Supercut: Apocalypse
September 7, 2012 4:13 PM Subscribe
The world has ended many times - a supercut of apocalyptic visions.
I like to think that if I were standing in the streets of Manhattan and saw a 500 foot tall wave/fireball/alien death ray rushing towards me destroying everything in its path I would spend my final moments looking at its awesomeness rather than pointlessly scurrying to die a few yards away but I suppose that's one of those things where you don't know how you'll behave until it happens.
Also [PEDANTRY ALERT] including the two volcano pictures is kind of cheating since they only threaten the death of a city and not the death of the world.
posted by Egg Shen at 4:29 PM on September 7, 2012 [4 favorites]
Also [PEDANTRY ALERT] including the two volcano pictures is kind of cheating since they only threaten the death of a city and not the death of the world.
posted by Egg Shen at 4:29 PM on September 7, 2012 [4 favorites]
Neil deGrasse Tyson talked briefly, but enthusiastically, on his podcast about the physics of that nuclear explosion scene from T2. It's worth checking out.
posted by jwhite1979 at 4:31 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jwhite1979 at 4:31 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
You say apocalypse Mashup, I see excellent opening titles for a Fallout movie.
posted by The Whelk at 4:38 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 4:38 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
I bet we could fill sentences starting from "Neil deGrasse Tyson talked briefly, but enthusiastically...about [fill in black on some take on science that I am super interested in, the more geeky and goofy the better]" forever and never run out of topics.
I would enjoy this supercut more if it started out with the T2 nuclear explosion, then showed all the rest, and then ended with Sarah Connor waking up. I mean, running from Terminators and dreaming of nuclear armegeddon is one thing -- but doing all that and dreaming of The Day After Tomorrow and Signs -- that's be a special kind of hell.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 4:39 PM on September 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
I would enjoy this supercut more if it started out with the T2 nuclear explosion, then showed all the rest, and then ended with Sarah Connor waking up. I mean, running from Terminators and dreaming of nuclear armegeddon is one thing -- but doing all that and dreaming of The Day After Tomorrow and Signs -- that's be a special kind of hell.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 4:39 PM on September 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
.
posted by doublesix at 4:46 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by doublesix at 4:46 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
Could have used a shot of Donald Sutherland falling into a large cake.
posted by ShutterBun at 5:18 PM on September 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by ShutterBun at 5:18 PM on September 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
I'm guessing there's not much point in making sure I always have my Swiss Army Knife with me, eh?
posted by HuronBob at 5:21 PM on September 7, 2012
posted by HuronBob at 5:21 PM on September 7, 2012
Who doesn't like a dystopia? Phew, katharsis! Oh wait, not really! Tragedy is kathartic.
posted by elpapacito at 5:23 PM on September 7, 2012
posted by elpapacito at 5:23 PM on September 7, 2012
Ever since watching those planes fly into those buildings almost exactly 11 years ago, I have never been able to understand the attraction of these sorts of movies.
posted by KokuRyu at 5:47 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by KokuRyu at 5:47 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
Ever since watching those planes fly into those buildings almost exactly 11 years ago, I have never been able to understand the attraction of these sorts of movies.
Oh my God, I had the exact same reaction, but instead of apocalypse genre movies, I lost all understanding and appreciation for clowns. I mean, fuck clowns!
That was nicely edited, that supercut, and it fit my mood, so, hey! Nice post.
posted by kbanas at 5:50 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
Oh my God, I had the exact same reaction, but instead of apocalypse genre movies, I lost all understanding and appreciation for clowns. I mean, fuck clowns!
That was nicely edited, that supercut, and it fit my mood, so, hey! Nice post.
posted by kbanas at 5:50 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
Ever since watching those planes fly into those buildings almost exactly 11 years ago, I have never been able to understand the attraction of these sorts of movies.
I was thinking as I watched how on 9/11, which I "experienced" from an office building in Toronto, how everyone kept saying it "was like a movie". I think most people who actually see something that compares to to these scenarios don't have a vocabulary or a frame of reference for them outside of movies. So yes, there's an element of the surreal to it, and you'd almost feel like looking about for movie cameras. And those who have lived through a comparable experience have no interest in seeing it simulated.
posted by orange swan at 5:55 PM on September 7, 2012
I was thinking as I watched how on 9/11, which I "experienced" from an office building in Toronto, how everyone kept saying it "was like a movie". I think most people who actually see something that compares to to these scenarios don't have a vocabulary or a frame of reference for them outside of movies. So yes, there's an element of the surreal to it, and you'd almost feel like looking about for movie cameras. And those who have lived through a comparable experience have no interest in seeing it simulated.
posted by orange swan at 5:55 PM on September 7, 2012
The Day After ruined me for apocalyptic movies because it was so depressing that it pointed out the fakeness of all the more "fun" apocalyptic movies. If civilization falls apart and you survive the initial chaos, you're just cold, filthy, hungry and more than likely, doomed, whether it be at the hands of other violent people or by a virus or an infection that any doctor could treat but instead kills you. Because there ain't no more doctors.
I like civilization. It has a/c and good booze and birth control.
posted by emjaybee at 5:55 PM on September 7, 2012 [7 favorites]
I like civilization. It has a/c and good booze and birth control.
posted by emjaybee at 5:55 PM on September 7, 2012 [7 favorites]
Also people trying to outrun Coldness.
posted by The Whelk at 6:00 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 6:00 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh man, The Day After left my junior high class traumatized, because it seemed so real. And then the paper did an interview with some general who said that, yes, our city probably would be on the Soviet target list, due to all the petrochemical production. Good times.
posted by Kevin Street at 6:00 PM on September 7, 2012
posted by Kevin Street at 6:00 PM on September 7, 2012
The Day After ruined me for apocalyptic movies because it was so depressing that it pointed out the fakeness of all the more "fun" apocalyptic movies. If civilization falls apart and you survive the initial chaos, you're just cold, filthy, hungry and more than likely, doomed, whether it be at the hands of other violent people or by a virus or an infection that any doctor could treat but instead kills you. Because there ain't no more doctors.
Yeah, but I don't have to deal with Professor Jackoff's 200GB PST file being corrupted anymore, so I think it's kind of a wash, honestly.
posted by kbanas at 6:02 PM on September 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
Yeah, but I don't have to deal with Professor Jackoff's 200GB PST file being corrupted anymore, so I think it's kind of a wash, honestly.
posted by kbanas at 6:02 PM on September 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
I probably shouldn't have watched that just before bedtime.
posted by Optamystic at 6:07 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Optamystic at 6:07 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Apocalypse? We've all been there...
posted by Wolfdog at 6:28 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Wolfdog at 6:28 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Huh, so that's what the monster in "Cloverfield" looked like? Glad I didn't waste the seat time on that.
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 6:44 PM on September 7, 2012
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 6:44 PM on September 7, 2012
Why does America always hog the apocalypse?
posted by One Hand Slowclapping at 6:47 PM on September 7, 2012
posted by One Hand Slowclapping at 6:47 PM on September 7, 2012
Why does America always hog the apocalypse?
Try some Time of the Wolf.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:55 PM on September 7, 2012
Try some Time of the Wolf.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:55 PM on September 7, 2012
Alternate watching plan: Mute it, start at 2:46, and put "Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" on loop play.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:10 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:10 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
How can you have a clip of Volcano without showing Harvey Levin?
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 7:11 PM on September 7, 2012
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 7:11 PM on September 7, 2012
When the apocalypse really happens, I hope there's a decent soundtrack.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:14 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:14 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
You know what? I've had my fucking fill of apocalyptic dread. Fuck that shit. FUCK DOOM. Fuck fear fuck regret. Let's build something. Let's fight for a future that we won't even live in. Let's think about tomorrow with strength in our hearts. Fight fight fight against the dying of the light!
posted by a shrill fucking shitstripe at 7:52 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by a shrill fucking shitstripe at 7:52 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
So. Much. Emmerich.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 8:05 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 8:05 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
I like civilization. It has a/c and good booze and birth control.
And hot showers and clean sheets and books.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:20 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
And hot showers and clean sheets and books.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:20 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Ever since watching those planes fly into those buildings almost exactly 11 years ago, I have never been able to understand the attraction of these sorts of movies.
The movie 2012 made me realize that -- after Katrina -- I just can't watch disaster films anymore. At least not the sillier, Irwin Allen-style "rides".
There's an earthquake scene in that film where the ground has split open and a subway train full of people rockets out into the void and crashes into the opposite side and explodes. That's where it lost me. At one time I would have giggled at that, and there's a more abstract, action movie fan part of me that enjoyed the audacity and scale of the destruction in that film, but the rest of me just found it deeply unpleasant.
So, yeah. Plop me in front of the bloodiest horror and action movies and I'm as happy as a clam. Disaster flicks? No thanks.
(The Core gets a pass. That's just silly and fun.)
posted by brundlefly at 8:25 PM on September 7, 2012
The movie 2012 made me realize that -- after Katrina -- I just can't watch disaster films anymore. At least not the sillier, Irwin Allen-style "rides".
There's an earthquake scene in that film where the ground has split open and a subway train full of people rockets out into the void and crashes into the opposite side and explodes. That's where it lost me. At one time I would have giggled at that, and there's a more abstract, action movie fan part of me that enjoyed the audacity and scale of the destruction in that film, but the rest of me just found it deeply unpleasant.
So, yeah. Plop me in front of the bloodiest horror and action movies and I'm as happy as a clam. Disaster flicks? No thanks.
(The Core gets a pass. That's just silly and fun.)
posted by brundlefly at 8:25 PM on September 7, 2012
That first scene from T2 still chills me to my bones.
posted by arcticseal at 8:51 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by arcticseal at 8:51 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
I noticed the quietearth tag just a little bit ago. No earth shattering kaboom - just...eeep
Maybe an ice nine tag, too?
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 9:00 PM on September 7, 2012
Maybe an ice nine tag, too?
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 9:00 PM on September 7, 2012
WORLD ALSO ENDED (PAGE 3 FOR EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM HELEN LEVITT)
posted by obiwanwasabi at 9:15 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
Wait...maybe that should be eponylyptical?
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 9:37 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 9:37 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh my God, I had the exact same reaction, but instead of apocalypse genre movies, I lost all understanding and appreciation for clowns. I mean, fuck clowns!
I will never underestimate the smug sense of entitlement a seemingly intelligent person has to watch utter crap, and look down on those people who politely express a contrary point of view.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:32 PM on September 7, 2012
I will never underestimate the smug sense of entitlement a seemingly intelligent person has to watch utter crap, and look down on those people who politely express a contrary point of view.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:32 PM on September 7, 2012
No earth shattering kaboom
I was promised an earth shattering kaboom!
posted by pjern at 11:47 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
I was promised an earth shattering kaboom!
posted by pjern at 11:47 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
None of these scenes, not even thew nuclear destruction of L. A. or those missiles rising from the grain fields of Kansas are as horrifying as that women pissing herself seeing the mushroom cloud over Sheffield.
It's interesting how every single one of those scenes of epic destruction, expect that Terminator II scene at the very beginning, carefully do not show the human damage of such destruction, save for artfully draped, still whole corpses. No torn off limbs, people going mad seeing their loved ones die in front of them, nobody going up like a roman candle, nothing that might take your mind off the spectacle.
Not that the teeming masses are shown as anything but a faceless horde of course; as long as the hero finds his wife/son/dog, everything is alright.
posted by MartinWisse at 2:01 AM on September 8, 2012 [3 favorites]
It's interesting how every single one of those scenes of epic destruction, expect that Terminator II scene at the very beginning, carefully do not show the human damage of such destruction, save for artfully draped, still whole corpses. No torn off limbs, people going mad seeing their loved ones die in front of them, nobody going up like a roman candle, nothing that might take your mind off the spectacle.
Not that the teeming masses are shown as anything but a faceless horde of course; as long as the hero finds his wife/son/dog, everything is alright.
posted by MartinWisse at 2:01 AM on September 8, 2012 [3 favorites]
I will never underestimate the smug sense of entitlement a seemingly intelligent person has to watch utter crap, and look down on those people who politely express a contrary point of view.
Your point of view was that 11 years ago some terrorists flew some planes into a building, so you can't watch Terminator 2 anymore. It's not a contrary point of view - it's a view. Violence happens all the time. Terrorist attacks happen all the time, all over the world. There's a civil war going on in Syria. The USS Cole had its side ripped open and soldiers were killed. A Marine Barracks was blown to shit in Beruit. In Oklahoma City, some grass roots motherfuckers blew up a building. Violence is pervasive and awful. 9/11 was awful, awful, awful - but it was a drop of sand on the beach in the long rap sheet of humanity. We particularly excel and killing each other.
I don't understand how you can pick a single thing from that list and say, "Oh ho! I can't watch movies anymore because of that." I just doesn't make sense to me. But, hey, to each their own.
posted by kbanas at 4:48 AM on September 8, 2012
Your point of view was that 11 years ago some terrorists flew some planes into a building, so you can't watch Terminator 2 anymore. It's not a contrary point of view - it's a view. Violence happens all the time. Terrorist attacks happen all the time, all over the world. There's a civil war going on in Syria. The USS Cole had its side ripped open and soldiers were killed. A Marine Barracks was blown to shit in Beruit. In Oklahoma City, some grass roots motherfuckers blew up a building. Violence is pervasive and awful. 9/11 was awful, awful, awful - but it was a drop of sand on the beach in the long rap sheet of humanity. We particularly excel and killing each other.
I don't understand how you can pick a single thing from that list and say, "Oh ho! I can't watch movies anymore because of that." I just doesn't make sense to me. But, hey, to each their own.
posted by kbanas at 4:48 AM on September 8, 2012
The world will keep on ending until studios can no longer make a profit from it. Or it actually ends, whichever comes first.
This movie frightened me far, far more than any sci-fi simulation ever could. Especially when my teachers explained that (1) it was pure BS and wouldn't help us, and (2) the same teachers cheerfully explained that Pittsburgh, the nearest city, was high on the list of targets due to its steel production.
PS My father was present at the A-bomb tests at Bikini and was able to add his observations to our dinnertable discussions of The Future. Good times.
posted by kinnakeet at 5:22 AM on September 8, 2012
This movie frightened me far, far more than any sci-fi simulation ever could. Especially when my teachers explained that (1) it was pure BS and wouldn't help us, and (2) the same teachers cheerfully explained that Pittsburgh, the nearest city, was high on the list of targets due to its steel production.
PS My father was present at the A-bomb tests at Bikini and was able to add his observations to our dinnertable discussions of The Future. Good times.
posted by kinnakeet at 5:22 AM on September 8, 2012
This supercut highlights the trope of the half-clogged highway: we see scores of cars jammed up on one side trying to escape the city while the hero's car drives back towards the apocalyptic threat on an open road.
In the event of armageddon, you'd think they'd figure out how to open up a few lanes on the other side of the highway.
posted by HeroZero at 6:25 AM on September 8, 2012
In the event of armageddon, you'd think they'd figure out how to open up a few lanes on the other side of the highway.
posted by HeroZero at 6:25 AM on September 8, 2012
One thing that I appreciate is that War of the Worlds was supposed to be Spielberg's 9/11 movie and there is something about that scene where people like, wow, freaky lightstorm, wow, cars are off, and then OH SHIT that feels like that morning in the city to me.
It's interesting, these 9/11 call-outs. I thought that BSG did them well, but it made me annoyed during The Avengers.
And yeah, the woman pissing herself in Threads is scarier then most things I've seen, apocalypse-wise.
posted by angrycat at 8:28 AM on September 8, 2012
It's interesting, these 9/11 call-outs. I thought that BSG did them well, but it made me annoyed during The Avengers.
And yeah, the woman pissing herself in Threads is scarier then most things I've seen, apocalypse-wise.
posted by angrycat at 8:28 AM on September 8, 2012
Threads has to be in there somewhere, by far one of the most chilling versions of all hell broke loose that I've seen.
posted by arcticseal at 8:48 AM on September 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by arcticseal at 8:48 AM on September 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
amusing ourselves to death -- didn't somebody write a book about that?
posted by philip-random at 9:19 AM on September 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by philip-random at 9:19 AM on September 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Lessons Learned: The Firebombing of Tokyo, March 9, 1945 — a local, nuclear-free apocalypse.
posted by cenoxo at 1:39 PM on September 8, 2012
posted by cenoxo at 1:39 PM on September 8, 2012
I just can't enjoy this sort of stuff since I had kids.
posted by Chrysostom at 5:54 PM on September 11, 2012
posted by Chrysostom at 5:54 PM on September 11, 2012
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Terminator 2
I Am Legend
The Road
The Day After
Terminator 3
War of the Worlds
Signs
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Land of the Dead
28 Weeks Later
Knowing
Independence Day
The Day After Tomorrow
Dante's Peak
Volcano
Dawn of the Dead
Deep Impact
Cloverfield
Contagion
Armageddon
The Divide
2012
The Core
posted by cashman at 4:24 PM on September 7, 2012