Real disasters happen all the time, but rarely are they global. That doesn’t stop us from thinking about how we would deal with the end of the world, whether it come by zombies, disease, nuclear fallout, overpopulation, or war. And those disasters make for many a rip-roaring movie. Nandini Balial looks at some of the better-known apocalypse films to rate the actions of the survivors. Whether the things they do make any sense at all has little to do with how good the movie is.
The characters of On the Beach use several methods that I would like to endorse in advance of the apocalypse: They fish, swim, throw parties, and conduct a Grand Prix in which many men (who have nothing to lose) die in gruesome accidents. The alternative is euthanasia: The government issues suicide pills, and the scene where Holmes’ wife Mary administers them to their baby daughter and herself is particularly heartbreaking. Captain Peck leaves Moira in order to commandeer his men back to the United States; they want to die at home.
Conclusions: Fishing, swimming, partying — good! Self-administered euthanasia — some people will probably want it!
Verdict: Most practical advice for the apocalypse.
If you can’t put away some good advice from the five movies analyzed, maybe at least you’ll find something you can watch and enjoy in this article at Pacific Standard. -via Digg