The Day After - 1983

What It Is: A 1983 made-for-TV movie about nuclear war.

Why I Watched It: It scared the shit out of a whole bunch of people. It aired quite a few times after it's initial showing and many people (depending on age and temperament) were deeply affected.

What I Thought: The Day After was cheesy as hell, but a certain allowance must be made for what passed for "special effects" and "science fiction" in 1983. The movie had Steve Guttenberg and John Lithgow after all, how good could it really be?

Aside from all that, it was okay. The film was chock full of all the Reagan-era Cold War fear they could fit in, but it was a fairly decent dramatization of nuclear devastation. It felt too preachy or educational at times, but at other times it succeeded in being kind of scary or kind of gross.

This is yet another example of a classic film, that loses a lot when watched 20 years later. The Day After won special effects awards for things the Photoshop tutorial could teach me to do in 30 minutes. The level of nuclear paranoia isn't quite where it used to be either. I'm not as concerned about Russia bombing the US, despite how much I probably should be worrying about North Korea. Perhaps we've just lived with the threat long enough to get used to it?

Highlights: Cheesy X-Ray skeleton shots during the bomb's flash, some decent attempts at touching family moments.

Who Should See It: Nobody. Seriously. Unless you're just dying of curiosity regarding all the hype this movie received, skip it. If you want a hard-hitting movie about the price of nuclear war, watch Barefoot Gen. Now that movie will fuck you up!

How Soon: Seriously, don't bother. It won't make you a better person.