Filmmaker

As anyone who would care already knows, the current DVD release of the 1983 Made-for-TV movie THE DAY AFTER (which I watched again yesterday...still absolutely harrowing) features the extended (by about 6 minutes by my measure) international theatrical release version. What I am curious about is if anyone can clarify which scenes did not exist in the original U.S. broadcast edit. Even imdb.com doesn't specify. There is one scene in particular, at a burned out cinder of a chapel, where the character of Denise is discovered by her family members to be bleeding profusely from her (clothed) vaginal region. This took me quite aback--whatever nuclear horrors the network was willing to air in 1983, I can't imagine this would be one of them, so I strongly suspect this may have been extended footage. Anyone know for sure? Here's hoping we'll see some U.S. DVD releases of other nuclear warfare studies (like THREADS, THE WAR GAME and WHEN THE WIND BLOWS) soon...THE DAY AFTER and TESTAMENT are good starts but, for such compelling subject matter, not enough...

sracer

"The Day After" was very weak, IMO. I thought so when it first aired. The height of silliness was the fact that Jason Robard's character was able to find his pile of rubble (aka his house) among other non-descript piles of rubble that used to be his neighborhood.

That aside, Testament was definitely powerful, and maybe more powerful than that was "On the Beach". (which is also on DVD)

Filmmaker

Didn't ask.

It's well within the realm of possibility that there were ample other geographic indicators to help clue him in...

"On the Beach"...never heard of it until now...(after researching imdb) Do you refer to the 1950s release, or the TV version from 2000?

sracer

The 50's film with Gregory Peck. Be warned, watching it will remove your will to live.

ZackR

Just watched "On The Beach" last week thanks to Netflix. It is now on my MUST BUY list. I loved it. Great film!!

sracer

I can't recall a film that moved me more than this one.

Giles

I saw this when it was originally aired on TV and my memory of it now is rather vague, so I can't generalize and state it was "weak" (as you have noted). However, I thought the British variation of this story Threads was far superior and much more powerful than The Day After, even the animation film When the Wind Blows - which I found painfully sad.

bboisvert

Yeah, not to take this too far off-topic, but I'd love to see THREADS get an R1 release. Far too few people in the States are even aware of this one... and it seems to have gotten very limited exposure on DVD even in the UK (the R2 DVD is OOP).

naitram

Sorry, I was young when The Day After originally aired, and was so traumatized by it that the mental scarring has erased my recollections of any differences there may be.

After watching the DVD recently, I think it still held up pretty well. Besides, some of the recent made-for-tv stuff like "10.5" makes The Day After look like Citizen Kane.

Lastdaysofrain

I think the laser disc release of "The Day After" was the shorter TV print, BUT it did include a commentary track, which I wish was ported over to the DVD.

All that being said, having recently re-watched both the Day After and Threads, Threads is the far better movie.

Filmmaker

I believe you are incorrect, Lastdaysofrain--I never owned it, but I'm 99% sure the Laserdisc featured a) the extended version with b) director's commentary and c) a letterboxed print. The latter I'm not concerned about, since that's not how the image was originally broadcast, but the commentray track would have been appreciated on DVD...

Filmmaker

I watched my DVD of TESTAMENT yesterday to continue my nuclear holocaust viewing theme and, though it has many strong virtues, I must go against the grain of the votes at imdb.com and say that THE DAY AFTER was a far more tense and harrowing production...both great in their own ways, but I just can't grasp why TESTAMENT is ranked higher in terms of viewer votes than THE DAY AFTER.

sracer

IMO, it's because TESTAMENT is on a more personal level. Whearas THE DAY AFTER struck me more as a disaster film. ON THE BEACH is another film that focuses more on how individuals are dealing (or not dealing) with the situation. I would say that in this regard, TESTAMENT and ON THE BEACH have a lot in common with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

Two other films that I need to add to me collection are, THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL and THE QUIET EARTH.

digiboy

The one I'd like to see on DVD is "Special Bulletin" from 1983 which was done Orson Wells War of the Worlds style as if it was a live news broadcast. The network put disclaimers up at every station break to reassure viewers it was only a movie. It was especially effective as it was recorded directly to video so it really looked live. Story took place in the USA as broadcast from a local TV station, basically terrorists threatening to explode an atomic bomb aboard a boat docked in a large city port. The display graphics and video effects for the newscast were supposed to be a bit over the top as a dig at the way TV news dressed up all its stories. Looking at newscasts today, it's not even a dig any more, it's how things are done. Really the only part of it that might seem dated is that some of the then unknown stars would be recognizeable now.

Filmmaker

Possibly true, but I think that what makes nuclear war so horrifying is the extreme breadth of its after effects--in other words, it's so terrifying because it's so epic, so total and all-inclusive. There is virtue in telling the quiet, personal side of such a tragedy, but it seems that TESTAMENT is beholden to that end to the exclusion of many other compelling aspects to such a vast plight. Frankly, I also remain a bit off-put by Jane Alexander's character's control and rigidity in TESTAMENT. It's a fine performance, and I realize that the director was trying to highlight the inner strength of mothers and, by extension, the human race, but there are times when I just want to reach into the TV and throttle her for not at least shedding a tear . By the time she finally shows a little fire to her emotions, I know I would have already put a bullet in my head if I'd have been in her shoes...