A few Disaster films to watch in lockdown - Part 1

It is an interesting time we currently live in where the Coronavirus is running around the world causing havoc and leaving many people fearful about the future and what the virus will bring with it.  Will the various stages of lockdown ever be taken away?  Will life ever be normal again?  Is it a conspiracy to bring the public under greater control of “big brother”?  Whatever the case you can’t deny that it is a great time to throw a few disaster movies into the mix!

Below are a few movies I have watched that deal with disaster of some kind whether that be diseases, natural events, atomic bombs or anything like that.  These will just be basic reviews without going into too much depth and of course no nasty spoilers.  

      5ive [aka Five] (1951)

      A nuclear war has occurred and at the start we see one survivor, Roseanne, gradually making their way home on foot.  She gets home only to find another survivor living in her house.  They come across another three taking the total known population to five, hence the title.  One interesting twist however is that Roseanne fell pregnant before the bomb went off.  She wants to go into the city to see if her husband also survived to be reunited however whilst the prospect of finding other survivors seems great there is also the risk that radiation may still be strong in the cities therefore posing great risk to the five who have so far survived.

This was quite a bold movie to be made in the 50’s however there was a fear of nuclear war looming now that atomic weapons had been used near the end of WW2 and the era spawned many movies that had that atomic influence in them and the dangers they represented.  Them! (1954), Godzilla (1954) and its many sequels/reboots, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) and so on both with monster creatures and without.  Even movies about alien invasion like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) stemmed from cold war fear.  Some where very successful and others not so successful, however many are making a comeback thanks to re-releases on various media.

     Overall 5ive was an enjoyable film, naturally limited in its effects with its estimated $75k budget but to be honest it didn’t need great effects to be efective and I gave it a 3.5/5 ferret rating.  The DVD is not very easy to obtain and needs to be imported from the USA.

     The War of the Worlds (2019) – tv series

     The original 1953 film was a deadset classic, no doubt about that.  The more recent 2005 remake was impressive with special effects but, I feel, didn’t have the same punch as the original.  The new version of the H.G. Wells book was made into a 3 part tv series that has not really gained a great reputation.  I have not read the book so my views are completely based of what I know from the past two movies.

      The setting is not America but England in 1905.  This really brings out the stark contrast in technology between mankind and the aliens from Mars which adds to the feel of the show.  I don’t intend to mention spoilers to ruin the show for you but there are some matters that seem silly for such a show.  As with many shows there is a romance side going here as well where parts of it could have been done better or different and tha tends to drag the show down a bit.  You will notice two stories being told, one in the present and one set in the future.  This makes it feel kinda weird, no doubt contributing to the beating it has received with ratings.  But I can overlook that and if they do another season it may contribute to the story quite a bit, so I will remain open on that part.

     Overall I enjoyed the series with a more accurate English 1900’s setting (no tanks, no jet fighters etc).  It could certainly be better but could also be a lot worse.  I don’t think its as bad as the silly 5/10 rating on IMDB but will go with a 7/10 or 3.5/5 incinerated ferrets.  If you read the book and are deperate for a faithful adoptation, look elsewhere.  If you can overlook a few odd inclusions check it out.  Its certainly worth a watch. 

         The Andromeda Strain (1971)

     This gets closer to what we are seeing today in 2020 though in a much more contained state.  A couple of workers are assigned to pick up the remains of a millitary satellite that has returned to earth.  As they venture into the town the team realises something is drastically wrong as the people in the town have died.  A group of scientists then investigate what what happened and how they can stop this destruction from spreading.  Sorry, I sound vague but the beauty of this film is knowing little before diving into it 😊

      Based on the Michael Crichton novel of the same name, we have a very solid film that kept me hooked te whole way through.  Its able to maintain pace through out the 131 minutes as they prob and investigate the issues surrounding the deaths.  Fantastic stuff.

     The Bluray is from Arrow Video (a top notch company that pumps out some great restirations of movies) and was imported from the UK.  The video has been newly restored and looks fantastic for its age.  If you want more than just the movie this release has a ton of extras.  The movie here infects 4.5/5 ferrets.

      Contagion (2011)

      Now this gets a little too close to what we are experiencing now and really hits the nail on   the head. 

      “But right now, our best defense has been social distancing. No hand-shaking, staying   home when you're sick washing your hands frequently.”  Sound familiar?

      A lethal virus rears its ugly head and starts spreading around the world.  As the virus spreads there is a race to find a vaccine before the world as we know it changes forever.

      Steven Soderbergh has made some great movies such as the heist trilogy Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13 the cool Out of Sight and continues that tradition with a solid thriller that will no doubt become well known as we venture further into the Conrona situation we are finding ourselves in.  This is another solid film that is begging to be watched during lockdown!  4/5 sneezing ferrets.

Panic in Year Zero (1962)

This is an interesting movie showing what can happen when panic arises.  Most of us have seen something like.  When the threat of Corona hit us here in Australia two things happened.  The media rattled on about it almost non stop and ALL the dunny paper (toilet paper) was purchased from our stores.  Panic.  The world is bcoing infected with a virus and what happens here in Australia?  Every man and his dog buys dunny paper.  Staggering….

Anyway back to the movie.  The Baldwin family decide to head out on a holiday on an ordinary day.  As they get some distance away they notice a bright flash and upon pulling over on the roadside they see the evidence that Los Angeles has been hit with an atomic bomb.  This naturally encourages them to head further out into the country to escape the  radiation, but many others also have the same idea.

This is a real interesting movie about how ordinary people can change when the going gets tough.  How far would you go to protect your family?  

Don’t be fooled, this black and white movie was made in 1962 and the lack of colour seems to add to its bleek feel.  The image quality is excellent thanks to remastering of the film.  The Bluray viewed here is imported from the USA and is locked to Region A so a multi region bluray player is required, however you can get the DVD which should play in the majority of DVD players here as many are multi region (please check and confirm your player is multi region before attempting to order this movie).  4/5 ferrets glowing in the dark.

Coming up next are a few more movies that are real crackers.  Stay tuned for a few more movie suggestions for lockdown!

Note:  As a Christian disasters such as what we are experiencing is something we are told to expect as the days draw closer to the end.  Whilst these movies are about disaster of various kinds I take them just as that.....movies.  I am not in anyway trying to bring fear to people nor am I fearful my self.  God is bigger and greater than these issues that surround us and the improtant thing is that i keep my eyes on the One who is true, the Creator of all things and that same One who has the power to save.  Jesus Christ.