As part of my research on Visual Packaging Culture and also for a conference paper (see Splitting Atomic Symbolism: Differing Words, Images, and Sounds of a Nuclear World), and building on my previous work on disaster movies (see, for example, Disaster Narratives by Design: Is Japan Different?) I am watching a number of movies and TV programmes that contain nuclear images.
I am particularly interested in those that contain images of the nuclear blast or mushroom cloud, though am also making a note of those which contain reference to such an attack but don’t include the imagery. My study may also include those that relate to nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima, but for now I am focussing on those related to nuclear weapons, attacks, and explosions.
The following is a list of the movies and programmes that I am looking at. I am not including documentaries unless they contain a dramatization. The only slight exceptions to this is the “Protect and Survive” information film and “The Atomic Cafe”. I would really appreciate it if you could take a look at the list and contact me (either by commenting below, or sending me an email (HoodCP@Cardiff.ac.uk) or a Tweet if you can think of others that I should include – particularly Japanese ones as this aspect of the list is still quite small at the moment.
Title | Related blog post |
24 – Season 2 (2003) | |
24 – Season 6 (2007) | |
American Assassin (2017) | |
Broken Arrow (1996) | |
By Dawn’s Early Light (1990) | |
Cockroaches (2015) | |
Copenhagen (2002) | |
Countdown to Looking Glass (1984) | |
Daigo Fukuryū Maru (Lucky Dragon No. 5) (1959) | |
Damnation Alley (1977) | |
Day One (1989) | |
Dirty War (2004) | |
Dr Strangelove (1964) | |
Enola Gay, The Men, The Mission, and The Atomic Bomb (1980) | |
Fail Safe (1964) | |
Fail Safe (2000) | |
Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) | |
Fukkatsu-no-Hi (1980) | “Fukkatsu No Hi/Virus” – The Dangers of Messing Around With Things |
Gembaku-no-ko (1952) | |
Godzilla (1998) | Favourite Photos: Godzilla in Shinjuku |
Godzilla (2014) | Favourite Photos: Godzilla in Shinjuku |
Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen) (1983 anime) | Preferring Live Action over Anime – Hadashi-no-Gen |
Hadashi no Gen (2007 TV dramatization) | Preferring Live Action over Anime – Hadashi-no-Gen |
Hadashi no Gen II (1986 anime) | Preferring Live Action over Anime – Hadashi-no-Gen |
Hiroshima (1953) | “Hiroshima” by Hideo Sekigawa – The Ultimate Japanese Disaster Movie |
Hiroshima (2005 BBC Docu-drama) | |
Hiroshima Out of the Ashes (1990) | |
Hiroshima Showa 20 nen 8 Gatsu Muika (2005) | |
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) | |
Jericho (2006 TV series) | |
Kono ko-o Nokoshite (Children of Nagasaki) (1983) | |
Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni (In This Corner of the World) (2016) | |
Kuroi Ame (Black Rain) (1989) | “Kuroi Ame (Black Rain)” – The Best Movie about the Bombing of Hiroshima |
Last Resort (2012) | |
Manhattan (2014 TV Series) | |
Nagasaki 1945 – Anjerasu no Kane (2005) | |
Nosutoradamusu no Daiyogen (Prophecies of Nostradamus) (1974) | “Nosutoradamusu no Daiyogen (Prophecies of Nostradamus)” – Pushing the boundaries of disaster movies |
Oppenheimer (1980) | |
Pikadon (1978) | |
Protect and Survive (1976) | “Protect and Survive” and Nuclear Imagery |
Right At Your Door (2006) | |
Sekai Daisensō (The Last War) (1961) | “Sekai Daisensō (The Last War)” – An Old Japanese Disaster Movie But Still Relevant Today |
Six-String Samurai (1998) | |
Sound an Alarm (1971) | “Protect and Survive” and Nuclear Imagery |
Special Bulletin (1983) | “Special Bulletin” and “Special Bulletin” – A Special TV Movie that Needs a Remake |
Taiyo-o Nusunda Otoko (1979) | |
Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991) | |
Terminator 3 – Rise of the Machines (2003) | |
Testament (1983) | “Testament” – Responding to Nuclear War |
The Atomic Cafe (1982) | |
The Beginning or The End (1947) | |
The Book of Eli (2010) | |
The Day After (1983) | “The Day After” – The Horror of Nuclear War |
The Divide (2011) | “The Divide” – A Disaster Movie at Its Worst |
The Hills Have Eyes (2006) | |
The House in the Middle (1954) | |
The Man Who Saved The World (2014) | |
The Peacemaker (1997) | |
The Road (2009) | |
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) | My Top James Bond Movies |
The Sum of All Fears (2002) | |
The Waking Point (1951) | “Protect and Survive” and Nuclear Imagery |
The War Game (1965) | |
The Warden and the Housekeeper | “Protect and Survive” and Nuclear Imagery |
Thirteen Days (2000) | |
Threads (1984) | “Threads” – A Terrifyingly Believable Disaster Movie |
True Lies (1994) | |
Umibe no Eigakan – Kinema no Tamatebako (2019) | |
Watchmen (2009) | |
When The Wind Blows (1986) | |
World War Four (aka Edge of War) (2019) |
Here is a list of other films and TV programmes that I have looked at, but which are not included in the final study: Ikimono no kiroku (1955), Ladybug Ladybug (1963), Nihon Chinbotsu (2006), On the Beach (1959), On the Eighth Day (1984), QED – A Guide to Armageddon (1982), Red Dawn (1984), Rhapsody in August (1991), Taiyo no Ko (2020), The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961), The Day The Sun Fell (2015), The Hot Potato (2011), Yume (1990).
For more information about the post image see Mushroom Cloud Art.
6 Comments Add yours