As we all have become annoyingly aware of lately the end of the world is close at hand! Tomorrow to be exact. So instead of posting the same old recent Apocalyptic and Post Apocalyptic films that celebrate both the annihilation and rebuilding of humanity after the end of the world I have decided to bring to light 12 films that may have been missed in our disturbing excitement for the end of us all! These films are from here and abroad and bring new stories and visions of the Doomsday scenarios back into the final countdown of man’s destruction!
1. A Boy And His Dog (1975)
Don Johnson plays a young man in a post nuclear war world who has an interesting friend, a telepathic dog. The dog gives him an advantage in dealing with the barbaric world he lives in. When Johnson finds one place that has escaped the devastation of the war, he also finds some rather odd attitudes. The film is directed by L.Q. Jones and also stars Susan Benton, Jason Robards and Tim McIntire.
2. The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961)
Directed by Val Guest and starring Edward Judd, Janet Munro and Leo McKern “The Day The Earth Caught Fire” sees hysterical panic engulfing the world after the United States and the Soviet Union simultaneously detonate nuclear devices and have caused the orbit of the Earth to alter, sending it hurtling towards the sun.
3. Land Of Doom (1986)
Earth has been ravaged by a nuclear war, and a feminist warrior is forced to join up with a soldier of fortune in her journey to find a rumored "paradise" as they battle gangs of rampaging bandits. Directed by Peter Maris and starring Deborah Rennard, Garrick Dowhen and Daniel Radell.
4. The Handmaid’s Tale (1990)
Set in a Fascistic future America, The Handmaid's Tale tells the story of Kate, a handmaid. In this America, the religious right has taken over and gone hog-wild. Kate is a criminal, guilty of the crime of trying to escape from the US, and is sentenced to become a Handmaid. The job of a Handmaid is to bear the children of the man to whom she is assigned. After ruthless group training by Aunt Lydia in the proper way to behave, Kate is assigned as Handmaid to the Commander. Kate is attracted to Nick, the Commander's chauffeur. At the same time, a resistance movement begins to challenge the regime. Directed by Volker Schlondorff and starrin Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway and Aidan Quinn.
5. Carriers (2009)
Directed by David and Alex Pastor and starring Chris Pine, Piper Perabo and Lou Taylor Pucci. In a world devastated by an outbreak, Brian, his girlfriend Bobby, his brother Danny and their friend, Kate, are heading to a beach where the brothers spent their childhood vacations expecting it to be a sanctuary. When their car breaks down on the road in the desert, they negotiate with a man called Frank, who is also stranded but without gas. He is trying to get his daughter Jodie to the hospital (she is infected with a disease of some kind), they all decide to travel together. During the journey, massive moral dilemmas arise, as events head into a downward spiral.
6. Happy End/ Les Derniers Jours Du Monde (2009)
Robinson, appropriately named as we will soon discover, is on vacation in Biarritz with his wife. What follows is the story behind the loss of his arm, a story that becomes increasingly bizarre and eventually apocalyptic, leading us down a narrative path of labyrinthine complexity. The resulting film is an extraordinary feat of imagination and daring, set against the backdrop of a world on the verge of destruction. Directed by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu and starring Mathieu Amalric, Catherine Frot and Karin Viard.
7. Holocaust 2000 (1977)
Directed by Alberto De Martino and starring Kirk Douglas, Simon Ward and Agostina Belli. An executive in charge of a Middle Eastern nuclear plant discovers that his son is the Anti Christ and sets out to stop him from using the nuclear power at his fingertips to wipe out mankind.
8. Malevil (1981)
In southern France, in a quite little town, the mayor, who also owns a castle with some cattle, is in the wine cellar with some other people: the pharmacist, the veterinary, and some of his employees. As they are drinking wine, they hear a terrible noise and the heat's getting higher and higher.They don't realize what's happening: when they come out of the cellar, they realize that everything has burned, and all the buildings are destroyed. Directed by Christian de Chalonge and starring Michel Serrault, Jacques Dutronc and Jacques Villeret.
9. Miracle Mile (1988)
Directed by Steve De Jarnatt and starring Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham and John Agar. A young man meets and falls in love with a young woman at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. This area is known as Miracle Mile, and the whole movie takes place there. They make a date, which he misses, and while he is searching for her, he accidentally finds out that we (the United States) are about to start a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. He frantically searches for her so that they can escape Los Angeles.
10. The Noah’s Ark Principle / Das Arche Noah Prinzip (1984)
Near the end of the 20th century, WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) are retired. However, certain factions plan to use a science space station as a weapon against each other. The astronauts inside will decide the world's faith. Directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Richy Müller, Franz Buchrieser and Aviva Joel.
11. Rapture (1991)
Directed by Michael Tolkin and starring Mimi Rogers, David Duchovny and Darwyn Carson. This is the story of a young woman (who lives in Los Angeles) with a very boring job. At night however, she and a male partner cruise the bars as swingers. After a time, she begins to believe that a conspiracy exists and decides that she must become a born-again Christian. The movie presents an interesting view of how even the most unlikely person might become born-again.
12. No Blade Of Grass (1970)
A strange new virus has appeared, which only attacks strains of grasses such as wheat and rice, and the world is descending into famine and chaos. Architect John, along with his family and friends, is making his way from London to his brother's farm in northern England where there will hopefully be food and safety for all of them. Along the way, they encounter hostile soldiers, biker gangs, and all manner of people who are all too willing to take advantage of travelers for a mouthful of food. Directed by Cornel Wilde and starring Nigel Davenport, Jean Wallace and John Hamill.
Directed by John A. Russo and starring Debbie Rochon, Grant Cramer and John Mowod. A young man finds his divorced mother having sex with a man in a Santa Clause hat and shoots them both dead. Years later, now thinking he is Santa Clause, the man develops an obsession with an erotic horror film star named Raven and begins stalking her. 
Directed by David Steiman and starring Bill Goldberg, Douglas Smith and Emilie de Ravin. Bill Goldberg plays the devil's son who lost a wager with a angel and was forced to spend 1000 years playing Santa, but now the wager of that time has run out, and good old Santa isn't so joyful anymore. He makes up for lost time and starts to kill people. 
Directed by Monte Hellman and starring Samantha Scully, Bill Moseley and Richard C. Adams. Ricky Caldwell, the notorious 'Killer Santa Claus', awakens from a six year coma after being kept alive on life-support by a slightly crazed doctor experimenting with ESP and other special abilities. Ricky targets a young, clairvoyant blind woman, named Laura, whom is traveling with her brother Chris, and his girlfriend Jerri to their grandmothers house for Christmas Eve, and Ricky decides to go after her, leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. 
Directed by Purdom and starring Edmund Purdom, Alan Lake and Belinda Mayne. A murderer is running loose through the streets of London, hunting down men dressed as Santa and killing them all in different, and extremely violent, fashions. Inspector Harris has decided to take on the unenviable task of tracking down the psychopath, but he's going to have his work cut out for him. Only the suspicious reporter, Giles, seems to offer the Inspector any promising leads.
Directed by Dick Maas and starring Egbert Jan Weeber, Bert Luppes and Caro Lenssen. It is the night of Sinterklaus in the Netherlands only this St. Nick is anything but jolly. He roams the city seeking victims to slay on this unholy night. He does not care who is naughty or nice he just wants the children and only has the full moon of this Dec. night to collect is bounty!
Directed by Steven C. Miller and starring Jaime King, Malcolm McDowell and Brendan Fehr. In a small Midwestern town a killer dressed as Santa is slaying the citizens one by one. The sheriff’s department must find who the killer is and take him out as the holiday massacre becomes all to personal and terrifying.
