[trimbo]

And there was a bunch of primetime TV content about the nuclear apocalypse when a large part of Gen X was at an impressionable age.

"Threads" (UK), "The Day After" (US) are two big ones. Two lesser known ones that had a profound impact on me were "Special Bulletin" and an episode of the new Twilight Zone called "A Little Piece and Quiet"[1]

[1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or1UX7z8YBM .. this run of the new TZ had many episodes about nuclear destruction

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

If you missed those (or had parents who wouldn't let you watch it), those only aired once or twice.

But the made-for-rental movies you could get to watch over the weekend, there must have been a dozen of those. I still remember the one where the space station astronauts that crashland after, and the cannibals "rescue" them within minutes of touchdown.

[daltont]

I'm pretty sure that is DEFCON-4 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087130)

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

Hah! Zathras starred in that movie. Go figure.

* By the way, there only ever was one Zathras, but he used the Great Machine to time travel so that he could work more than 24 hours per day. Or maybe someone used it on him, that part's unclear (I mean, why would he do that to himself?).

[pstuart]

There's a better one where the space ship lands on unknown planet and they encounter talking apes who kill and capture them. But there's a twist!

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

As an Xer, gotta say I don't have much of a chimp phobia.

[euroderf]

Also "Miracle Mile". Underrated.

[isx726552]

“Forget everything you just heard, and go back to sleep. (click)”

https://youtu.be/sixCVdhy0lQ