bnwfilmbuff
Made-for-TV apocalyptic film following a family that while vacationing in the California mountains their friend that is with them suddenly gets ill, dies, and turns to powder. The remainder of the film follows their struggle to get back home to Malibu where Jay W. MacIntosh, in the role of the mother/wife, has returned. Along the way father Peter Graves queries son Michael James-Wixted, a physics student, to try to determine what has exterminated most of the population and why they haven't been affected. Nothing too out-of the-ordinary happens in this. Kathleen Quinlan in the role of the daughter does some occasional narration which doesn't add much. One interesting aspect is that dogs have become particularly menacing. There is an obvious Biblical theme to this movie that never gets explored and might have made this a bit more interesting. Despite being cliché it's pretty well done for a made-for-TV.
uofmme1
I was 10 when I saw this on TV and I always remember how plausible the solar flare angle was. There was a massive flare in the 1850's that lit up telegraph wires around the world. If such a flare were to hit earth today it would wipe out modern electronics for at least a couple of years. Which is why NASA has a sentinel satellite parked 1,000,000 miles outside of earth orbit to monitor for flares.The Malibu beach scenery was great too and I always drive up the route shown at the end of the movie- courtesy of the plainly marked road signs- when I am in the Pepperdine area.This movie is right up there with Soylent Green, Omega Man, Stowaway to the Moon and other such cheesy 70's classics.
Danlanham
Like most of the people posting before me, I too remembered being profoundly impacted by this little movie as a wee lad in the mid-seventies. I loved this film as a child, as a matter of fact I have had an affinity for all manner of apocalyptic fiction ever since, from the 1980 cartoon, "Thundar the Barbarian" to the book "Alas Babylon" to the film "I am Legend" and up to and including the recent television series "Jericho". Yes, this movie was the seed of my love for an entire genre of fiction. I don't recall many details regarding this film but I do remember that I was deliciously creeped out by it. I saw it only the one time but I am excited to be able to get the opportunity to watch it again as I have TiVoed it off of the Fox Movie Channel and will be watching it as soon as I post this.
d-b-casey
My parents had gone out and I was home alone when I watched this on TV many years ago, lol! Yes, it terrified me as I was only 8 or 9 then. I'm 41 now and would love to see it again, this time without the pillow, blankets, and dog in front of my face! It starts out with a camping trip, one like I have taken so many times with my own family, so true to life. When it's over you have to wonder if something like this could really happen, has it already happened? You have to go look out the window to make sure the world it still the same as when you last saw it. I have only seen the movie once, but it has stayed with me all these years. I think you can get it on DVD now, but if not, find an old VCR & watch it!
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