I have many favorite post-apocalypse films. Omega Man and Planet of the Apes are two classics (and both have Charleton Heston). The Mad Max films are also gems in the genre. I just saw what I now consider to be my new favorite: A Boy and His Dog (1975) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072730/ Starring a wicked young Don Johnson and his telepathic mutt, the two loners rove the post-apocalyptic deserts of southwest America searching for caches of canned foods and rape victims. This movie does not cut corners with the misogyny, but it doesn't linger or have real rape scenes. Its just a fact of the post-apocalyptic world that a young Don Johnson WILL attempt to rape any woman he can (with the aid of the femme-sensitive nose of his hound). This movie has a lot more going on than just the above scenario, but Johnson's motivations are few: food, sex, loving his dog. The post-apocalypse is a cruel place for a boy, but at least he's got his dog. Oh god, i promised myself no spoilers.........so go watch this movie. its on netflix instant play thing. Based on an original story by Harlan Ellison. The dog "Blood" is played by the same dog who played "Tiger" in The Brady Bunch. Its a small world after all.
ah yeah, always looking for more things in this vein. a boy and his dog is completely awesome, up there on my all time films list for sure. gave mad max a try but it was too noisy. not into motorcycles. i remember logan's run being alright but nothing revolutionary.
Yeah, I can just come up with the regulars: Mad Max Films Boy and his Dog The Ultimate Warrior Death Race 2000 The Road It's hard to start separating "post apocalyptic" from "dystopian" too. I kind of count them as the same (since the fall of society in a dystopian story is somewhat of an apocalypse) and they have a real similar feel of bleakness, but there's still a few differences too so it's a tough call for me.
A Boy and His Dog is a fantastic film. I last saw it about 26 (?) years ago on Showtime - wow, that's a long time! I got it on DVD last year but have not yet watched it again. Glad to see it get appreciation.
Interesting, Hmm I'd say: Mad Max (original- the sequels just got more ridiculous) Omega Man Day of the Triffids Escape From NY 28 Days Later These too but they might fall into cross genre: Clockwork Orange Logan's Run Rollerball
Haha, cmon, like "Toe Cutter" was any less ridiculous! Actually I guess so, nothing beats Road Warrior though. The insanity makes it perfect! It's just all out mayhem, the first is cool and it's nice to see some order being attempted but the straight up craziness that is the second movie is so great. Also I can't hate Thunderdome just because of Master Blaster. It should have had a more depressing ending though. Any interest in the "reboot"? I'm only interested because Tom Hardy is rumored to be cast as Max and he really is a great actor. I hope they treat it more like a James Bond film though, not so much a remake of the first but a continuation just with a different actor. That roaming hero thing really worked well for Mad Max. I doubt they do though, because they expect the audience to not know and want to sell as many tickets as possible (which is understandable) vs. making a good movie, though BOTH can be done it's rare.
Though not a film or even live action, one of my favorites has always been Fist of the North Star (the anime)
i watch Omega Man at least 2-4 times per year. i love it that much. same with Soylent Green and ESNY.
I really enjoyed Mad Max / Road Warrior (of course) Escape from New York The Road 28 Days Later I am Legend The Book of Eli The Road in particular was haunting. not your normal post apoc. movie. very moving. I freaked out when the mother walked out. 28 Days Later set the bar for me for Zombie flicks. Will Smith ruled in I am Legend. His best film IMO. Book of Eli was pretty good. classic Denzel, but it still lacked a certain grittyness....
The road is such an amazing , but really tough movie to watch. The overall feeling is so tense, that it leaves you feeling almost sick. So many scenes come to mind , but the basement scene at the cannibals house was the hardest to digest. Defenitly tries to give you a feel for what life really would be like. Probably one of the best post apocalyptic movies ever made.
If you thought about surviving in a nuked out world, watch The Road and you will change your mind. That movie stuck with me for days and made me feel hopeless...
yes..... and viewers be warned, unlike most post apoc. movies, The Road has almost zero violence in it. very bleak. It took me a couple of days to shake the imagery from my mind.
Man you guys' comments are making me feel torn between wanting and not wanting to watch this movie. I've never seen it.
Watch it , but just know that what your about to see is gonna be rough. On a positive note,for what it's worth, it's the love that the father has for his son that he refuses to give up. He will do ANYTHING to save him harm even if it's something no parent will ever want to do. You don't see connections like this in many movies period.
Agreed with everything said with regards to The Road. I thought it was a terrific movie. Unlike any other post-apocalyptic movie I actually felt ground down and on edge after watching it. It made me give a little thought to what my plan would be if that world came to be.
Alright, I'll try and see it sometime. As long as it's not gonna make me want to un-watch it like a certain movie involving a few butts to mouths and some sewing...
Six String Samurai. "Cross that line, kid, I'll cut your little teddy bear in half. Last kid that crossed that line, I had to summon up the Spinach Monster with my rock 'n' roll magic. The Spinach Monster grabbed him, pulled him underground and made him eat spinach all day. Rumor has it, kid... he's still there."- Buddy
I first watched this when my school showed it to us back in the 80s - definitely worth a watch if you've not seen it Here's a few more I can think of - Brazil Akira City of the Lost Children Great thread - lots of movies to track down...
I have no other suggestions to make aside from things already mentioned, but I also loved The Road. It's one of the few movies I've seen that accurately captured the feel of the book it was based on. But McCarthy is the type of author who writes novels as novels, not movie ideas, so there's a lot in the book that could never be translated into any other medium. If you loved the movie, check out the book.