabassettgrrl · 02-17-2009, 06:42 PM

Husband is watching E.T.

That little guy really was strange-looking, wasn't he? Interesting movie, looking at it at distant history.

Cadaverous Pallor · 02-17-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

In addition to the three you're thinking of (I'm assuming Planet of the Apes, Omega Man, and Soylent Green) I'd add Earthquake one of the great cheesy disaster epics of the '70s. Post-apocalyptic, but on a more local scale.

Then there is Solar Crisis in which the post-apocalypse must be prevented. It was a proto-Armageddon (for which Heston provided narration services). Astronauts must go drop a bomb into the sun to prevent a solar flare that will destroy the earth.

Plus a small part in the Tim Burton Planet of the Apes remake.

I think he was just such a big presence on the screen (sometimes good and sometimes bad) that he just needed to be in the middle of massive-scale events for him to not overwhelm things.

You're probably right. Regarding Earthquake, eh, I don't count it.

That's a whole thread in itself. It's far from the best 70's cheesy disaster epic, as Poseidon Adventure and Towering Inferno are leagues better. Oddly, I never did see Airport (or Airport '75), though I did see Airplane! many, many times. I tried to catch some of Airport on TV, but couldn't watch it. It's much harder to sit through those '70's films now, unless you saw them way back when and have a soft spot for them.

Alex · 02-17-2009, 07:42 PM

I watched Airport '75 on TV in Rome. Needless to say it was in Italian.

That may have helped my enjoyment.

bewitched · 02-17-2009, 08:39 PM

Saw Coraline yesterday. Other than the awesome stop motion animation, it was a complete yawnfest. The only excitement came when my friend's heretofore "unscareable" 4 year old got scared when the 3 Scotty dogs jumped at the door when Coraline knocked.

LSPoorEeyorick · 02-17-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

I've seen all five nominees now and none of them strike me as truly great films.

Ditto that. I didn't think any of them were terrible films. I just didn't think they were great. It was a slow year.

Though three films I really did appreciate (Wall-E, Rachel Getting Married, and The Wrestler) didn't crack the BP category. And that's really too bad.

02-17-2009, 05:30 PM	#4111
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	In addition to the three you're thinking of (I'm assuming Planet of the Apes, Omega Man, and Soylent Green) I'd add Earthquake one of the great cheesy disaster epics of the '70s. Post-apocalyptic, but on a more local scale. Then there is Solar Crisis in which the post-apocalypse must be prevented. It was a proto-Armageddon (for which Heston provided narration services). Astronauts must go drop a bomb into the sun to prevent a solar flare that will destroy the earth. Plus a small part in the Tim Burton Planet of the Apes remake. I think he was just such a big presence on the screen (sometimes good and sometimes bad) that he just needed to be in the middle of massive-scale events for him to not overwhelm things.
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02-17-2009, 06:00 PM	#4113
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Yeah, the short story is justifiably a classic (though I don't care for much else by Matheson).
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02-17-2009, 06:07 PM	#4114
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	So is there something wrong with me that I like post-apocalyptic stories/movies? I love The Stand. I recently bought a documentary called Life Without People. It was very interesting, it talked about what would happen to the Earth if man suddenly disappeared one day. I'm even writing a story right now about alien beings visiting Earth five hundred years after everyone on it has died...
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02-17-2009, 06:37 PM	#4115
cirquelover Cruising around in my automobile... Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,617	I'm right there with you GC. I love the Stand and we really enjoyed the Discovery special too! I recently saw Omega Man and Logans Run again, the guys having been watching the old movies on netflix. We have to give the kid a good rounded education, don't we
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02-17-2009, 06:42 PM	#4116
alphabassettgrrl Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,978	Husband is watching E.T. That little guy really was strange-looking, wasn't he? Interesting movie, looking at it at distant history. __________________ Why cycling? Anything [sport] that had to do with a ball, I wasn't very good at. -Lance Armstrong
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02-17-2009, 07:42 PM	#4118
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I watched Airport '75 on TV in Rome. Needless to say it was in Italian. That may have helped my enjoyment.
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02-17-2009, 08:39 PM	#4119
bewitched 101% Yummy! Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: I know Kung Fu. Posts: 1,413	Saw Coraline yesterday. Other than the awesome stop motion animation, it was a complete yawnfest. The only excitement came when my friend's heretofore "unscareable" 4 year old got scared when the 3 Scotty dogs jumped at the door when Coraline knocked. __________________ ~Whitney Wondering about the future of Ellington Woodard's punk@ss sh!t.
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