Postapocalyptic Sci-Fi

Postapocalyptic Sci-Fi

9 Episodes

In the wake of World War II, amid the pervasive Cold War–era dread of nuclear annihilation, a profusion of dystopian films emerged that envisioned what the world might look like should doomsday come to pass. Encompassing dark, harrowing considerations of life after Armageddon (TESTAMENT, THREADS) and grungy action extravaganzas set in imaginatively realized postapocalyptic landscapes (MAD MAX, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK), these welcome-to-the-wasteland works of science fiction alternately unsettle and thrill with their visions of a future that can sometimes feel all too imminent.

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Postapocalyptic Sci-Fi

9 Episodes

  • Postapocalyptic Sci-Fi Teaser
    01:10
    Postapocalyptic Sci-Fi Teaser
    Episode 1

    Postapocalyptic Sci-Fi Teaser

    Episode 1

  • Escape from New York
    1:39:10
    Escape from New York
    Episode 2

    Escape from New York

    Episode 2

    Directed by John Carpenter • 1981 • United States
    Starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Isaac Hayes

    It’s the year 1997 and the dystopian hellscape of Manhattan has been turned into a maximum security prison. When the U.S. president’s plane is hijacked and crash lands on the island, it’s up to ha...

  • Threads
    1:57:15
    Threads
    Episode 3

    Threads

    Episode 3

    Directed by Mick Jackson • 1984 • United Kingdom, Australia
    Starring Karen Meagher, Reece Dinsdale, David Brierly

    In September 1984, it was aired on the BBC and shocked tens of millions of UK viewers. Four months later, it was broadcast in America and became the most-watched basic-cable program ...

  • The Quiet Earth
    1:31:07
    The Quiet Earth
    Episode 4

    The Quiet Earth

    Episode 4

    Directed by Geoff Murphy • 1985 • New Zealand
    Starring Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, Anzac Wallace

    In this utterly original and provocative take on the “sole survivor” genre, Zac Hobson (Bruno Lawrence), a mid-level scientist working on a global energy project, wakes up to a nightmare. After...

  • Dead End Drive-In
    1:27:09
    Dead End Drive-In
    Episode 5

    Dead End Drive-In

    Episode 5

    Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith • 1986 • Australia
    Starring Ned Manning, Natalie McCurry, Peter Whitford

    Among the wave of dystopian-themed Ozploitation films that followed in the wake of MAD MAX, cult auteur Brian Trenchard-Smith’s DEAD END DRIVE-IN stands out for its neon-splashed style, sat...

  • The Day the Earth Caught Fire
    1:39:24
    The Day the Earth Caught Fire
    Episode 6

    The Day the Earth Caught Fire

    Episode 6

    Directed by Val Guest • 1961 • United Kingdom
    Starring Janet Munro, Leo McKern, Edward Judd

    Distinguished by its chilling, matter-of-fact realism and thought-provoking dialogue, this Cold War–era doomsday thriller stands as one of the finest examples of its kind. Following simultaneous nuclear d...

  • 1990: The Bronx Warriors
    1:32:33
    1990: The Bronx Warriors
    Episode 7

    1990: The Bronx Warriors

    Episode 7

    Directed by Enzo G. Castellari • 1982 • Italy
    Starring Vic Morrow, Christopher Connelly, Fred Williamson

    It’s 1990 and the Bronx has officially been declared a no-man’s-land. The authorities have given up all attempts to restore law and order. When a young woman (Stefania Girolami) runs away fro...

  • Escape from the Bronx
    1:29:39
    Escape from the Bronx
    Episode 8

    Escape from the Bronx

    Episode 8

    Directed by Enzo G. Castellari • 1983 • Italy
    Starring Mark Gregory, Henry Silva, Valeria D’Obici

    Cowriter/director Enzo G. Castellari and star Mark Gregory return for this thrilling sequel to their postapocalyptic cult favorite 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS. The year is 2000 and the Bronx has been r...

  • The New Barbarians
    1:31:02
    The New Barbarians
    Episode 9

    The New Barbarians

    Episode 9

    Directed by Enzo G. Castellari • 1983 • Italy
    Starring Giancarlo Prete, Fred Williamson, Antonio Visone

    The third film in Italian genre maestro Enzo G. Castellari’s cycle of postapocalyptic action thrillers (following 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS and ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX) unfolds in the year 2019, ...

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