WubsTheFadger Short and Simple Review by WubsTheFadgerThreads depicts a world were nuclear war has really happened. It handles the subject with extreme care and realism. The story is brutal, gory, and horrifying. The last hour is very scary and intense. The ending scene is terrifying.The acting is okay. The acting is very dated but most of the actors hold their own.The pacing is very slow until the bombs are dropped (about an hour into the film). The runtime is overlong.The brutality shown in this film is very realistic and might frighten some people.Pros: Brutal, gory, and horrific story, the ending scene, and the realistic depiction of nuclear falloutCons: Outdated acting, slow pacing in the beginning, and an overlong runtimeOverall Rating: 7.8

Mark Turner The two main countries facing off against one another in a potential nuclear war began with Russia and the United States. Since the Cold War began at the end of WWII, both had increased their nuclear capabilities to the consternation of everyone around the world. They never let loose their weapons, the concept of mutually assured destruction preventing them from doing so. But that didn't prevent people from worrying about it happening.Those who protested in the 60s came of age and moved into TV and film production. With the election of Ronald Reagan the days of backing down to the Russians ended. His Presidency resulted in the end of the cold war and also in a series of movies using the threat of nuclear annihilation as a theme. Movies like THE DAY AFTER, TESTAMENT and SPECIAL BULLETIN all focused on the use of nuclear weapons. The movies all pack a powerful punch, even in today's world. And another film among these that did just that at the time it aired is THREADS.Airing on BBC in 1984 the show received the highest ratings of viewership that week. It aired in the US on TBS in 1985. It followed by airing on stations around the world after. It is a film that has left its mark.The movie unfolds in a combination of storytelling and documentary styled filmmaking. It follows two families in Sheffield in Northern England whose lives have come together with the upcoming birth of a child and wedding of their children. We see how their lives are prior to anything happening, everything from meeting the parents to finding an apartment to redoing the apartment before moving in. One is more upper class and the other working class.As we learn about the young couple we also get glimpses of news stories on TV that seem to be on no matter where they are. The news is constantly focused on escalating tensions between Russia and the US over both country's involvement in Iran. The US has helped with a coupe hoping to reinstate the Shah and the Russians have invaded the northern part of the country hoping to prevent this from happening.The film gets more grisly as we approach the 50 minute mark. The confrontation between the two super powers reaches fever pitch and nuclear was is launched, one of the bombs landing in Sheffield because of the military airfield and manufacturing plants there. It isn't long before the effects begin starting with the shockwave that runs over everything, blowing out windows and decimating anyone still on the streets.Those that sought shelter, including a storyline involving local wardens who were put in place to help once the war was over, survive the initial blast. But then the reality of what would happen kicks in. Shortages of food with no means to distribute it to survivors has people scrambling for things to eat. With hospitals gone the odds of medical help for the wounded are nearly depleted in minutes. As looting begins among the survivors some sense of order is attempted by what military remains.The end result is a bleak world where little survives and those that do are subjected to everything one could imagine after such a war. Those things range from radiation poisoning to darkened skies in a cloud of radioactive dust. The sun blocked skies prevent food from growing to replace what was destroyed. And people finally band together in an attempt at rebuilding civilization.The movie deals with the prospect of nuclear war in the most straightforward manner possible. There are no heroes waltzing in at the last moment to save the day. There are no top secret government bases that hold a select group of survivors intent on repopulating the world living in an environment meant to protect them. This is real. This is the cold hard facts. Ducking and covering will not protect nor save you.As seen through the eyes of the two families we get a glimpse of what would happen. Those that die immediately are the fortunate ones. The survivors are relegated to a hell on earth that would make most wish they had been taken out in that initial blast. Most movies never consider the small things that we take for granted and even back in 1984 there were items we have now that weren't even around then.Consider a world with no phones of any kind. No television or radio to listen to hear what happened. No running water to drink or to use to do something as simple as flush a toilet. No government run agency to see to it that dead bodies were collected and even if there were there would be no way to move them. Roads would be covered in demolished buildings or torn up altogether. No electricity means no lights and no refrigeration. All of these are touched on in this film.While a part of me fears that watching this film will do little more than create another wave of socially conscious protesters with no clue on how the world works or offering suggestions as to a solution, another part of me hopes that some will watch this and consider the threat and possibly find solutions that will prevent this from happening. The bombs will never been completely gone and thinking that the other side will eliminate them all is nave at best and stupid at worst. The concept of mutually assured destruction remains the best deterrent to nuclear war there is.But we live in a world of madman now. A world where a terrorist isn't concerned about his own safety and looks forward to being the one to hold the button down on the bomb as it explodes. A world where some despots think that no matter how infinitesimal they and their armies are they can threaten and use these kind of weapons without fear of retribution. With those people in mind movies like this should be considered.Severin has done a solid job in presenting this movie. Not only are you given the chance to see it in its entirety the release has several extras as well. Those include an audio commentary track with director Mick Jackson moderated by film writer Kier-La Janisse and Severin Film's David Gregory, AUDITION FOR THE APOCALYPSE an interview with actress Karen Meagher, SHOOTING THE ANNIHILATION an interview with director of photography Andrew Dunn, DESTRUCTION DESIGNER an interview with production designer Christopher Robilliard, and interview with film writer Stephen Thrower and the US trailer.Not only is this a film that tells a cautionary tale it is one that should be seen by everyone.

xleapki Destroyed buildings, looting, criminals, homeless, polluted water. Pretty much as Sheffield is today but with less immigrants. This film is a great incentive to drop the bomb. I eagerly await the sequals set in bristol and Peterborough.

jeaniedub The film starts out with radio news in the background as a family gets ready for the day. The family members are hardly paying attention, probably unconcerned because everything that is being discussed seems so remote, with little relevance to their lives. The news items sound like so much of what we see and hear on a daily basis, which I found absolutely horrifying; the news gets progressively worse, and still no-one is concerned - until it is too late. What affected me so profoundly was that it could so easily be true. I always thought this film was infinitely superior to "The Day After", in part because it was so understated.