Movie spotlight
Late one night on a rural road in the western US, a policeman sets up a roadblock and begins stopping all traffic. When several cars and a big truck have stopped, he tells everyone why: a nuclear attack on the US appears to be underway, and since they have the truck there, their best chance at survival is to use it as a bomb shelter. Time is short and tensions in the small group quickly rise.
A mysterious stranger arrives in a small town, claiming to be the last man alive after a nuclear apocalypse. He attempts to convince a group of townspeople to join him in a bomb shelter. As paranoia and fear grip the community, they must decide whether to believe his dire warnings or dismiss him as a madman.
This low-budget B-movie is remembered for its bleak portrayal of nuclear annihilation and its suspenseful atmosphere, though its acting and script are often cited as rudimentary.
Praised for its chilling premise and unsettling mood.
Criticized for its sometimes stiff performances and basic production values.
Considered a notable example of Cold War-era paranoia cinema.
Google audience: Audience reception is largely unavailable due to the film's age and limited release, but it is generally viewed as an interesting, albeit flawed, cult classic within the sci-fi horror genre.
The film was produced by a company called Filmways, which later became famous for producing television shows like 'The Addams Family'.
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I suppose the writing was on the wall for this with the opening titles. No mention at all of the acting "talent" but at least four of Frederic Gadette who appears to have done all but make the coffee. The plot sees a single police officer "...
KING OF THE SWITCH ENDINGS A highway patrolman stops a few cars for an emergency. "This is Not a Test" refers to that emergency. It isn't a test. It's a real nuclear attack. A motley group of seemingly ordinary people deal with the fact t...
It has always intrigued me how cinema reflects its times--nothing demonstrates that to me more passionately than the doomsday scenario of nuclear apocalypse in movies, particularly during the times of extreme political crisis between the US...