The end of the world. A frightening yet fascinating concept with a plethora of predictions and some great movies that have successfully brought to life the planet’s final moments. From extreme natural disasters, nuclear war, to alien invasions, the following list highlights the top, must-see apocalyptic movies of all time. Start your own Apocalypse movie collection with some of these classic DVD movies for sale right here at iNetVideo.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffe, and Hugh Marlowe
Directed by: Robert Wise
Drawing direct parallels to the Cold War anxieties of the 1950’s, this groundbreaking sci-fi classic is regarded as one of the most influential films of its time. An alien spaceship lands in Washington D.C. with an ultimatum from space. Boarded by a pilot named Klaatu and his powerful laser-eyed robot Gort, unless Earthlings learn to live peacefully they will be destroyed as being a danger to other planets. The Day the Earth Stood Still won a Golden Globe for Best Film Promoting International Understanding.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy
Directed by: Phillip Kauffman
A remake of the 1950’s sci-fi classic, based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney, Invasion of the Body Snatchers offers a guaranteed case of the heebie-jeebies with camera work that make it a horrifying visual treat. Sleeping with one eye open won’t cut it in this exciting and terrifying tale where humans are being replaced by alien clones while they sleep. The only way to prevent transformation is to stay awake.
Red Dawn (1984)
Starring:Patrick Swayze, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey
Directed by: John Milius
Taking place at the onset of World War III, a group of mid-west American teens decide to band together to defend their country from soviet forces. Red Dawn plays on extreme 80’s cold war paranoia, with its memorable opening scene of soviet forces parachuting into an American town as teenagers in a local school watch in terror.
Miracle Mile (1988)
Starring: Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham
Directed by: Steve De Jarnatt
If you found out you had 24 hours to live, what would you do? That’s the quandary Harry faces after accidentally picking up a ringing payphone, informing him nuclear bombs are going to be dropped on the city of Los Angeles. Centered on the fear caused by an impending nuclear attack, Miracle Mile really gets you thinking about how you would react if you were the only one who knew the world was ending.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and Robert Patrick
Directed by: James Cameron
Set eleven years after the events of The Terminator, Sarah Connor (Hamilton), her 10-year-old son John (Furlong), and a reprogrammed Terminator from the future (Schwarzenegger) must defend themselves from a T-1000 in order to prevent Judgment Day: a future event in which machines will begin to exterminate humanity. Judgment Day’s brief scenes of nuclear holocaust are both disturbing and unforgettable. The film won several awards including four Academy Awards for makeup, sound mixing, sound editing and visual effects.
Independence Day (1996)
Starring: Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith team up to battle evil aliens threatening to destroy the planet on July 4, the same date of the United States’ Independence Day holiday. The film’s director came up with the idea for the film while promoting Stargate in Europe, when fielding a question about his own belief in the non-existence of alien life. A definite on the apocalyptic movie list if not just for the memorable scene of the White House being blown to pieces.
Deep Impact (1998)
Starring: Elijah Wood, Téa Leoni, Morgan Freeman, and Robert Duvall
Directed by: Mimi Leder
A comet is on a collision course with earth and 800,000 citizens, along with 200,000 scientists, soldiers, and other officials have been selected at random to keep the human race alive. NASA’s astronauts are sent on a space mission to destroy the comet before it hits. Amazing special effects, Morgan Freeman as president, and packed with “we’re all gonna die” suspense and entertainment.
The Day After Tomorrow
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal,
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
A paleoclimatologist discovers a huge ice sheet has been sheared off, and this event will trigger a massive climate shift that could wipe out the population. The Day After Tomorrowdepicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in a new ice age.
Cloverfield
Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Five young New Yorkers are attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city. The film is presented to look like a video file recovered from a digital camcorder by the United States Department of Defense. The film begins with a disclaimer stating that the following footage about to be viewed is of a case designated “Cloverfield” and was found in the area that was “formerly known as Central Park”.
The Watchmen (2009)
Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Based on the popular graphic novel, The Watchmen is set in an alternate version of 1985 where tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union have escalated out of control and costumed heroes are fighting the threat of nuclear annihilation.
These are just some of the amazing apocalyptic movies to date. Also worth mentioning are classics like the original War of the Worlds and When Worlds Collide. Do you have any other end of the world movie favorites that haven’t been mentioned?
