I’ve never been much for horror movies. I can’t even pronounce the name of the genre properly. Every time I try to say “horror” it comes out as “whore.”
My apathy comes from not being much for being terrified in the way horror films are supposed to scare. I have no desire to see attractive, big boobed and/or long legged women be chased by zombies or guys who can run athletically while carrying a chainsaw. It seems I believe attractive, big boobed and/or long legged women should be protected at all costs.
But I appreciate the talent which goes into writing and making horror movies. The folks involved are some of the best storytellers around. I’m jealous of those who have the skills to terrify an audience.
And there is one type of horror flick I wish I could write. A story which frightens people into thinking what might be and what they would lose.
I love a good nuclear war movie.
My interest started while in seventh-grade in the autumn of 1983. Much was being made of a movie appearing on ABC called The Day After. It was about a nuclear exchange between the United States and the USSR. The subject matter so gripped the country that ABC aired a live discussion panel after the movie.
There were a slew of nuclear war movies released around this time highlighted by the British Broadcasting Corporation's 1984 film Threads. This was basically the BBC’s version of The Day After, only far more graphic and with the story going longer into the future. The Day After was difficult to watch as a young teenager. Threads is still difficult to watch as an adult.
Other films released in the middle 1980s were Special Bulletin and Through the Looking Glass. Special Bulletin was about nuclear terrorism when some Americans threatened to blow up Charleston, South Carolina in protest of the growing arms race. Through the Looking Glass stops right before nuclear war starts and is instead about the reporters at a national news network following the developing story of tensions in the Middle East growing into a dispute between the United States and the Soviets.
The nuke genre fizzled out when Mikhail Gorbachev became the face of the USSR. Relations between America and the USSR improved so much that the threat of nuclear war became negligible. About the only nuke movie made about the two countries at this time was World War III which was based on mushroom clouds being seen after a scenario where Gorbachev was overthrown.
There was a bit of resurgence of the threat of nuclear war when North Korea was rattling its sabers and when Russia invaded Ukraine. But at least in regards to the world in general things have been calm with little chance of a nuclear attack by anyone.
But the concept of nuclear war fiction still fascinates me. I would like to write a nuke film someday. Not a story where nuclear war happens, but where the human race comes so close to a holocaust and then at the very last moment the world is saved. I haven’t figured out how, but right when the world seems about to end, it’s given a chance to begin again.
I picture a scene where an Iowa television affiliate has cut away from the network feed to broadcast some local news such as telling folks about prayer services. There will also be government news such as how to survive a nuclear attack. Nobody is paying attention because people aren’t stupid. Nobody is going to survive the firepower of the 2020s.
But one of the anchors notices something on his laptop or tablet. He looks at the camera wondering if he should tell the viewers. He types asking for confirmation on what he is seeing. He pats his fellow anchor on the arm as an invitation to see what he’s seeing. There is the television equivalent of radio’s dead air. Viewers at home react with fear. Something is going on. Many begin to break down. They have been expecting the worst and now it seems to be here.
But the anchor smiles as he seems to be looking off in the distance instead at the camera. He announces an agreement has been reached. Everybody is stepping back from disaster. Nuclear war has been averted.
“We’re going to be okay,” he says as he uses every bit of strength he has to fight off the emotions running through him. His co-anchor grasps his hand as she announces they’ll be going back to the network in a minute.
But they only stay with the network for the announcement and a bit of analysis. They come back and focus on local experts and interview everyday folks for their thoughts.
Meanwhile, viewers react to the news. Many break down in sobs while realizing how close the end came and being incredibly grateful for another chance from a new beginning.
I would then have scenes where people step out. They go for a walk or a drive. To be outside on a beautiful night. Strangers stop and talk with each other. Many times hugs are exchanged. One young couple takes their children to a local park. As the kids play, the parents break down at the emotion of still being able to grow old together.
The movie would end with the anchors, who still have the side effects of emotion on their face, signing off with huge smiles and saying. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
So my nuclear war movie wouldn’t actually have a nuclear exchange. It would be a horror movie in that the story would prey on its viewers emotions. I would want the audience to consider that this is it. This can’t be fixed. The human race had messed up one too many times. That people were going to lose their lives through no fault of their own and there wasn’t anything they could do.
Then, at the last possible moment. A miracle of common sense happens. Folks realize they've been given a second chance. The emotional journey from Point A to Point B would hopefully overwhelm viewers and make them realize what they have and how close they can come to losing it.
That’s the message I would like to share through the power of fright.
Don Carpenter is from Cascade, Iowa, USA. You can connect with Don on X @everythinglov18
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