Apocalypse How?

This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper -T.S. Eliot

Mad Max: Fury Road, an action-packed ride through a post-apocalyptic desert land, left me pondering an important question: where can I get a guitar-playing zombie in red jammies to strap to the front of my Saturn?

Then I thought about the end of the world. Who hasn't? Filmmakers have been since Méliès and we've flocked to the theater to watch it all go down. I think it's the how that has us captivated. Mad Max suggests the depletion of resources (namely fossil fuels), destruction of the environment and nuclear war will end the world as we know it. But why stop there when there are so many other ways to annihilate our current way of life?

Maybe the world goes out not with a bang, but a sneeze as an incurable disease sweeps the planet (Virus, Contagion). Perhaps that sneeze turns into something more monstrous as zombies (World War Z) or vampires (I am Legend) take over. Vicious aliens could fill our skies and terrorize our cities (Independence Day), or nice aliens could fill our skies and let us know that terrorizing our cities is indeed possible (The Day the Earth Stood Still). Our doom could come more naturally (Armageddon), or in a natural form enhanced by our carelessness (The Day after Tomorrow). Nuclear chaos (Dr. Strangelove), lack of water (Tank Girl), tasty people (Soylent Green), chimps who like to wear clothes (yes, Planet of the Apes is actually a hard hitting commentary on the power structure of the fashion industry)...the list goes on.

When envisioning the apocalypse, filmmakers often see eye to eye in one respect: the human spirit endures. Yes, the destruction is most likely our fault, but at least there are still people out there with strength, conviction and compassion that make life worth fighting for.

I have been considering another question. If I define the apocalypse as simply the end of life as we know it, has any filmmaker entertained the idea of the apocalypse being a positive event?

It's a lot to think over. So, does the world end with a bang or a whimper? It is difficult to say, but I do know that I'll pay good money to watch somebody explore the possibilities.