Apocalyptic Visions in 21st Century Films (Paperback)

We go to the movies compulsively. If you, too, are a frequent viewer, you must have noticed the avalanche of apocalyptic imagery spewing from the screen. It's everywhere, and not only in films about the end of civilization. Romantic comedies, teen adventures, and even children's tales often feature crumbling infrastructure, disintegrating cities, vast deserts, extreme weather events, extinctions, epidemics, military forces gone rogue, zombie armies, colliding worlds...and too many more calamities to list. Filmmakers marry this obsession to sophisticated CGI technology to create eye-popping visuals with immense force and stunning realism. We describe and discuss this phenomenon, a product of its cultural surround. Our movies tell us that we are consumed by cataclysmic endings. You'll want to read our book if you're puzzled by this trend in popular films-movies you've seen-and if you're intrigued by the link between current cinema and our new century. We broaden the discussion about this dark topic; we suggest some real-world reasons; we identify some flashes of hope in the desolate landscape.