In our cover story this week, we gave you a lot of ideas on how to throw a big party to ring in the end of the world, but what if you\u2019re not the celebratory type? If you\u2019re a nerd like me, maybe you\u2019d rather curl up in a nice warm \u201cX-Men\u201d blanket and wait out Armageddon in front of the television, wondering exactly which apocalypse humanity hath wrought. Well, it seems that Hollywood has covered every possible scenario over the years, so here are just some of the best and worst ways to spend your final days.<\/p>\n
The War of the Worlds (1953) \u2013 Long before Steven Spielberg\u2019s loose 2005 adaptation, there was this groundbreaking sci-fi classic based on the H.G. Wells novel. Our weapons may not stand a chance against the Martians, but something we all have inside will. (And no, the answer to this one isn\u2019t \u201clove.\u201d)<\/p>\n
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) \u2013 Stanley Kubrick may be known for disturbing films like \u201cA Clockwork Orange\u201d and \u201cThe Shining,\u201d but he proved that he also had a sense of humor too (albeit still a dark one) with this satire of nuclear warfare starring Peter Sellers hamming it up as the titular former Nazi, along with two other roles.<\/p>\n
Planet of the Apes (1968) \u2013 Astronauts discover a planet much like our own, except this place is run by a bunch of damn dirty apes. Charlton Heston does his best to avoid a lobotomy before he reaches a beach that makes him wish he had one.<\/p>\n
Soylent Green (1973) \u2013 If you\u2019ve ever heard the title, you\u2019re probably already aware of the infamous line uttered by Heston that spoils the movie\u2019s ending, but either way, it\u2019s worth seeing how corporations like McDonald\u2019s will likely deal with starvation in the future.<\/p>\n
Dawn of the Dead (1978) \u2013 In director George Romero\u2019s \u201cNight of the Living Dead,\u201d it seemed that humans had kept the zombie uprising at bay, but in his bigger budget follow-up, it appears that the end times are near. What better way to spend it than locked up in a shopping mall? Smart, but not exactly safe.<\/p>\n
Mad Max (1979) \u2013 Australia is a desert wasteland running low on oil, and a then-unknown Mel Gibson is a leather-clad police officer looking for revenge after a biker gang murders his partner and family. It spawned two sequels, but, sadly, the world will be over before they finish the fourth installment with Tom Hardy.<\/p>\n
Escape from New York (1981) \u2013 New York City is in ruins and the island of Manhattan has been turned into a maximum security prison \u2013 not too far a stretch, really. Only one man with an eye patch and a five o\u2019clock shadow can save the president when he is taken hostage inside its walls \u2013 Snake Plissken. Kurt Russell and director John Carpenter at their B-movie best.<\/p>\n
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) \u2013 You\u2019ve seen it a million times, but you know you\u2019ll \u201cbe back\u201d for another viewing of James Cameron\u2019s action movie masterpiece. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a virtuous Terminator robot this time who is trying to stop the shape-shifting T-1000 from assassinating mankind\u2019s only hope, Edward Furlong. Yep, we\u2019re doomed.<\/p>\n
Waterworld (1995) \u2013 It may not have generated enough money at the box office to recoup its expenses, but it did inspire a Universal Studios attraction based around the world consumed by melted polar ice caps that, for some reason, is still running today. Kevin Costner better hope that drinking his own urine isn\u2019t his legacy.<\/p>\n
Independence Day (1996) \u2013 Being the blockbuster that features Will Smith greeting an alien with a punch to the face, this one isn\u2019t exactly as subtle with its message (or lack thereof) as some others on this list, but the special effects still hold up in this fun popcorn flick.<\/p>\n
Armageddon (1998) \u2013 \u201cDeep Impact\u201d may have been first, but Michael Bay\u2019s meteor movie had Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, and Aerosmith \u2013 that asteroid didn\u2019t stand a chance against the power of love. Cheesy in a predictable way rather than a fun one.<\/p>\n
The Core (2003) \u2013 You forgot about this one, didn\u2019t you? That\u2019s probably because \u201cjumpstarting\u201d the Earth\u2019s core isn\u2019t exactly the best or most scientifically accurate idea for a movie, but there are certainly worse\u2026<\/p>\n
The Day After Tomorrow (2004) \u2013 If you hate science, then you\u2019ll love this disaster\u2026disaster movie, I mean. Global warming isn\u2019t going to result in instant freezing that one could simply outrun, but Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal aren\u2019t so easily convinced.<\/p>\n
WALL-E (2008) \u2013 You may not think of this cute Pixar film as a cautionary tale about the end of the civilization, but that\u2019s exactly what this animated gem this. The best parts are those that say very little at all, but its message is loud and clear beneath the robo-romance.<\/p>\n
2012 (2009) \u2013 I guess it\u2019s mandatory that this one ends up on the list, but not because it\u2019s actually good, or even interesting. John Cusack is better at saving relationships than he is at saving people from misread Mayan calendars, but the script is what requires the most help. I face Dec. 21 fearlessly because of crap like this.