Survivors

[altariel]

I decided to rewatch Seventies post-apocalyptic gloom-fest Survivors well in advance of the remake. It's over a decade since I watched it and it's rather good. Bleak as hell, mind you. I'm particularly enjoying how the only people to get through the plague are nutcases, survivalists, and British character actors. Look! Peter Miles! George Baker!

Comments

[gfk88.livejournal.com]

**nutcases, survivalists, and British character actors****

well, yeah ? who else is worth saving anyway?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It all seems to be working out... reasonably well...

[i-smell-shite.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love survivors (70's) we're intending to watch it again on our "new" telly. Iain told me there was a forth series.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

A new series coming. Hope it's good.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

At least that makes it a more interesting lot than would survive if it were remade by the Americans...

[altariel.livejournal.com]

There'd be someone called Jack or John struggling to establish his hero status.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

True.

BTW, can I ask a quick question? I mentioned the B7 haikus in a reply to a post the other day, and would like to point people towards them (I went back and read, and I still love many of them :) Is it okay with you if I put up a post to do this?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Sure! That's what they're online for! I'm chuffed you remember them! :-D

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

I have a very selective memory... but don't ask me where I left my shoes/keys/wallet/life two hours ago :(

[raspberryfool.livejournal.com]

Sadly i missed Survivors first time round, and never bought the videos although the trailer on one of the B7 tapes looked chilling. But it comes across as 'Day of the Triffids' without the triffids. So i might acquire the tapes or DVD if i stuble across them.

Now if BBC Drama had pulled its finger out and bought the B7 rights... *wistful sigh* :-)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

'Day of the Triffids' without the triffids

Heh, I like that. Perhaps one of those DVD lending things might have it?

[raspberryfool.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not sure about rental but Amazon UK is selling 3 series of Survivors and Day of the Triffids (that's with Triffids - but i suppose you could expurgate them!) so i might have to decide which series gets my money.

In terms of scariness (ie the thought that this really could happen), i think Survivors probably has the edge. DOTT requres two unlikely events to occur - the mass sudden blindess and the walking, genetically mutated and deadly plants, and the suspension of disbelief. Germ warfare / terrorism has been a possibility, albeit a remote one, for many years.

But reading DOTT gave me the shivers because Wyndham points out that within three short generations, humanity could go from civilisation to savagery.

[raspberryfool.livejournal.com]

Sorry, meant to post Amazon URL:

http://tinyurl.com/2mrq9v

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I rewatched Day of the Triffids earlier in the year and thought it was excellent. Scared the pants off me. I tend not to worry about whether or not the premise of something actually works; this kind of thing is intended on a symbolic level as much as an "it could happen to you!" level.