‘Apocalypse One Day Next Week’ – Film Review by Sal Amanda

/ Doug Jacquier

This piece was written for the weekly photo prompt from Ayr/Gray Studios, The Unicorn Challenge.

Co-directed by one of the Coen brothers and Steven Spielberg (is he even still alive?), this tawdry shock fest limps along to (spoiler alert) it’s inevitable ending. A clone of Stephen Hawking (Brad Pitt) battles to save the world from an alien invasion. Reporter Elspeth Rickenbacker of the London Daily Mail (Cate Blanchett), believes his warnings. CIA Director Samantha Kravitz (Frances McDormand, who may or may not be married to one of the co-directors), aided by her ruthless agent, Bandana Hucklebuck (Billy Bob Thornton) do their best to discredit the heroic pair. (They may be in the pay of the aliens but its murky.)

After denying their mutual attraction for a full 15 minutes, Hawking and Rickenbacker have vigorously athletic sex on Hawking’s desk (body doubles are used obviously; neither actor is getting any younger) before returning to the challenge.

They commandeer a NASA spacecraft and head out to destroy the aliens with Hawking’s newly developed weapon, the quantum reciprocating laser cannon (HAL2 for short). The alien craft swarm towards them like the 400 police cars pursuing Thelma and Louise. They comically all crash into each other and the special effects crew have a picnic of exploding alien spaceships (in full surround 120 decibel sound) that lasts for the next hour of the film.

The film closes with the birth of the heroes’ child (gender not to be revealed until the sequel) and a stirring speech about having saved humanity (or at least the American bit).

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

21 thoughts on “‘Apocalypse One Day Next Week’ – Film Review by Sal Amanda”

  3. It’ll be a hit for sure. It’s got all the ingredients – especially an hour of exploding alien spaceships. What a finale!! I’m so glad there’ll be a sequel. I’m hanging out for it. ‘Sal Amanda’!!! 🤣

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  6. it’s that 120 decibel spike every thirty-three seconds that keeps me out of the theatre… preferring to watch from home where I can mute the sound and turn on the captions!

    ;p

    fun story

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