The shiny happy futurism of the 1950s gave way to much darker predictions for humanity in the 1970s. With energy crises, fears of terrorism and skyrocketing unemployment, it’s really no wonder that Americans of the 1970s were often pessimistic about the future.
Out of this dread, the apocsploitation film was born.
Movies like Future Shock and The Late Great Planet Earth served up apocalyptic visions of the American future, both secular and religious. The second episode of paleofuture.tv looks at the doomsday documentary films of this era, which strangely enough all seemed to be hosted by Orson Welles. The production values in this episode still leave much to be desired, but I hope you enjoy it!
Previously on Paleo-Future:
The Late Great Planet Earth (1976)
The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon
The Prophetic Year 2000 (1968)
Future Shock – Babytorium (1972)
Future Shock – Electrical Stimulation (1972)
Future Shock – Skin Color (1972)
The Population Bomb: Scenario 1 (1970)
