# Movies in which the Earth is totally destroyed (spoiler warning) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762 "2003-07-25T00:08:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/1 "2003-07-25T00:08:34Z")
I’m sitting here watching the 50’s sci-fi classic, _When Worlds Collide_. The book and its sequel, _After Worlds Collide_ are among my favorites. In it, or course, the Earth is completely destroyed by a rogue planet. There’s been plenty of films where life on Earth is wiped out and/or decimated, but I can’t seem to come up with a long list where the planet itself is destroyed. I got: 1. _When World Collide_ 2. _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ (technically a TV show, but I’ll include it) Any more? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/2 "2003-07-25T00:32:13Z")
_Dr. Strangelove_ is the first one I thought of when I saw this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/3 "2003-07-25T01:06:25Z")
_Dr. Strangelove_ doesn’t count, because the world isn’t destroyed, just all life on its surface. I think the OP wants movies where the entire planet is reduced to space rubble, ala Alderaan. The only other movie like that I can think of is _Titan A.E._ ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/4 "2003-07-25T04:57:39Z")
I was going to say _Titan A.E._, but **Miller** beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/5 "2003-07-25T05:42:35Z")
One movie that is open-ended about this (the Earth is destroyed if you’re a pessimist, it’s saved if you’re an optimist) is _The day the Earth Caught Fire_. ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/6 "2003-07-25T06:57:26Z")
Wasn’t Earth destroyed at the end of **Beneath the Planet of the Apes**? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/7 "2003-07-25T14:41:49Z")
The Twilight Zone classic “It’s a Good Life”. The kid makes the rest of the world go away. It’s ambiguous as to whether it’s destroyed or not. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/8 "2003-07-25T14:54:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Finagle \* > \*\*The Twilight Zone classic “It’s a Good Life”. The kid makes the rest of the world go away. It’s ambiguous as to whether it’s destroyed or not. \*\* “It’s Still A Good Life” spoiler: It’s not because in “It’s Still A Good Life” the whole world was brought back by Anthony Freemont’s daughter. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/9 "2003-07-25T15:25:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\*“It’s Still A Good Life” spoiler: > > It’s not because in “It’s Still A Good Life” the whole world was brought back by Anthony Freemont’s daughter. > > Zev Steinhardt \*\* I saw that. New Twilight Zone is not canon. Nor is it any good. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/10 "2003-07-25T15:33:54Z")
Finagle: Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not an “official” continuation of the story, (nor does the earth get totally destroyed either…), but I just brought it up as a “point of fact.” Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/11 "2003-07-25T15:46:39Z")
I was going to say “Beneath the planet of the Apes” too. Other than that, I’m stomped, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/12 "2003-07-25T16:39:41Z")
**The Rapture**. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-earth-is-totally-destroyed-spoiler-warning/190762/13 "2003-07-28T01:46:51Z")
In the Babylon 5 episode, The Deconstruction of Falling Stars, the sun goes nova. I’d say that’s a superset of the Earth being destroyed.