The effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas.The effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas.The effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas.
- Won 2 Primetime Emmys
- 6 wins & 11 nominations total
Steve Guttenberg
- Stephen Klein
- (as Steven Guttenberg)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe program originally aired on November 20, 1983. It remains the most-watched TV movie in U.S. history. Estimates put the viewership at over 100 million Americans, with a Nielsen share of 62 percent.
- GoofsWhen Dr. Austin (Lin McCarthy) is explaining the effects of the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from the nuclear blast, he says. "It's all theoretical. It's never happened before." In actuality, the United States detonated a 3.8 megaton warhead at an altitude of 50 miles, 1 August 1958, in the Operation Hardtack Teak shot nuclear test. This event caused unexpected communications disruption and damage to electrical equipment in an area that ranged between Hawaii and New Zealand. It was the first observation of the EMP effect.
- Quotes
Joe Huxley: You know what Einstein said about World War III? He said he didn't know how they were gonna fight World War III, but he knew how they would fight World War IV: With sticks and stones.
- Crazy credits[After movie has ended, before end credits.] The catastrophic events you have just witnessed are, in all likelihood, less severe than the destruction that would actually occur in the event of a full nuclear strike against the United States. It is hoped that the images of this film will inspire the nations of this earth, their peoples, and leaders to find the means to avert that fateful day.
- Alternate versionsThe rare laserdisc version (released by Image Entertainment in 1995) is advertised as being a director's cut. This version runs 127mins, is widescreen in its proper ratio of 1:75:1 and has a commentary track by director Nicholas Meyer. At the time of this release full versions of the film were not readily available. So it stands to chance this director's cut is actually the same as the current mgm dvd (US region 1) as far as content and running time goes, with the exception of the widescreen format and commentary track which so far has only be found on this laserdisc.
- ConnectionsEdited from Two-Minute Warning (1976)
Featured review
This movie can never be outdated. One of the two scariest non-horror movies I have seen (deliverance is the other), this movie portrays a realistic (if to a lesser degree) of what could happen if there ever were a nuclear attack. Gosh, did it ever scare me! It made me think, too. I still rank is as an excellent film, even though it has been so long since I saw it.
*** out of ****
*** out of ****
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