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Here's the obligatory contextual mention of the excellent UK film "Threads": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threads_(1984_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thr

Here's the obligatory contextual mention of the excellent UK film "Threads": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threads_(1984_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threads_(1984_film)

peoplefromibiza 4y ago
"The day after" was released a year before "Threads" and it literally shocked a generation. Including my parents, in Italy, where it aired on February 1984. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  I'd rate "The Day After" a 5 out of 10 on the horror scale, while "Threads" is a 10.
  - peoplefromibiza 4y ago
    I agree. Threads is more realistic, but The day after literally ignited panic in millions of families (I remember watching it on Television when I was 6, almost any other neighbour household was watching the same thing!) I would also add the more prosaic Wargames, also from 1983, to the list of movies talking about a "Global Thermonuclear War" and, similarly to what Princeton is doing, simulating "A strange game" where "the only winning move is not to play"
    - pmoriarty 4y ago
      "The day after literally ignited panic in millions of families" Yeah, because they hadn't seen Threads, and because The Day After is about the effect of nuclear war on the US, which obviously hits closer to home. If they'd seen Threads their reaction to The Day After would have probably been much milder.
      - peoplefromibiza 4y ago
        > which obviously hits closer to home. Maybe, but as I said I've watched it in Italy, as Italian, and almost everyone was watching it that night. Also, I was merely pointing out that before Threads there was this other movie that pioneered the idea of the atomic holocaust. There's also China Syndrome from 1979, but even though I think it's a better movie than The day after, the premise is different and the threat is the atomic energy industry, not warheads.
  - richliss 4y ago
    Threads is the most relentlessly grim and bleak thing I've ever seen. It's like they thought "let's make this get bleaker and bleaker until people have just had enough". I was shown it at school aged 9 and watched it out of curiousity about 5 months ago. I couldn't believe they showed it to kids in the 80's. After watching Threads your strategy for nuclear war goes from "hide in a basement" to "run towards the blast" as going quickly is the best approach.
    - blaser-waffle 4y ago
      > Threads is the most relentlessly grim and bleak thing I've ever seen. It's like they thought "let's make this get bleaker and bleaker until people have just had enough". The reality would have probably been worse.
  - agumonkey 4y ago
    Oh I never knew about Threads. https://archive.org/details/threads_201712 https://archive.org/details/threads_201712
  - euroderf 4y ago
    I'd also recommend "Miracle Mile". Dunno 'bout the horror scale cos it's not that kind of film. It's about the day of the event. Leaves an impression.
    - pmoriarty 4y ago
      Fantastic movie that should be much better known. It has a great Tangerine Dream soundtrack as well.
- Cockbrand 4y ago
  Both are very good and shocking movies. I personally found Threads more grimly realistic, and more relatable. This might be because I've watched Threads only a few years ago, while it's been decades since I've seen The Day After.
- blaser-waffle 4y ago
  Didn't just shock a generation, it shocked the President. There is the apocryphal story about Ronald Reagan, a former Hollywood actor who turned politician, who saw The Day After and asked his staff if would really be that bad. His staff, hardened Cold War generals and such, replied that it would be so, so much worse. This spooked the hell out of Reagan, and led him to reach out to the USSR to ease tensions. Didn't stop him from building deterrents in the form of Star Wars, etc. though...
pmoriarty 4y ago
"Threads" can still be seen for free on youtube.[1] Highly recommended. It's still by far the most terrifying nuclear war movie I've ever seen. [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Srqyd8B9gE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Srqyd8B9gE
- Cockbrand 4y ago
  YT link doesn't work for me ("Video unavailable"), but Threads can also be viewed at archive.org: https://archive.org/details/threads_201712 https://archive.org/details/threads_201712
sebazzz 4y ago
I could easily view /r/watchpeopledie or similar subreddits. I'm really not easily shocked. Threads really shocked me. Nuclear war should not be threaded lightly.

Here's the obligatory contextual mention of the excellent UK film "Threads": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threads_(1984_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threads_(1984_film)

peoplefromibiza 4y ago

"The day after" was released a year before "Threads" and it literally shocked a generation. Including my parents, in Italy, where it aired on February 1984. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After

pmoriarty 4y ago
I'd rate "The Day After" a 5 out of 10 on the horror scale, while "Threads" is a 10.
- peoplefromibiza 4y ago
  I agree. Threads is more realistic, but The day after literally ignited panic in millions of families (I remember watching it on Television when I was 6, almost any other neighbour household was watching the same thing!) I would also add the more prosaic Wargames, also from 1983, to the list of movies talking about a "Global Thermonuclear War" and, similarly to what Princeton is doing, simulating "A strange game" where "the only winning move is not to play"
  - pmoriarty 4y ago
    "The day after literally ignited panic in millions of families" Yeah, because they hadn't seen Threads, and because The Day After is about the effect of nuclear war on the US, which obviously hits closer to home. If they'd seen Threads their reaction to The Day After would have probably been much milder.
    - peoplefromibiza 4y ago
      > which obviously hits closer to home. Maybe, but as I said I've watched it in Italy, as Italian, and almost everyone was watching it that night. Also, I was merely pointing out that before Threads there was this other movie that pioneered the idea of the atomic holocaust. There's also China Syndrome from 1979, but even though I think it's a better movie than The day after, the premise is different and the threat is the atomic energy industry, not warheads.
- richliss 4y ago
  Threads is the most relentlessly grim and bleak thing I've ever seen. It's like they thought "let's make this get bleaker and bleaker until people have just had enough". I was shown it at school aged 9 and watched it out of curiousity about 5 months ago. I couldn't believe they showed it to kids in the 80's. After watching Threads your strategy for nuclear war goes from "hide in a basement" to "run towards the blast" as going quickly is the best approach.
  - blaser-waffle 4y ago
    > Threads is the most relentlessly grim and bleak thing I've ever seen. It's like they thought "let's make this get bleaker and bleaker until people have just had enough". The reality would have probably been worse.
- agumonkey 4y ago
  Oh I never knew about Threads. https://archive.org/details/threads_201712 https://archive.org/details/threads_201712
- euroderf 4y ago
  I'd also recommend "Miracle Mile". Dunno 'bout the horror scale cos it's not that kind of film. It's about the day of the event. Leaves an impression.
  - pmoriarty 4y ago
    Fantastic movie that should be much better known. It has a great Tangerine Dream soundtrack as well.
Cockbrand 4y ago
Both are very good and shocking movies. I personally found Threads more grimly realistic, and more relatable. This might be because I've watched Threads only a few years ago, while it's been decades since I've seen The Day After.
blaser-waffle 4y ago
Didn't just shock a generation, it shocked the President. There is the apocryphal story about Ronald Reagan, a former Hollywood actor who turned politician, who saw The Day After and asked his staff if would really be that bad. His staff, hardened Cold War generals and such, replied that it would be so, so much worse. This spooked the hell out of Reagan, and led him to reach out to the USSR to ease tensions. Didn't stop him from building deterrents in the form of Star Wars, etc. though...

pmoriarty 4y ago

"Threads" can still be seen for free on youtube.[1] Highly recommended. It's still by far the most terrifying nuclear war movie I've ever seen. [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Srqyd8B9gE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Srqyd8B9gE

Cockbrand 4y ago
YT link doesn't work for me ("Video unavailable"), but Threads can also be viewed at archive.org: https://archive.org/details/threads_201712 https://archive.org/details/threads_201712

sebazzz 4y ago

I could easily view /r/watchpeopledie or similar subreddits. I'm really not easily shocked. Threads really shocked me. Nuclear war should not be threaded lightly.