So how many times has the earth been destroyed?

Cafe Society
1

…in movies, that is. I was thinking about Dr. Strangelove and tried to think of other movies that ended in a similar manner.

Would 12 Monkeys fit the bill? I saw it once and don’t remember much of it, but it seems to me the ending implied that, well, a chain of events was set in motion that would wipe out the earth.

Now, I’m not talking about post-apocalyptic or sci-fi movies where the “earth was destroyed” and we’re picking up the pieces; but real honest-to-God, no-happy-ending, the-world-is-toast, so-don’t-have-a-nice-day movie.

2

<<Now, I’m not talking about post-apocalyptic or sci-fi movies where the “earth was destroyed” and we’re picking up the pieces; but real honest-to-God, no-happy-ending, the-world-is-toast, so-don’t-have-a-nice-day movie.>>

Well, I don’t know if this counts, but slight spoiler space

…In “Beneath the Planet of the Apes”, the already post simian-apocalypse Earth gets blown up, or at least char-broiled. I mean, talk about your bad luck…

Nick Gaston

3

Does the Orson Wells narrated movie “The Man Who Saw Tomorrow” count? :smiley:

4

Kim Newman did an entire book on Armageddon Movies.

5

Last Night The world ends. Maybe the entire universe, it’s never explained.

6

Let’s not forget the infernally bad Titan A.E. where the earth got blown up in the first 15 minutes or so.

7

Not a film, but a series made for TV from the book, Hithchikers Guide to the Galaxy

8

“Miracle Mile”
“On the Beach”

9

Both Titan, AE and Hitchhikers deal with the aftermath of the end of the world, not the end of the world itself. I think what the OP wants here are movies with the ultimate bummer ending. You know, everyone dies, and I mean everyone.

Terminator might count, since the movie ends with the main character preparing for an inevitable nuclear holocaust. Of course, in the sequel, she totally evits WWIII, which might disqualify the first film.

10

Several times, in fact! :smiley:

Spoiler


*        *
**      **
***    ***
****  ****
**********
****  ****
***    ***
**      **
*        *

But only once did the cast die :slight_smile:

11

Has anyone seen Dead or Alive by Takashi Miike .

FANTASTIC film.

In the end

Spoiler…

everyone/everything in the universe gets blown up.

12

I don’t think 12 Monkeys fits the bill. It is about scientists from the future sending Bruce Willis back in time to our present to try to get a sample of the virus that killed off most of the population so they can create a cure to protect what’s left of mankind. The end seems to imply (to me anyway) that they got that sample and will therefore be able to create a cure and save the future (their present). Hell, some people might even say it’s a happy ending since they did get the sample. Of course that is open to interpretation but at the very least you have to admit that since Bruce Willis was sent back in time that the world didn’t actually end or there wouldn’t be anyone to send him back in the first place. Makes perfect sense doesn’t it? :slight_smile:

13

When Worlds Collide, of course.

14

Yeah, that whole 12 Monkeys thing is faint in my mind. I just recall an impression that whatever the mission was to “save” the earth from the virus failed.

I had forgotton about On the Beach. That certainly fits the bill. I read the book, but didn’t even think about it as a movie.

15

The Day the Earth Caught Fire, depending on the viewers mood regarding the ending (didn’t want to put spoilers :)).

16

Does it have to be Earth?

Basketball was a peaceful planet. They had no weapons.

17

Ah, my apologies.

In place of Titan A.E. I submit the original (alternate?) ending to Army of Darkness and the rather obscure Japanese mafia vs. zombie movie Versus.

18

The Day After… (Scared the hell out of me when it was first broadcast) You knew no one was going to survive.

19

Sorry but had to come back to this…
That is not what I saw in the ending. The scientists never intended to find a cure. They made sure everything happened the way it was supposed to. That is why she claims her job was in “Insurance”. As in ensuring that everything carries on as they should.

Don’t forget as Scientists they run the world so they wanted to maintain power. I saw the ending as Bleak. They knew what was to happen to Cole (Bruce Willis) and let it.

20

Haven’t heard that in awhile. Not since I kissed three bucks goodbye. :wink:

kingpengvin, I agree. There was never any reason to believe the scientists were good guys (and plenty of signs that they were corrupt). The happy interpretation is the triumph of pure optimism over what actually appeared on the screen.