Le conseguenze dell'olocausto nucleare vengono rappresentate seguendo le vicende di alcuni normali abitanti di Kansas City e della vicina Lawrence: un medico, una famiglia della provincia agricola, uno studente, un militare ed altri ancora.
Strategica la scelta di una piccola città vicina al centro geografico degli states, lontana dalle grandi metropoli delle due coste, per esprimere il concetto che nessuno, in nessuno luogo, può considerarsi al sicuro: dopo la morte di milioni, l'impulso elettromagnetico ed il fallout radioattivo, i sopravvissuti sono lasciati a loro stessi ed i timidi tentativi di riorganizzare l'ordine - così come i proclami del governo - appaiono ben poco concreti. L'informazione è quasi assente, così come i soccorsi.
Rapidamente, di fronte ad un evento che ha coinvolto tutto il mondo, l'attenzione dei sopravvissuti si sposta dal quadro generale alle proprie piccole, umane, vicende personali.
Angosciante quanto deve, a tratti un poco didascalico (ma mai pesante), il film centra in pieno l'obbiettivo di dipingere il dramma di una guerra che non si può vincere. Bravi gli attori (ehi, ci sono pure Jason Robards, John Lithgow e Steve Guttenberg!) ed appropriata la regia.
Gli effetti speciali fanno sentire un po' i propri anni, ma risultano ancora efficaci.
Voto: 8.5.
Tags: drammatico, fantascienza, terza guerra mondiale, guerra, olocausto nucleare, icbm, bombe atomiche, Kansas, Kansas City, medico, ospedale, sopravvissuti, radiazioni, contaminazione, militari, fallout, inverno nucleare, Stati Uniti, Unione Sovietica, morte, fungo atomico.
Lithgow, John
Nome di battesimo: Lithgow, John Arthur
Data di nascita: 19 October 1945
Altezza: 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Coniuge: Mary Yeager::(1981 - present) 1 son, Nathan, 1 daughter, Phoebe, Jean Taynton::(10 September 1966 - 1980) (divorced) 1 son, Ian
Ultimi lavori:
- The Smurfs (2008) .... (rumored) [attore]
- Dreamgirls (2006) .... Jerry Harris [attore]
- "Paloozaville" (2006) .... The Mayor [attore]
- E=mc² (2005) (TV) .... Narrator (voice: English version) [attore]
- Kinsey (2004) .... Alfred Seguine Kinsey [attore]
- The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004) .... Blake Edwards [attore]
- Untitled Aisha Tyler Project (2004) (TV) .... Jan van de Bunt (voice) [attore]
- Shrek 4-D (2003) .... Ghost of Farquaad (voice) [attore]
- Orange County (2002) .... Bud Brumder [attore]
- Shrek (2001) .... Lord Farquaad (voice) [attore]
Biografia:
If "born to the theater" has meaning in determining a person's life path, then John Lithgow is a prime example of this truth. Son of a retired actress and a father who was both a theatrical producer and director, he moved frequently as a child while his father founded and managed local and college theaters and Shakespeare festivals throughout the midwest of the United States. Not until he was 16, and his father became head of the McCarter Theater in Princeton New Jersey, did the family settle down. But for John, the theater was still not a career. He won a scholarship to Harvard University, where he finally caught the acting bug (as well as found a wife). Harvard was followed by a Fulbright scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Returning from London, his rigorous dramatic training stood him in good stead, and a distinguished career on Broadway gave him one Tony award for "The Changing Room", a second nomination in 1985 for "Requiem for a Heavyweight", and a third in 1988 for "M. Butterfly". But with critical acclaim came personal confusion, and in the mid '70s he and his wife divorced. He entered therapy, and in 1982 his life started in a new direction, the movies - he received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp (1982). A second Oscar nomination followed for Terms of Endearment (1983), and he met a UCLA economics professor who became his second wife. As the decade of the '90s came around he found that he was spending too much time on location, and another career move brought him to television in the hugely successful series "3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996). This production also played a role in bringing him back together with the son from his first marriage, Ian Lithgow, who has a regular role in the series as a dim-witted student.
Trivia random: Was named a Fulbright scholar.
Citazione random: [About the constant time-slot changes and ultimate cancellation of "3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996)] "If NBC had set out to ruin it, they couldn't have done a better job. They kept trying to use us as a weapon instead of a show to be taken care of. It would have been nice to have stayed a big hit, but I'd rather be a great show that nobody was watching than a lousy show that was a big hit, which is the case for most of the others".
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Guttenberg, Steve
Nome di battesimo: Guttenberg, Steven Robert
Data di nascita: 24 August 1958
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Denise Bixler::(30 September 1988 - 1992) (divorced)
Ultimi lavori:
- Major Movie Star (2008) .... Sidney Green [attore]
- Making Change (2007) .... Trafton [attore]
- Mojave Phone Booth (2006) .... Barry [attore]
- Domino One (2005) .... Casey [attore]
- Jackson (2005) .... Businessman [attore]
- Meet the Santas (2005) (TV) .... Nick [attore]
- The Poseidon Adventure (2005) (TV) .... Richard Clarke [attore]
- Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004) (TV) .... Nick [attore]
- The Stranger (2003) .... The Stranger [attore]
- P.S. Your Cat Is Dead! (2002) .... (producer) [produttore]
Biografia:
Although Steve Guttenberg is firmly established as the star not only of hit motion pictures but of hit motion picture franchises, his roots are firmly in the theater. As a result, he has moved effortlessly between comedy and drama. His first film as director/producer/co-screenwriter/star, not surprisingly, will be the adaptation of a Broadway hit, the classic stage comedy/drama P.S. Your Cat Is Dead! (2002) by the late James Kirkwood Jr., co-author of "A Chorus Line" (and, of course, A Chorus Line (1985)). The black comedy with its frank exploration of sexual role-playing has lured and defied filmmakers for a quarter-century.In two decades of stardom in both critical and box-office hits, Guttenberg has been the above-the-title star of six films that earned over $100,000,000 in the United States, a feat accomplished by relatively few superstars. He has also starred in four film franchises, appearing in such sequeled smash hits as Cocoon (1985), 3 Men and a Baby (1987), Police Academy (1984), and Short Circuit (1986), taking his films' box-office grosses into the billions. The comic timing and charm with which he illuminated those films and the dramatic invention which he displayed in such other major successes as Diner (1982), The Bedroom Window (1987), The Boys from Brazil (1978), and a string of historic television films all derive from his firm theater training.His studies, which include years with famed teacher Herbert Berghof and with one of the most fertile schools of improvisational comedy, The Groundlings, took him to such renowned theaters as the Helen Hayes on Broadway, where he created the lead role in "Prelude To A Kiss" and "The Comedy" in London's West End, where he starred in "The Boys Next Door." He recently won kudos again in the world stage premiere production of "Furthest From the Sun," which Woody Harrelson directed and co-authored. Guttenberg has carved as vivid a body of work on TV as he has on the big screen. His television films include the critically acclaimed Miracle on Ice (1981) (TV), To Race the Wind (1980) (TV), Something for Joey (1977) (TV), and the controversial nuclear holocaust picture, The Day After (1983) (TV), which more than 20 years after its original airing remains the highest-rated made-for-television movie in history.Fiercely dedicated to improving opportunities for the homeless and for young people, Guttenberg has created Guttenhouse, an apartment complex he has funded to accommodate young people after their graduation from foster child status, with on-site social worker direction to assist their assuming adult responsibilities. The Entertainment Industry Foundation, Hollywood's charity arm, selected him to be Ambassador for Children's Issues because of his dedicated work on behalf of children and the homeless. In this capacity, he is spearheading Sight for Students, a $7-million program in which, together with VSP and Altair Eyeglasses, he will help provide glasses for 50,000 underprivileged and visually challenged children throughout their school years. Part of his unique ability to Pied Piper children to better lives comes from the fact that he is as affectionately regarded by young audiences as by adults, having starred in such kids' favorites as Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997) (TV), It Takes Two (1995), and Zeus and Roxanne (1997).His interest in the welfare of youngsters is reflected in his work as a producer and director. He executive-produced "Gangs," a "CBS Schoolbreak Special" (1984), which earned an Emmy nomination, and he debuted as a director with another critically acclaimed "CBS Schoolbreak Special" (1984), "Love Off Limits" (1993). Born in Brooklyn, New York (his production company, Mr. Kirby Productions, is named after his high school drama teacher) he grew up in Massapequa, Long Island. Guttenberg's crowded spare time includes his charitable activities for such kids-oriented agencies as Friends of the Children/Bridges, The Starlight Foundation as well as the Entertainment Industry Foundation. He is also an avid surfer and golfer and a passionate devoted dog owner.
Trivia random: The writers of "The Simpsons" (1989) pay tribute to Guttenberg in the episode "Homer the Great," (Sixth Season; episode 2F09) where he appears as a cartoon and mentioned in the song sung by the Stonecutters ("Who holds back the electric car? Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star? We do! We do!").
Citazione random: (Addressing the rumours of a Police Academy (1984)/Mahoney spin-off film) "Definitely. It's coming. People will look down at the idea, but they're in the same business of making money too. The Police Academy films gave me so much opportunity, and I've got nothing but a good attitude towards them. I sure hope they do it. If the script's right - I'm definitely in. You never know, I may direct."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Day After, The (1983) (TV)
Giorno dopo, Il
Regista: Nicholas Meyer
Scrittore: Edward Hume
Genere: Drama, Sci-Fi
Valutazione: 6.8/10 (3186 voti)
Durata: 126 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English
Cast:
- Jason Robards .... Dr. Russell Oakes
- JoBeth Williams .... Nurse Nancy Bauer
- Steve Guttenberg .... Stephen Klein (as Steven Guttenberg)
- John Cullum .... Jim Dahlberg
- John Lithgow .... Joe Huxley
- Bibi Besch .... Eve Dahlberg
- Lori Lethin .... Denise Dahlberg
- Amy Madigan .... Alison Ransom
- Jeff East .... Bruce Gallatin
- Georgann Johnson .... Helen Oakes
Trama:
The frightening story of the weeks leading up to and following a nuclear strike on the United States. The bulk of the activity centers around the town of Lawrence, Kansas.
Trivia random: After watching this, president Ronald Reagan sent a pile of suggestions to director Nicholas Meyer how it should be edited.
Citazione random: Stephen Klein: Well... I don't know what happened at Lawrence. I was pretty close to Harrisonville when it all started. There must have been five or six of them to the north, and... a whole string of them to the south.::Jim Dahlberg: They must have hit every missile silo from Sedalia to Eldorado Springs.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Robards, Jason
Nome di battesimo: Jr., Jason Nelson Robards
Data di nascita: 26 July 1922
Data di morte: 26 December 2000
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Coniuge: Lois O'Connor::(14 February 1970 - 26 December 2000) (his death) 2 children, Lauren Bacall::(4 July 1961 - 10 September 1969) (divorced) 1 child, Rachel Taylor::(1959 - 4 May 1961) (divorced), Eleanor Pittman::(7 May 1948 - 1958) (divorced) 3 children
Ultimi lavori:
- Going Home (2000) (TV) .... Charles Barton [attore]
- Magnolia (1999) .... Earl Partridge [attore]
- Beloved (1998/I) .... Mr. Bodwin [attore]
- Enemy of the State (1998) .... Congressman Phillip Hammersley (uncredited) [attore]
- Heartwood (1998) .... Logan Reeser [attore]
- The Real Macaw (1998) .... Grandpa Ben Girdis [attore]
- A Thousand Acres (1997) .... Larry Cook [attore]
- Crimson Tide (1995) .... Rear Admiral Anderson, Board of Inquiry President (uncredited) [attore]
- Journey (1995) (TV) .... Marcus [attore]
- My Antonia (1995) (TV) .... Josea Burden [attore]
Biografia:
Son of stage and film star Jason Robards Sr.. After receiving the Navy Cross (the second highest decoration in the U.S. Navy) for his service in World War II, he struggled as a small-part actor in local New York theatre, TV and radio before shooting to fame on the New York stage in Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" as Hickey. He followed that with another masterful O'Neill portrayal, as the alcoholic Jamie Tyrone in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" on Broadway. He entered films in The Journey (1959) and rose rapidly to even greater fame as a film star. Won consecutive Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for All the President's Men (1976) and Julia (1977), in each case playing real-life perople. Has continued to work on the stage, winning continued acclaim in such O'Neill works as "Moon For the Misbegotten" and "Hughie." Died of lung cancer in 2000.
Trivia random: Two daughters and four sons: Sarah Louise, Shannon Robards, Jason Robards III, Sam Robards, David and Jake Robards.
Citazione random: "I've always played disintegrated characters."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Meyer, Nicholas
Data di nascita: 24 December 1945
Ultimi lavori:
- The Politician's Wife (2008) .... [scrittore]
- The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (2008) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
- Elegy (2007) .... [scrittore]
- Orpheus (2006) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
- Awaken the Giant (2004) .... Big Time Producer [attore]
- The Human Stain (2003) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
- Collateral Damage (2002) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
- Fall from the Sky (2002) (TV) .... [scrittore]
- Vendetta (1999) (TV) .... [regista]
- The Prince of Egypt (1998) .... (additional screenplay material) [scrittore]
Biografia:
Nicholas Meyer is probably best known for his involvement in the Star Trek films. According to his website, it was seeing his first movie The Beggar's Opera (1953) that inspired him to become a filmmaker. He was fascinated by such literary classics as Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and made an ambitious 8mm film adaptation of "Around the World in 80 Days". His start in the business included work as unit publicist for the Paramount hit Love Story (1970). From that experience he wrote "The Story of Love Story" using the income from that book to move to the West Coast. He parlayed his love for Sherlock Holmes mysteries into the novel, "The Severn-Per-Cent Solution" and adapted it for the screen: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976). He received an Oscar nomination for this screenplay. His collaborations with producer Harve Bennett and later Leonard Nimoy resulted in the most popular and profitable entries in the Star Trek features canon. In addition to directing Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982) he also wrote the shooting script for that film (uncredited). This was done in the span of two weeks using material from several other writers occasionally attached to the ever-evolving project. His script contributions to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) involved the centre section of the film taking place in 1986 San Francisco. His brutally graphic nuclear war drama The Day After (1983) (TV) attained the highest ratings for a television movie. He has a keen sense of film history. This is evident in his films such as The Day After (1983) (TV) where at the end when the song "Waltzing Matilda" is played as it was in the classic post-nuclear drama On the Beach (1959). Though primarily a story-oriented director, his style incorporates busy visuals and flowing camera movement. Meyer also places a great deal of importance on the incidental music in his films, working closely with a composer to create themes to reinforce his vision of the story. He likes to maintain a sense of mystery in a story so that audiences will leave the film contemplating situations that are not fully explained. When approached by a film-goer and asked to explain such situations, Mr. Meyer's characteristic response is "what do YOU think it means?" He can be heard on several DVD bonus tracks, including Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and the special edition The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) which was directed by fellow Trek alum Robert Wise. His commentaries are notably insightful and fascinating.
Trivia random: Graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in theater and filmmaking.
Citazione random: [on _Time After Time (1979)]: One of my original conceptual things about the Ripper was that of an exceedingly handsome, elegant man. Wells, next to him, was a runt who wore glasses, and so forth. The Ripper had an image of tremendous power and potency, not just as a menace, but as an attractive, seductive human being. What was it that women went for him?
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
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