Apocalypse Now
Barry Vacker—associate professor of media studies and production, and one of Temple´s resident film buffs—offers some of his picks for the movies he believes best portray our demise. "Obviously, there are many films to chose from, but these are classics," he says. Pop some popcorn, sit back and watch the world end.
Technological and social apocalypse: Metropolis (1926)
In this classic, filmmaker Fritz Lang laid the foundation for future apocalyptic films. Many critics think Metropolis is anti–technology, but it is a critique of the human–created social order. More than 87 years later, the film´s message is still relevant.
Ecological and nuclear apocalypse: The Birds (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock imbues feathered predators with two meanings—nature striking back at human polluters and the fear of atomic warheads raining down on baby boomers.
Nuclear apocalypse: Fail–Safe (1964)
Perhaps the most terrifying Cold War film of all time, Fail–Safe chillingly portrays the ruthless logic of atomic war, and its apocalyptic ending is unforgettable.
Consumer and economic apocalypse: Week–end (1967)
French New–Wave director Jean–Luc Godard´s campy masterpiece is a dark comedy that offers a piercing critique of a consumer–driven technological society run amok—and rapidly devolving into chaos.
Nuclear and philosophical apocalypse: Planet of the Apes (1968)
Adapted by The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, the film addresses the lack of meaning of human existence in a vast universe, while also taking on anti–science and anti–evolution themes. And, it offers perhaps the best–ever plot twist.
Virtual apocalypse: The Matrix (1999)
Love it or loathe it, The Matrix dared to pose the issue raised by philosopher Jean Baudrillard: The end of the world will not happen, because it has happened already. In this case, the virtual world has destroyed the real one—and most people prefer it that way.
Extraterrestrial Apocalypse: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
This sci-fi classic offers a stern warning against atomic war. The visiting alien Klaatu does not destroy humanity—but by turning off all technology in an instant, he shows he is more than capable of doing so. His speech at the film´s end is still relevant today, as we ponder colonizing other planets, yet wage war and terror on our own.
Biological Apocalypse: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
In this forerunner of zombie and pandemic apocalypse films, do the pod people serve as a metaphor for McCarthyism, Cold War communism, or mindless consumerism? Or, do they represent a deep seated fear of the cosmos at the dawn of our Space Age?
Nuclear Apocalypse: Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
In one of his best-known films, director Stanley Kubrick revealed atomic annihilation to be a hilarious black comedy. The film had a significant influence on culture in the atomic age, as explained in the book Dr. Strangelove´s America, by Margot Henrickson.
Ecological and Natural Apocalypse: Soylent Green (1973)
Released just three years after the founding of Earth Day, this film depicts a culture and people so far removed from nature, they cannot comprehend its concept, even as they destroy it. The end scene is prophetic, and the last line—"Soylent Green is people!"—has become legendary.
Nuclear and Virtual Apocalypse: Alphaville (1965)
Jean-Luc Godard´s chaotic take on atomic war, secret agents, science and technology still feels original and relevant, even 50 years later. And it paved the way for films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner and The Matrix.
Biological and Cultural Apocalypse: Children of Men (2006)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Children of Men depicts a bleak future in which civil society, nearing complete breakdown, is controlled by an authoritarian police state. The film offers a dire warning about the directions of contemporary global culture. As the film´s promotional poster said: "The Future is a Thing of the Past."
The Cosmic Apocalypse: 2012 (2009)
On the surface, 2012 is action flick about the alleged Mayan prophecy, but it raises a profound question: If we have to save civilization, what should we save? Director Roland Emmerich makes the case for preserving the best of our our art, science, nature, and utopian philosophies. Even those he casts as his heroes—the scientist, the art historian, and the writer—suggest that brains, not brawn, will save the world.
