"On the Beach" had more of a resigned, civilized quality to it. "Testament" was more emotional, the survivors not organized. But then, the Australians in "On the Beach" have time to prepare, where the ones in "Testament" do not. The best part of "On the Beach" was Fred Astaire. He was fabulous in his scientist/car racer role. Makes me wish he'd done more non-musical roles. I loved him here. And of course, there's a submarine. Can almost never go wrong with submarines."Testament," however, was the one that kept me awake last night, where "On the Beach" just made me terribly sad. "Testament" made me stare at my venetian blinds waiting, expecting that brilliant flash that signals the end of life as I've known it. I have always, and will always, fear that moment when my normal life and petty daily concerns are shattered by something beyond comprehension. Anticipation of that moment makes me stock my basement with extra food and water, and always worry when I dip into those supplies and don't replace them. Because you never know. "Testament" was even more personal than "On the Beach," more desperate in its losses and needs, more despairing. There's simply no way to save the lives of those you love under those circumstances.
It'll take a little while to shake the impending apocalypse mood now.
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Have you ever read "Lucifer's Hammer" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle? It's one of Larry's favorite books, and I really dug it too. It's all about the whole survival-after-natural-disaster thing. When Larry's mom was pregnant with one of his sisters, she stayed awake all night to finish reading it, even though she had several little kids to deal with in the morning. Anyway, your description of your reaction to "Testament" made me think of it.
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