NUCLEAR HORROR MORE FRIGHTENING THAN ANY ORDINARY HORROR MOVIES!!

I've been exceedingly fortunate to be watching the splendid "Two Minutes to Midnight: Nuclear Cinema" retrospective at the Cinematheque. The beauty of this particular selection of films is that most are difficult to find and so it feels like unearthing "precious treasures". I have mentioned before that I am not a fan of the "horror" genre. Apart from the original 1930s Universal masterpieces like "The Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Wolf Man" and occasional masterpieces by the likes of FW Murnau "the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", the horror genre in my estimation is overhyped and sometimes crass.

I have only walked out of a cinema once or twice in my lifetime and I remember vividly when I walked out of a free screening of the first movie in the "Saw" franchise. This was just violent and bloody in a real morbid sense and it lacked any humanity, nor the humour of George Romero's late 1960s masterpiece, "Night of the Living Dead" which still remains iconic in the genre.

I've actually found that some of the most cerebral horror in film has come in other genre pictures. The great "Kiss me Deadly" film from 1955 is a film noir classic but amongst its suave charm features two of the most horrific scenes I've ever seen on celluloid. And Georges Franju's brilliant "Eyes Without a Face" from 1960 is an austere, delicate and understated movie of the depths a father will go to make his daughter beautiful again after a horrible accident. It's black and white cinematography is so striking, one can say beautiful to look at. And the mild manners of the film that permeate the first hour make the "scene with the wild dogs" and the ending so horrific to witness.

Horror in my opinion and I believe most cineastes would agree is most effective when it occurs when you least expect it and when it's not profuse and titillating! And in viewing the brilliant "Nuclear Cinema" retrospective that is ever more apparent. The film that has really startled me was "Threads" from 1984.There aren't too many films I haven't heard of but this was one. I read a couple of reviews on "IMDB" and they were exultant and all pointed towards the ending that one would never forget. Having seen it I couldn't agree more -it is devastating.

The story revolves around two families in 1980s Britain going about their mundane lives. One of the characters gets married to the bewilderment of his family and we see an ordinary Britain and also the radio voiceovers of football with West Bromwich Albion beating Manchester United. A little aside -that was the West Brom of the first great black players in English football - the "Three Degrees" as they were called - Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendan Batson. They were heroes of mine as I've always believed in equality of all races!!

So the movie meanders along nicely and with some comic effect -talk of the national religion football (soccer in Australia), pubs and pints and dinner table conversation in what's obviously a period of economic decline in the UK. Progressively, we see a build-up of tension in the Middle East as US and Russian forces jockey for power. Still there is little worry in the populace and the only sign of tension is the rival camps squaring off at "nuclear disarmament" rallies. Then shockingly the Russians strike the UK. The suddenness of it took me by surprise and it's viscerally horrific to watch. The young football loving character who's about to get married cowers under a car and then when he arises he sees the "mushroom" cloud which is incredible to look at on the big screen!

From here on the second half of the film is something I'll never forget. A rigorous and scientifically plausible demonstration of what a nuclear strike would cause in catastrophic terms. I won't divulge much except to say that it’s riveting and heart-breaking and yet we see humanity struggling and the concept of love and the family never withering. And then the horrific ending with the birth of the baby -it has to be seen to be believed. One of the greatest films I've seen - totally unexpected and thus even more powerful in its exposition. And a perfect 'antipode' to some of the glorifying war pictures out there.

So I've predominantly focused on "Threads" - it was that great that I needed to expand on it with one final after thought. This film was produced by the BBC and Channel 9 Australia. It was shown in the UK and in Australia. I am glad I didn't see it at the time - I have no memory of it but I know my parents didn't watch it. It would have been too terrifying for me at the tender age of 13!

Now just an account of the other films in the series. Alain Resnai's "Hiroshima Mon Amour" from 1960.This is considered a classic but in my eyes it's severely overrated. It has that avant-garde French cool of the period but it just doesn't hit with me with any sort of sustained emotional pool. I digress slightly by announcing again I am not a great fan of Truffaut or Godard either. My French heroes are Robert Bresson and the previously mentioned Louis Malle who directed one of my favourite films of all time, "Au Revoir Les Enfant". Resnais is just too cool and detached in his filmmaking style for mine!!

Lynne Littman's "Testament" from 1983 is the US equivalent of the UK masterpiece "Threads" but only in description. It postulates a similar nuclear attack but the film is cheap and grainy and much of the emotions are unbelievable. It's not a bad film - it’s highly watchable but it’s not a patch on Threads. Steve de Jarnatt's "Miracle Mile" from 1988 is glossier and much better to look at. Starring a young Anthony Edwards (who became a star in the hospital drama ER) and the great Mare Winningham it’s a treat to see these great young actors in one of their earliest roles. The story is also interesting - they meet at a museum and Edwards falls in love at first sight. They agree to meet in the evening after Winningham finishes work. But Edwards sleeps in as his alarm fails and dejectedly roles up at the cafe anyways. He goes outside and picks up the pay phone to hear a demented caller saying that a "massive attack is coming". It seems incredulous but it becomes all too real. The final scene with the US being destroyed and the lovers drowning together is one of the most hauntingly romantic I have ever seen. Winningham is so delicate and scared -and yet Edwards just like in Romeo and Juliet knows what is coming and yet calms her and they hold each other close for eternity!

"Miracle Mile" is a great film in a very different way to Threads and the ending is so powerful especially for romantics like Lena and myself!! An incredible double film screening then of Testament and Miracle Mile with the latter being the more impressionable film.

Finally, one of the first films I saw in this series was "Them" the sci-fi classic from 1954.This story of giant ants that have mutated as a result of atomic tests in New Mexico is really quite brilliant and still scary today. I have seen this film before a few times on DVD but not for a few years. It looked splendid on the big screen and the acting particularly of the gifted James Whitmore is of a very high quality. A real treat and yet a surprisingly prescient and intelligent movie!!

COMING SOON: FINAL REVIEWS OF THE NUCLEAR CINEMA INCLUDING THE MASTERPIECES "ON THE BEACH" AND "BLACK RAIN"!!

Also reviews of Chris Hemsworth’s war movie "12 strong'' and some Oscar movie notes!!!