Come on, you know you have been waiting for this post for years. Every time you see a commercial for Waterworld on VS or run into Mad Max on Spike TV you think to yourself, “What is the best post-apocalyptic movie of all time?”
Well put those thoughts to good use and help us answer that question.
There is a lot of publicity right now for Denzel Washington’s new flick The Book of Eli. I need to round up a group of guys to go and see it and enjoy Denzel as the wandering Bible toting prophet warrior of post nuclear America. But to hold me until that, let’s dig into this category which I will now abbreviate to PAM (Post Apocalypse Movie).
What makes a great PAM? You need world wide disaster, people living like they did before technology, lots of artifacts from our time that are marveled at by the people in the future, renegades or rogue warriors, people who have been injured or disfigured by some sort of disaster, you need some sort of commentary on our own times, you need a strange mystic leader, you need a creepy kingpin type villain, you need a plan to save what is left of humanity and you need lots of action. So what movies fit these categories? Here is a list off the top of my head, these are in no particular order.
It is important to note that I am separating our PAM movies from Apocalypse movies like Independence Day, War of the Worlds, or 2012. They deserve their own post some other time. I am also separating out the category referred to as Dystopia Movies. These movies show a futuristic culture that is evil and very different from our own usually with a strong totalitarian regime. You would get films like Roller Ball, The Running Man, and V for Vendetta in this category. ( I am not sure where to put Blade Runner, really it is just a future movie, but with a great commentary.)
Post-Apocalypse Movies
Waterworld
The Postman
The Matrix Trilogy
The Terminator Movies (This one gets bonus point for bring the post-apocalypse to our day)
Mad Max Movies
The Book of Eli
Escape from New York
12 Monkeys
Planet of the Apes
The Children of Men (This one is interesting because the world wide disaster is the infertility of all women)
28 Days Later
Reign of Fire (Bonus points for dragons)
Steel Dawn (I knew Patrick Swayze would show up on this list somewhere)
Cherry 2000 (Don’t ask where I pulled this one from)
I am Legend
What movies have I missed and what are your favorites?
November 22, 2010 at 2:41 pm
I think you forgot the “Doomsday” movie)
And “Sunshine”.
January 6, 2011 at 7:03 pm
damnation alley
the last man on earth
the omega man
soylent green
January 6, 2011 at 7:06 pm
thundarr the barbarian (cartoon series).
kamandi: the last boy on earth, OMAC: one man army corps and hercules unbound in the comic books.
June 21, 2011 at 7:02 pm
You forgot two of the best:
Threads
Soylent Green
Also notable:
Doomsday
28 Weeks Later
The Road
July 15, 2011 at 1:41 pm
A Boy And His Dog
The Road (2009)
Tank Girl
There is one nice anime, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki and his studio Ghibli.
September 1, 2011 at 8:11 pm
DAWN OF THE DEAD !!!!!!!