BBC Nuclear Holocaust Classic "Threads"

[John-Locke]

I had vivid memories of watching this as a child & having nightmares for years afterwards because of the fear of Nuclear Holocaust this film gave me.

I caught it again on the TV about 6 months ago late at night, it still shook me up a little even though the films meagre budget is now more apparent.

Set in Sheffield in 1984 this films follows the Lead up to, execution of and the days, weeks, months and years after a nuclear attack on England, if you like low budget BBC dramas & that strange bleak mood only things like this can muster up I recommend giving it a look.

For the full story click here

[burlivesleftnut]

This sounds similar to an incredible movie called Testament. Talk about scary.

[burlivesleftnut]

WTF. This isn't being released here? I hate you.

[so sorry]

Burl, we had the same TV show in the 80s. it was called The Day After.
it scared the fuck out of me... don't know why my mom let me watch it at such a young age.

[banthafodderUK]

John - that show scared the shit out of me too - I used to really worry about nuclear war cos of that fucker!!!

So sorry - Is the show you're talking about the one with 'Mahoney' from police academy in it?

[so sorry]

I don't remember any of the actors, i just remember mushroom clouds and radiation poisoning. and that black guy that made wierd noises.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

They put a holocaust documentary on BBC1 in 1984 or something. It scared the crap outta me so much, that my mum had to reassure me, saying things like, 'it's only a movie' etc. Mind you though, they were many people in my new scholl who I hated and wished it ot happen to them and not me. I still do to this very day. Also that Raymond Briggs cartoon about the husband and wife who have to prepare for the nuclear strike, and also what happened to them afterwards. Can anyone remember the name of these two shows. That cartoon really hit home. Very disturbing.

[banthafodderUK]

It was called ' when the wind blows' jay

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Ahh, sounds a bit rude that don't it. When the wind blows jay. Wind as being ahem, 'farts'. The only thing I ever got blown by. Apart from Nancy Cornish and Claire White- blowing me out that is. gentlemen! That film was very realistic. I remember the two of them losing their hair and they're minds after the fallout hit. Very sad. My dad is losing his hair all the time, and shrinking. Myabe he DID get kidnapped by aliens after all, and had nuclear testing on him or something.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Back inna 80s, America hadda the 3 good movies onna the nuclear holocaust, eh? The Day After, as a was alla ready mentioned, which a was a the shocking atta the time, but a little cliche now, no? Also, you hadda the "Special Bulletin" which a was a done as a the actual new broadcast, anna she freak a lot of a the peoples out, a 'cos a they thought she was a really happening, eh?

Holy crappa, they should a show that one again a 'cos it was alla about a the terrorists getting hold of a the nuclear materials anna making a the bomb anna detonating it inna the city... I remember they show a the quick video clip of a the "lead" terrorist, anna the pundits were alla pointing out that a he was exhibiting a the symptoms of a the radiation poisioning, eh? This was a before they knew that he inna fact, hadda the bomb anna authorities, they were just a trying to figure out iffa the guy was onna the level.

Testament, she was a much more quiet of a the 3... sort of a the nod to "Onna the Beach" with a the Greg Peck, eh? No explosions... no destruction... just a the after effects of a the fallout onna the small town where one by a the one, the peoples, they get sick anna die. Very depressing...

[ONeillSG1]

Burl, we had the same TV show in the 80s. it was called The Day After.
it scared the fuck out of me... don't know why my mom let me watch it at such a young age.

Back then, The Day After was something to be feared. But now, with the eyes of an adult, it is so laughable that it is . . . well laughable.

[John-Locke]

They put a holocaust documentary on BBC1 in 1984 or something. It scared the crap outta me so much, that my mum had to reassure me, saying things like, 'it's only a movie' etc. Mind you though, they were many people in my new scholl who I hated and wished it ot happen to them and not me. I still do to this very day. Also that Raymond Briggs cartoon about the husband and wife who have to prepare for the nuclear strike, and also what happened to them afterwards. Can anyone remember the name of these two shows. That cartoon really hit home. Very disturbing.

Jay/Kirk, this is that 1984 Documentary you douche, and if you click on the link you'll see that when the wind blow's is also being released on DVD.

Do you remember "Ghost Watch" with Craig Charles, Parkinson & that bird from Going Live. It was billed as being a live broadcast from a house with a poltergeist on Halloween, typical BBC format for a BBC OB with someone (Parkinson) in the Studio linking between the two reporters. The House was set up with security style cameras as they were trying to get a ghost on tape. There were two little girls who were mainly affected by the ghost which they called "Pipes" because of the sound he made which I can only describe as dry gargling. Anyway about an hour in whilst cutting between moving security cameras they cut away from an apparition standing ghostly at the curtains, they re run the tapes and there is nothing there, freaked everyone out big time. Then the little girl comes in and she's holding eyeballs, then it all goes crazy and they lose the feed, the glass table in the Studio smashes, and we see the reporter going into the basement where "Pipes" lives, and all we can hear is the sound of pipes (dry gargling). Pre Blair Witch style the cameraman goes down and we are left with just the voice of the reporter. I swear I was shitting my pants, I thought this was real. Only then when they go back to the studio when the lights are blowing and the cameras are all spinning around the studio floor did I realise this was definitely a hoax, then the Screen One credits ran to confirm it. An Old Lady was rumoured to have died from fright!!! I used to scare the living shit out of a friend who it seriously disturbed , by making the same sound that Pipes made. When we were away on a School trip I freaked him out so much telling him ghost stories and by making the sound of Pipes at night that he wet the bed and had to sleep in a different dorm for the rest of the trip.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Jay/Kirk, this is that 1984 Documentary you douche,

Sorry man, not paying too much attention today. Too ill. I'm shitting my pants 'cos of it also. No need for any scary documentaries here.

[John-Locke]

Oh yeah I forgot you have the green apple splatters, I bet it is Fook-in Ming-in.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Oh yeah I forgot you have the green apple splatters, I bet it is Fook-in Ming-in.

Oh dear. This is where it all turns ugly. That is fighting talk if it was in person.

[John-Locke]

Fight Bantha, he's the one who told us your middle names.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Who's 'us'? He's making it up. I will fight him. I wouldn't think differently either to all you lot, who are taking his bait nad taking the piss out of me for it. This is a collaborative talkback here is it not? No piss taking.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Sorry man, not paying too much attention today. Too ill. I'm shitting my pants 'cos of it also.

OKAY OKAY, the Dino, he's a sorry that he yell atta you inna the other thread... I dinna know you hadda the diarhea, eh? Iffa I did I would not have a yelled at you. Nobody deserve a to be yelled at a when they canna control a their bowels. The Dino, he knows a this alla too well, eh?

[WinslowLeach]

LMAO at "You douche".

I saw The Day After when I was like 12 and it scared the crap out of me. Any movies that depict the aftermath of nuclear war is usually disturbing as hell.

[burlivesleftnut]

Burl, we had the same TV show in the 80s. it was called The Day After.
it scared the fuck out of me... don't know why my mom let me watch it at such a young age.

I don't think Threads and the Day After are the same. Threads sounds a little more complex. And as a kid I remember the Day After being kind of shallow in its scope.

[so sorry]

burl, i wish i had your evolving sensibilities when i was a kid!

[burlivesleftnut]

There were bad ass until they tried to turn me evil. A quick run to a local bell tower cleared them right up though.

[vicious_bastard]

Threads is pant-shittingly realistic. I was too young when I saw it at school - I blame it for my over-sensitivity to nuke scenes in movies. Fuck, even the end of T3 made my hair stand on end. Threads is compelling, even when the miniscule budget starts to show near the end. Again no effort from Auntie with the DVD, who else would dare call 'scene selection' a special feature.

What scares me is how quickly everything falls apart. Recent events haven't helped much.

[Brocktune]

LMAO at "You douche".

I saw The Day After when I was like 12 and it scared the crap out of me. Any movies that depict the aftermath of nuclear war is usually disturbing as hell.

yeah, anybody remember that show "Oops"? that was the most hauntingly accurate depiction of a nuclear holocaust aftermath ive ever seen. remember that giant spider? scary!

[burlivesleftnut]

Dino I remember Special Bulletin. I kept having to tell my drunk step father that it wasn't real, but it was one of those situations where the OLD DRUNK doesn't believe the YOUNG GENIUS CHILD. I remember it was Charleston, SC that got wasted. Heh.

[Lord Voldemoo]

John - that show scared the shit out of me too - I used to really worry about nuclear war cos of that fucker!!!

So sorry - Is the show you're talking about the one with 'Mahoney' from police academy in it?

Yup, the Day After had Mahoney from police academy (Steve Guttenberg) and Diane from Poltergeist (JoBeth Williams), and I think I remember John Lithgow in there somewhere too?

Scared the bejesus out of me when I was a kid. My parents let me watch it because they thought it was something I should see. The result was that I nearly wet myself everytime a plane flew by overhead because I thought it was an ICBM. Most kids dream about the boogeyman, I dreamt about mushroom clouds. NICE WORK MOM AND DAD!!

Doesn't hold up well at all now though.

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

I went on a field trip to the local power company the day after The Day After aired. While in the control room one of the guys said that power consumption dropped while the movie was on, figuring that everyone turned off the lights to watch.

[vicious_bastard]

How can anything with Mahoney in it be scary?

[Agent Alonzo]

How can anything with Mahoney in it be scary?

I present the following evidence...

[wonkabar]

Scared the bejesus out of me when I was a kid. The result was that I nearly wet myself everytime a plane flew by overhead because I thought it was an ICBM.

Me too

[wonkabar]

How can anything with Mahoney in it be scary?

I present the following evidence...

That's a truly frightening image. It really is disturbing on so many levels....I can only shake my head in confusion and disgust wondering why it exists.

[vicious_bastard]

My eyes. MY EYES!!

[DennisMM]

Back inna 80s, America hadda the 3 good movies onna the nuclear holocaust, eh? The Day After, as a was alla ready mentioned, which a was a the shocking atta the time, but a little cliche now, no? Also, you hadda the "Special Bulletin" which a was a done as a the actual new broadcast, anna she freak a lot of a the peoples out, a 'cos a they thought she was a really happening, eh?

Holy crappa, they should a show that one again a 'cos it was alla about a the terrorists getting hold of a the nuclear materials anna making a the bomb anna detonating it inna the city...

Special Bulletin" was incredible because it was done in a small way.
The cast was just familiar enough, but not known, that you could believe you'd stumbled on some local station broadcast that had been picked up by the network.

To clarify, it wasn't terrorists who had the nuclear material. It was a nuclear scientist who wanted to make a strong anti-war statement by demonstrating how easy it could be to create a suitcase nuke.

[DennisMM]

Does anyone know if "The War Game" is available? It was banned outright from TV and theaters by the British censors (mabye only TV) -- this was back around 1965, I think -- but got European release and won some prizes.

[John-Locke]

Not sure about the War Game.

I remember seeing a trailer in the late 80's early 90's about a guy who answers a public telephone & hears a guy in a Military Base tell him Nukes are going to be going off in 2 hours or something, obviously the call wasn't meant for him. Thats all I remember, can anybody shed any light as to what this might be?

[Lord Voldemoo]

Does anyone know if "The War Game" is available? It was banned outright from TV and theaters by the British censors (mabye only TV) -- this was back around 1965, I think -- but got European release and won some prizes.

Available on VHS here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000007SYV/qid=1126285549/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-8397376-8576743?v=glance&s=video

and on dvd here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007LZ57/imdb-uk/026-8682892-3462835

For some reason only the VHS version is available on amazon's US site, but the DVD is available on amazon's UK site.

[DennisMM]

Not sure about the War Game.

I remember seeing a trailer in the late 80's early 90's about a guy who answers a public telephone & hears a guy in a Military Base tell him Nukes are going to be going off in 2 hours or something, obviously the call wasn't meant for him. Thats all I remember, can anybody shed any light as to what this might be?

That's "Miracle Mile," with Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham. Eventually he reveals what he's heard, a female businesswoman with ties to the military is able to fill things in a little, and it becomes clear that the call was very serious.

Most of the movie takes place in a diner. It's a nice, small-scale suspense picture that uses the confined space well.

[bluebottle]

Wow, a THREADS THREAD!

I must have been up north when you guys were talking about it!

Threads is great, and anyone who hasn't seen it, should.

And umm... The Day After is good too.

And The War Game is good.

umm..

you should...

read....

Down To A Sunless Sea... cuz.. that's good.

i really have nothing to add to this thread.

go eat your dinner.

[DocPazuzu]

Threads truly is terrifying. I remember turning it on just as it began, not having read beforehand what it was about. It was absolutely horrifying -- much more so than any horror film I can think of. The War Game and Special Bulletin are also superior nuclear war films. Although I really like Testament, I have to say that both it and The Day After are nowhere near as frightening as the others.
As far as I know, Special Bulletin is the only one not yet available on DVD. For shame!

DocP

[magicmonkey]

Yup Threads is depressing. I watched it on the dole in Sheffield. I was depressed for 2 weeks.

[John-Locke]

BUMP!

I just found the whole film on YouTube here

It's a playlist of all 13 parts set to play all.

Enjoy (or more realistically try not to have nightmares)

[hawksburn]

I own Threads on dvd. Great film despite the sfx of the apocalyptic destruction being somewhat primitive. The Day After was good for it's time tho of the 3 so far most mentioned Testament stands as the most powerful.

[The Vicar]

I've had this on DVD for a while....and, to illustrate the usual differences between what gets run on the BeeB and what we get in the colonies,
Threads is far more graphic and, therefore, realistic. I liked the Day After too, but it pulled its punches. Threads didn't.

[hawksburn]

I've had this on DVD for a while....and, to illustrate the usual differences between what gets run on the BeeB and what we get in the colonies,
Threads is far more graphic and, therefore, realistic. I liked the Day After too, but it pulled its punches. Threads didn't.

Well The Day After was made by ABC and we all remember the big deal made when NYPD Blue used what was classified as 'risque language' when it premiered. Yes, U.S network tv is very very soft compared to it's Brit counterparts.

Ditto for NZ/Australia. FTA down under is more or akin to the standard set on U.S cable than the stuff made by the U.S networks. In fact alot of U.S cable programming is shown uncut on FTA here in primetime (Breaking Bad, Dexter, The Wire, The Pacific etc). I do remember seeing 'Threads' on TVNZ 1 as a kid and the graphic detail stuck with me. I was very pleased to find it a couple of years back as a UK import dvd and was also pleased to find that (despite the fx) it's power hadn't dated in the 20 years since I'd first seen it.

[Hermanator X]

I only ever saw this as a kid at school, but some of it is still scorched into my retinas. Fairly vividly remember the sirens going, and the panic in the streets. Grim.

Also, "where the wind blows" was pretty damn good too, as a young un. Superb animation, and very matter of fact. Also chilling for a youngster, but im damn glad I got to see it, as its stuck with me ever since.

[Al Shut]

Also, "where the wind blows" was pretty damn good too, as a young un. Superb animation, and very matter of fact. Also chilling for a youngster, but im damn glad I got to see it, as its stuck with me ever since.

If I ever get my hands on the person who thought When the wind blows was suitable for children aged six and up and hence could be aired on TV in the afternoon there's gonna be a massacre.

[Hermanator X]

The graphic novelisation was in among the tin tin, asterix and fungus the bogeyman books at my local library. That was one tearful saturday afternoon......

[Fried Gold]

Also, "where the wind blows" was pretty damn good too, as a young un. Superb animation, and very matter of fact. Also chilling for a youngster, but im damn glad I got to see it, as its stuck with me ever since.

If I ever get my hands on the person who thought When the wind blows was suitable for children aged six and up and hence could be aired on TV in the afternoon there's gonna be a massacre.

When The Wind Blows is suitable for all ages. Especially at the time, everyone needed to see it.

[Al Shut]

I'd say people who need to see movies that are of some sort of relevance should be old enough to understand what's going on.

[DennisMM]

Al, some things can wait a bit longer, I agree. If the kids can't understand why the old couple eventually die, seeing them die is just a slap in the face. Lots of kids six and up may not be able to grasp what's happening.