# nuclear testing footage involving pigs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2001, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445 "2001-06-11T17:10:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![johnboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@johnboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/1 "2001-06-11T17:10:28Z")
Hi Everybody. Some years back, I was watching some program (History Channel I think) about the nuclear bomb effort in the 40’s and 50’s and during one particular test they had what appeared to be a row of about ten little tiny barracks on stands with live hogs in them. They then proceeded to detonate a low yield nuke a couple of miles away. You saw the initial flash, the shock wave and then the heat wave come rolling in from the desert. What happened next was the wierdest thing I have ever witnessed: Smoke pouring out of the metal hog “pens” and a deafening “SCREEEEEEEEEE!” as the hogs were presumably bgeing roasted alive. I was initially shocked but then started laughing maniacaly and spent the rest of the night going “SCREEEEEEEEEE!” like the guy in Deliverance. So the question is…has anybody else seen this program or even have a copy? How would I go about finding it? ---
**Author:** ![Earthman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9dc877/32.png) [@Earthman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthman)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/2 "2001-06-11T19:30:29Z")
I think you’re looking for _The Atomic Cafe_, or maybe one which I think was called _Trinity and Beyond_, a documentary about the entire above-ground testing program narrated by William Shatner. ---
**Author:** ![johnboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@johnboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/3 "2001-06-11T19:50:31Z")
Thank you very much, Earthman. I will check them out. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/4 "2001-06-11T22:01:13Z")
From the IMDB comments on [Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0114728): > [@](#): > > One thing that seems so obvious now is that the scientific and military value of many of these tests (apart from scaring the bejeezus out of everyone) was nil. It was more like a bunch of boys blowing up toilet bowls with M80s. **"What happens if we pen a dozen pigs 1000 feet from ground zero?"** Available on VHS and DVD. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/5 "2001-06-12T03:03:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Earthman \* > \*\*I think you’re looking for _The Atomic Cafe_, or maybe one which I think was called _Trinity and Beyond_, a documentary about the entire above-ground testing program narrated by William Shatner. \*\* The footage is definitely present in _The Atomic Cafe_. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/6 "2001-06-12T03:26:38Z")
And definitely _not_ present on **Trinity And Beyond** , which I own on DVD. The only “cooked animal” footage you’ll see there involves some shorn sheep in cages aboard one of the test boats during Operation Crossroads, shot Able. I’ve seen **The Atomic Cafe** , though it’s been a while, and I believe that vivalostwages is right. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/7 "2001-06-12T05:49:20Z")
Yep, **Atomic Cafe** it is. “Now, you and I don’t have shells to crawl into like Bert the Turtle, so we have to cover up in our own way. Paul and Patty know this. No matter where they go or what they do, they always try to remember what to do if the Atom Bomb explodes _right then_.” (Yikes! acafe6.wav from [this page](http://www.slonet.org/~rloomis/acafe.html) ) ---
**Author:** ![muffinman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@muffinman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muffinman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/8 "2001-06-12T07:17:40Z")
about two years ago, a friend of mine rented Atomic Cafe from the local public library. He, I and his girlfriend sat back on the couch to watch it (we really didn’t quite know what to expect). You should have seen her horrified look as we rolled on the floor laughing at the exploding pigs. She was especially upset by the fact that we had to have a couple of instant replays. Slow-mo “Dude! Check out the intestines!” Even funnier was the scary government drone, having nervous twitches as he said,“Nuclear testing in safe. I myself have attended many tests and have yet to suffer any ill effects.” Overall, Atomic Cafe is just like what SmackFu said. Remember the kid next door who used to stick M80’s inside of frogs, etc. (or was it YOU!?!). Well, he usually ends up joining the military, and working on these types of tests. ---
**Author:** ![johnboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@johnboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-testing-footage-involving-pigs/68445/9 "2001-06-12T14:04:09Z")
I just ordered Trinity and beyond last night from CD-NOW. I suppose I’ll just have to order Atomic Cafe as well. Oh well, my video library could use some spiffing up.