The Quiet Earth blog has been covering the post - revelatory genre for years , and now one of its feature film writer , Agent Orange , weighs in with his leaning of 30 vision of a 21st Century apocalypse .
This of course , leads us right into our first feature article …
The Signalis a surreal trip into a very dark apocalypse that is bring on by a mysterious signal that changes the majority of the population into ultra - violent , paranoid schizoid . It require the kind of three dissimilar story directed by three unlike managing director , but still admit a main story of two lover trying to witness each other . The film ’s ability to turn from terrorise to humourous to rival on a dime made it an indie favorite back in 2008 and it holds up to this day , making it a standout of this list .
Danny Boyle single handedly re - recreate the lifeless clay of the zombie apocalypse musical style with his deucedly frenetic 28 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. afterwards … Fast snake god , Godspeed you Black Emperor , and some insane hand - held photography made 28 day Later the most exciting Revelation of Saint John the Divine flick anyone had come across in years . Of course , Boyle did n’t re - invent the wheel here . Issues of militarism and the storey of a little band of survivors is n’t anything we have n’t seen in any Romero movie , but Danny made it modern and we loved it . So much so that a continuation follow and we may even be acquire a threequel before the twenty-first century is over .
Jericho – God , it seems like a lifetime ago that we followed the exploit of Skeet Ulrich and his fellow small towners as they attempted to keep their shit together after a serial publication of terrorist attack left America in post - apocalyptical tumult . In classic NBC fashion , the show straddle the line between family drama and 24 and was canceled after just one season , but was quickly given a seven episode second chance when lover sent pallets of fruitcake to the internet in objection . view it again on videodisc and you ’ll be surprised to find it a tight paced and timely conspiracy thriller representative of these misanthropical times . Seriously , I think Jericho is a seminal PA series . menstruum . And , I hope it returns in one var. or another .
Dawn of the idle put Zack Snyder on the mathematical function and proved that remaking can actually exploit . Not all of us agree that this film holds a candle to George Romero ’s 70s classic , but there ’s no denying it capture the repugnance world when it was unblock in 2004 . It took up the gantlet that Boyle lay down with degenerate zombies and has one of the best apocalyptical openings ever . And Sarah Polley . Enough said .
Ah , The Dark Houror “ La Hora Fria ” as it ’s called in its native Spain . This is such a posh film , so attractively shot that you ’d be forgive for think it was an sure-enough Guillermo del Toro production . The story , tell form the perspective of a young boy , is about a grouping of survivors who hold out underground to annul the plagues and nasties of the human race outside . Every Nox at a specific time they have to lock their doors to avoid a sinister frigidness brought on by an unknown supernatural power . A great foreign PA title of respect deserving checking out in my view – regrettably , it was never released on R1 DVD . you could pick it up overseas though .
Connected is a newish short film that come from Danish movie maker Jens Raunkjær Christensen and Jonas Drotner Mouritsen who classify it as a “ sci - fi western . ” localise in the aloof time to come , Connected is a story about natural selection and greed in a berth apocalyptic wasteland . Two survivors of an unknown disaster shuffle through a barren landscape bond to each other ’s atomic number 8 tank . It quickly becomes clean that not everybody has the strength to last . This film is about ideas more than excitement , but it ’s a spectacular visual sense . You canwatch the whole scant here .
If you ’re wonder why Battlestar Galactica is on this list then you either a , have n’t seen the show , or group B , were n’t devote very close care . BSG might be a high - tech blank opera , but it ’s also about the oddment of prison term . The first time of year in exceptional is a well write Revelation parable that has its character as concerned about where to find water and food as how to escape from evil golem . Regardless of how you felt about the series as a whole , when BSG was on it was REALLY on . Ron Moore and his team took apocalyptic scifi tv to a whole new level with it and the reverberations of its success will be felt for age to get along I ’m indisputable .
Even though this blue - budget British endeavor pass on us wilderness endurance foregather the zombi apocalypse , The Vanguardwill mostly likely be remembered for introducing us to its double axe wielding , Elvis shade wearing , bicycle turn on main fiber , Max . One of the last the great unwashed active in England , Max lives off the land , hound “ biosyns ” along the way . When he becomes involved with some AWOL military guys he learns more about the conspiracy that brought on the end . It may be humiliated budget , but The Vanguard was one of our deary a duo years back and deserves a expression if you have n’t already seen it .
OhEden Log , you could have been so good , but you were too Gallic for your own good . As much as the slow pace and obtuse narrative of this flick frustrates me , I ca n’t help but marvel at how beautiful it calculate . Not enough to recommend it whole heartedly , but it the film at least hold a different kind of narration approach by telling the story of a civilisation downfall in reversal . The film is from the perspective of a single subsister who wakes up underground with on memory board . As he climbs up to the surface through the remains of a once technologically powerful human race he study the write up of what pass and fights mutants . Gallic director Franck Vestiel paint a brawny visual modality , but tells his tale in a most irksome potential way . It ’s too bad , because this motion-picture show could have been as dear as Pandorum if do differently .
easy one of the most anticipated post - apocalyptical movies of the last ten age , The Happening was also the most universally unsatisfying . Are those two fact link up ? I do n’t cerebrate so . The fact is , The Happening deserves its renowned re - titling of “ The Crapening , ” because its stinking . draw a blank the fact that the cast of characters is fallible and has no chemistry , it ’s premise it so atrociously cockeyed and confused that it ’s difficult to even give it point for originality . I mean , the character bunk from flatus . You ca n’t outrun wind . You just ca n’t . It ’s all around you if it ’s there . As much as we all dislike this film , there ’s no denying it was an important twenty-first 100 entry into the genre so it build the list .
Why is Land of the Dead included and not Diary of the Dead or Survival of the Dead ? elementary . Because LOTD cross out the “ triumphant ” homecoming of snake god maestro George Romero – arguably the Fatherhood of forward-looking zombie anything . Personally I do n’t much care for Land . In the eighties Romero became obsessed with this belief that maybe zombies were people too , able of learning and feeling emotions . As before long as that zombie gas attendant picked up a car I thought “ uh oh ” and it was reasonably much downhill from there . This is daft stuff , but it was fun to have Romero take us back into his world and I experience this celluloid has its rooter . Definitely an important one in the long run .
Carriersis another film that has its detractor , but I loved it enough to have find it a few times now and I think it will turn out in popularity once the junk square off around its irksome and moderately lackluster liberation . What on the surface look like another plague picture featuring the walk dead turned out to be anything but . In Carriers , steer by brother Alex and David Pastor , the plague does n’t do much but kill you – and that ’s really shivery . The film is essentially a post - revelatory road pic where a group of characters encounter strange tribe and have adventures as they make their way across the America wasteland towards the west coast . It ’s stark and heartrending and full of some tenseness and has a likable unseasoned cast .
Jeremiah was a TV show produced by Showtime back before they arrive at it large with show like Weeds and Californication . It only ran for two time of year . The history is loosely based on Belgian author Hermann Huppen ’s funny book series , “ Jeremiah , ” but serial publication showrunner J. Michael Straczynski took a lot of liberties . In the show , the twelvemonth is 2021 and it has been 15 years since a plague stamp out everyone over the geezerhood of pubescence ( so no grownup ) . The children who survived are now grown , and must choose between either scavenge off the diminishing stiff of the old world , or begin trying to rebuild . It star Luke Perry and is actually jolly decent and full of some interesting twits and turns . Season 2 was lately released on demand from Amazon so the whole series is out there , ready to be rediscovered .
City of Ember is a totally underrated berth apocalyptic tike adventure about a metropolis underground whose lights are slowly burn out . At its core , City of Ember is a parable about keeping the faith in a secular mankind and moving up towards the light – but I do n’t give care about that stuff . For me , the celluloid was a wondrously staged and often funny tale about growing up in a world carry by dimwitted adults who ca n’t see beyond their own noses and are destined to destroy their humanity . Plus it features some really stellar yield figure .
orchestrate team Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates ’ first time out of the logic gate was a bonafide external collision that put them on the post apocalyptic photographic film map and set them up for a ton of salutary poppycock to derive . On the downside , the quick financial success of the film got it scooped up by Weinstein ’s Dimension Extreme label who mis - marketed the detect - footage motion-picture show Stateside making it look like Dawn of the drained 2 and turn casual viewers against the film . If you have n’t see it , The Zombie Diariesis a very realistic spirit pic about a medium crew who are doing a storey during a pandemic only to find themselves in the thick of a full on viral apocalypse .
Is the monster apocalypse that happens in The Mist happen worldwide , or just in Maine where the film take piazza ? Well if the film had ended like Stephen King ’s novelette there would be a good case that it was worldwide and human being were hooped . Darabont realise it differently , but despite the changed ( and disgraceful ) end , The Mist remains a germinal apocalyptical vision of the 21st century . Not universally liked upon release , the film is very quickly pick up fans who are finding it , or revisit it on DVD and blu - beam . One of the thing that make The Mist so majuscule , is its ensemble mould . It feels like a King story and the film proves that Darabont is the only guy cable who should be touching the fertile writer work for the screen ( Maybe “ The Stand ” next , Frank ? )
One of the more controversial TV productions among PA fans was the recent BBC remake of the classic Terry Nation show , Survivors . A smasher and miss hodge - podge of 12 episode , the serial had a gruelling time maintaining a consistant tone and , a picayune like Jericho , flip - flopped between want to be both a phratry - well-disposed show and a hard - march PA thriller . The fact that it was on BBC 1 probably had a hand in that , but ultimately I think Survivors will be remembered because of its relationship to the original series more than what it offer the musical style . Still , it ’s a production that arrive us talking so it makes the list .
You really ca n’t downplay the importance of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright ’s Shaun of the Dead . It spawn years worth of copycat zomedies ( sure enough the flick below would never have existed without it ) . It also proved the Brits were still in the game and had their uncanny self deprecating signified of body fluid intact . I ’m sure you ’ve all seen it all so that ’s enough out of me – do it to say Shaun of the Dead has proved and crucial significance .
Zombielandis a textbook typesetter’s case of good place , right-hand time . premier aright when worldwide zombie mania was at it ’s apex , ( you could argue that vertex is still rockin ’ on ) Zombieland houseclean up at the box office and introduced fanboys to cute - as - a - button indie darling , Emma Stone ( move over Zooey ) . As stated above , it would never have survive without Shaun of the Dead , but at the same time it ’s not a copycat . Its humour is by all odds American and its obvious also owe a lot to Apatow productions . Too early to tell is it ’s a seminal PA moving picture , but its surely important here and now .
F***K I love this movie and I do n’t care who knows it . WithDoomsday , British literary genre guru , Neil Marshall , innovate his on-key intentions as a film producer . Screw The Descent . Claustrophobic repugnance was a substance to an oddment for Marshall who so clearly wants to make brawling military action horror for adults . Some would argue that Doomsday is n’t PA because the barren is n’t worldwide but pin down behind a wall . I say the outside world is dead and it just does n’t do it it yet . The only matter that rots about this film is the Road Warrior style car chase at the end . Marshall had the chance to beat out Miller and sort of break down , relying on degraded cut . Having say that , there ’s no question that Doomsday is on b - a - cholecalciferol - a - atomic number 16 - s PA actioner .
And now for something completely unlike . To quote myself from 2008 ; “ right on at your Doordoes what every great indie picture wreak on a minimum budget involve to do . It work a suspenseful gamy concept secret plan gimmick only to morph it into an intimate and at long last human news report … It distinguish the story of Brad and Lexi , a young dyad whose new life together is turned upside - down when a pot of “ dirty bombs ” are set off in L.A. , releasing toxic gas into the air . Told by the media to seal the house , Brad grudgingly quarantines Lexi outside where she must wait for assist . ”
Informed by a office 9/11 America , the picture elicit questions about our new - ground paranoia while it divulges just how severely we ’ve add up to mistrust authorities who are as likely to hurt us as help us . The redaction is discriminating , the acting is superb , and the story is as riveting as it is devastating . A must see .
When I show Cormac McCarthy ’s “ The Road ” I had a touch sensation it would be adapted for the screenland , but I did n’t remember it would interpret that well . Not because what happens in the book composite , in fact quite the opposite . The book is brooding and subdued and subtly terrifying – all things that ram multitude aside from the cinema . Luckily John Hillcoat , Viggo Mortensen and Aussie composer Nick Cave band together to do the best they could . hold back for a yr and marketed like a cannibal film , the effective visual modality managed to prevail and we have , what I consider to be , a faithful and originative PA flick here .
Blindnessis based on José Saramago ’s novel about a plague of sightlessness that effects 90 % of the cosmos . It ’s a very cerebral and powerful flick about human nature and to cite Marina , who loved the picture : “ visually , Meirelles does not disappoint . His vision of a metropolis in crash is eerily reminiscent of 28 day Later , it ’s postdate up 28 Weeks Later and even children of Men . Meirelles uses the decaying surroundings as a metaphor for the putridness of society and the result is an ugly wonder ; a cityscape crowded by garbage , bodies and fauna . ” This is a blue one folk .
This one , however , is not a dark one . As you would expect from a Roland Emmerich disaster flick , 2012 is bloated , silly and has CGI wipeout up the wazoo . A more larger-than-life sight of world - wide destruction there has never been though so , if you ’re in the right frame of mind , 2012 can be a fun drive . Having allege that , one baffle the feeling that the genuine narration begins when the movie ends – on those jumbo arks that look like floating Battlestars . There ’s a good video show in there somewhere . Too unfit Emmerich ditch it .
Transmission ( “ Adás ” ) is a Hungarian film that has n’t been released wide yet , but free-base on some good former revue ( hereandhere ) , I ’m including it on this list anyway . direct by Roland Vranik , the film is about a technical Revelation of Saint John the Divine where computers , TVs , cells , and other telecom equipment no longer make for and the people are suffer spartan withdrawal nuisance . Three brother seek to overcome their own major personal problem as the companionship lento begins to recover alternative manner of life . In straight European fashion , the picture less implicated with topsy-turvyness and destruction and more with citizenry . in person I ca n’t wait to check it out .
Cargo‘s story may take piazza on a rickety quondam distance bottom , but the tone of the full film is certainly informed by post - revelatory overtone and a healthy of dose of distrust of agency . In the film , the earth is uninhabitable and humans float in distance , look for a Modern major planet to settle on . A sensational dystopian visual sensation made on a dime , the film looks far more expensive than it is , but has been criticized for its resemblance of other space station scifi motion-picture show . An unjust quiddity in my creative thinker , moot the genre is build on that kind of thing . Oh well , people are picky I guess .
I ’m not a big fan of this serial publication , but I think the third film , Resident Evil : Extinction , is probably my favorite just because it takes us into a classic apocalypse with a convoy of survivor , zombi spirit crows – the whole nine cubic yard . Mutant Alice is sort of badass , the libertine zombies are sort of shivery , but there are also too many one liners and lingua - in - cheek moments for my liking .
solar day 26 ( or “ Tag 26 ” in its native Germany ) is a stellar post - apocalyptic shortsighted from 2003 by Andreas Samland . breathe in by Tarkovskij´s Stalker the photographic film is shows how two subsister of a biological disaster are able to subsist when their bodies are n’t able to come in contact with the world . It ’s a very realistic and haunt imagination . The total shot appeared online a few months back and you canwatch it here .
9is directed by Shane Acker , but the Average Joe thinks its from Tim Burton . Burton actually co - give rise this invigoration anomalousness with Russian wunderkind Timur Bekmambetov and the results are , well , middle at best . The film looks gorgeous and the tale is original , but it feel like a first course . The motion-picture show is all action and little else so by the terminal you sense less entertained than stimulated . I think the film is already starting to be forgotten , but it was a film that garner a band of bombination upon release and it is sure enough important in the 21st 100 PA pantheon , so I decided to include it here .
I feel bad leaving this lean on a sour note , but I just could n’t in adept conscience leave the dud that isTerminator : Salvationoff this list . As the only of the Terminator serial publication that take us fully into “ Judgment Day ” everyone was expecting great things – specially when some stellar trailers started to make their fashion online . And yes the motion picture looks great , but the script is just abominable . Abysmal . Atrocious . A$ $ . A with child cast could n’t even save the stochasticity of it all . It all just feels step on it and it ’s too bad because the premise is exactly what were we waiting for after three picture show that just riffed on the same time - travel premise . Oh well , you come through some , you lose some .
This post originally appeared onQuiet Earth .
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