SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

hackraytex I had never seen this movie until now but yes I was alive during this period and understand the fear and apprehension that we all felt with the drills of hiding under ours desks in school. During one of the drills as we were going under our desks, the teacher hid some of her favorites under a table. I saw a place open under a table and I scooted under there. Within a minute, she pulled me out by the leg and told me to get back under my desk. I guess she did not think I was as worthy to survive as her favorites were. I forgive her. Regarding Mr. Milland, his career did stall out since he was a victim of the "Oscar curse" that has befallen a lot of actors. He deserves respect that he picked himself up and did not let it stop him from working. A lot of people fail to realize with its prestige is acting is also a job and one has to feed their family and pay the bills. He did not sit home and pine for not getting good roles. Another actor whom I admire greatly is Eric Roberts who has about 500 movies to his credit. He must have a very good agent. He was once asked why he was doing work that appeared to be inferior to what he started with. He said that he did not get much work when he was holding out for the "good" parts. Ray Milland probably did some embarrassing work to kept the bills paid and the lights on. He later showed that he had a lot left in him with TV and miniseries performances. His is an example that any honest work is honorable. He had a very important part in Rich Man Poor Man. Good job and rest in peace Mr. Milland. The point is that any honest work is honorable and should be respected. Good job and rest in peace Mr. Milland.

Scott LeBrun Oscar winner Ray Milland stars in and directs this decent post-nuke drama. Ray plays Harry Baldwin, patriarch of a four member family who embark on a camping trip in the California wilderness. However, shortly after they've passed the outskirts of L.A., they find out that the city has been the victim of a nuclear strike. Harry adapts rather quickly, immediately falling into a we'll-do-whatever-it-takes survival mode. He's ready to deal with humanity at its worst, and expect ruthless behaviour, so he indulges in some pretty ruthless behaviour of his own. His wife Ann (Jean Hagen) is taken aback, as she didn't think he had it in him.Overall, "Panic in Year Zero!" is fairly effective. It's somewhat small in its scope, instead focusing on this one family and the people they encounter. It lacks the intensity and truly frightening nature of some of the big titles in this genre, and in fact never gets that grim. But Milland directs with a no-frills, cut to the chase efficiency, and the movie is very nicely photographed in B & W and widescreen by Gilbert Warrenton. Milland also gets believable performances out of his whole cast, including even teen idol Frankie Avalon, playing his son Rick. The only element that's a true debit, however, is that loud, overbearing jazz score by Les Baxter, which works against whatever tension that Milland is able to generate.Lovely young ladies Mary Mitchel ("Dementia 13"), playing Millands' daughter, and Joan Freeman, as a similarly victimized stranger, are appealing. Richard Bakalyan is amusing as a dangerous punk, leader of a gang of three who repeatedly threaten the Baldwin family. Richard Garland, as hardware store proprietor Ed Johnson, Willis Bouchey, as tough old doctor Powell Strong, and O.Z. Whitehead, as grocery store owner Hogan, all help considerably with their convincing characterizations. That's a very young Paul Gleason - the character actor who would become famous for his performances in such 80s fare as "Trading Places", "The Breakfast Club", and "Die Hard" - in his film debut, as the young gas station attendant slugged by the desperate evacuee.There is a commendable effort by all involved, if not a particularly memorable one.Seven out of 10.

Uriah43 As luck would have it, "Harry Baldwin" (Ray Milland) and his family are leaving Los Angeles to go camping and fishing. While they are traveling, an atomic war starts and destroys all of the major cities, to include Los Angeles. Harry then acquires a single-minded focus to keep his family alive and comes up with several innovative decisions to ensure their survival. Now, rather than revealing the entire story I will just say that, although certainly dated, this is a pretty good film dealing with the subject of the aftermath of a nuclear war. And while I thought Harry was correct in adopting a survivalist mindset, I didn't care for his autocratic "father knows best" attitude or for the way his wife "Ann" (Jean Hagen) continued to question every single decision he made. It got old after the first few times. Still, the movie remained fairly interesting and I recommend it to those who enjoy films of this particular genre.

SimonJack By itself, "Panic in Year Zero," is a very good movie. The cast has some prominent actors and stars of the past, all of whom give top performances. The film has a solid plot and script, and excellent cinematography and direction (by Ray Milland himself). The black and white film helps build a sense of angst, uncertainty and concern for the characters. But what sets this film apart as somewhat exceptional, and thus worthy of being in a film library, is the time and culture that it covers. After more than a decade into the 21st century, today it's hard to find much social consciousness, awareness or memory of that time of the Cold War that so influenced life for most of four decades. Especially in the U.S., but also around the world. This film was set at the height of the Cold War. From the late 1940s through the 50s and into the 60s, the U.S. and Soviet Union may have been the closest to getting into an all-out nuclear war. The threat of widespread global destruction was very real -- much more real than how some today refer to it as a paranoia of the past. To those pundits of paranoia, I would just point to the Cuban missile crisis of 1963."Panic in Year Zero" does more than tell a story and show what might happen from a nuclear disaster. It shows the dark side of human nature and how many people revert to barbarism in times of chaos when rule and order are absent. It focuses on one family and one man's drive to save his family from the brutality and chaos that would follow nuclear blasts. It shows his struggle to keep a sense of right and morality, and to be able to judge right from wrong in such a time of upheaval. And it shows his drive to keep right and morality ever before his family members. We see the emotional and spiritual struggle of this one man as he and his family cope with the challenges to survive, and as he tries to protect them from harm and evil inherent in societal upheaval. This film has considerable historical and social value for this portrayal and study alone. And it should be seen as no less relevant in the 21st century -- where we yet have nuclear threats from other nations. But it should be a warning as well about what might happen without nuclear war, in a world where social drives are blurring the lines of morality, freedom, and human rights, and where the resulting amorality, hedonism and relativism are fast obliterating basic rights and morals of human nature and democracy.A single flag in the film stands as a warning to society for all time. A news report heard on the radio early in the film says that leaders around the world have agreed that because of the global reach of the nuclear devastation, "this year will henceforth be known in history as Year Zero." World War I, World War II, and all other wars, conquests and disasters of the past were always set in the time they occurred in history – in the modern calendar – the Gregorian calendar. But, mankind has reached such a state that the power and forces of man himself are so great that he can now rule and determine time in the universe. Clearly, God is removed from society and humanity itself. So, the ego of man will triumph in guiding society into a future without boundaries, morals and restraints in which it could not long survive. Did the producers, writers and director intend this film to go much beyond a story of survival and emotional and moral struggle in the face of threats to survival? Who knows? But it should be clear to anyone who thinks about this film while watching it, that here is a morality play unfolding that has much deeper meaning and messages than of the immediate situation the film covers. Nuclear war isn't the greatest threat to the survival of humanity today. It's man's own ego. Without moral guidelines, without protection of basic human rights, without respect for human life, and in a godless society, anarchy is sure to reign. Without basic human rights and respect for life, civility crumbles. It's happened in every such case in world history. Can we, will we get the message for today? I highly recommend "Panic in Year Zero" as a movie for all to see. And to show to children and teen grandchildren.