Guest Author - Sandy Mullins

The cold war was a time of mistrust and fear and it showed in the movies. We had discovered the bomb, planes were traveling faster and farther. Had the bomb test and usage created monsters? The theories on that abounded as movie makers flowed with creative ideas. The beginning of the baby boomers, were hanging out in theaters in mass. Everybody was going to capitalize on this new fad science fiction and horror films. America and Japan created some of the classic old movies of the era.

Japan spurred a collection of monster movies from the dropping of the A-bomb on Hirsoshima and the possible effects. Godzilla and Monthra fought all over Japan and the surrounding islands. While back in the US, we were concerned with aliens, monsters, and children with strange powers.

Later when the cold war was starting to melt and countries were starting to talk, the movies changed to the future. What would it hold? Would we have enough food and water? Is there life out there, and are they friendly? Then where would we live, here on earth or travel and live out in space? These are all questions that the filmmakers of the cold war and post world era all gave us a look at.

Turner Classic Movies is giving us a chance to look back at another slice of life the cold war and science fiction in movies. So, take a moment and catch a few of your favorites or catch one you never saw on TCM, showing Tuesdays in June.

2001: Space Odyssey
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Forbidden Planet
From the Earth to the Moon
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
It Came From Outer Space
Logan’s Run
Mars Attacks!
No Blade of Grass
Soylent Green
The Blob
The Invisible Boy
The Thing From Another World
The Wild, Wild Planet
Watch the Skies
Village of the Damned

Turner Classic Movies