Post-Apocalypse Awesomeness

What is it about post-apocalyptic (P-A) stories that make me insanely giddy with excitement? I think those who like them, love them. I've come to the conclusion that the main appeal of P-A tales are the fact that it could happen!

You watch something like SPIDERMAN and think "Gee, wish I could be Spiderman! :(" But you're not. You know you're not. You're never going to have those powers. Maybe as a kid there's hope, but as the years go by and you get older and older, you are certain you will never become Doncaster's Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman.

However, the whole point of a P-A story is that is hasn't happened yet! So technically, no matter how old you become, you could, one day, find yourself in such a world. And that, my friends, is - in my opinion - the reason P-A stories appeal to me so much.

Another reason is the look they have. Ridley Scott practically created the visuals of a P-A world in BLADE RUNNER and ever since, movies have attempted to mimic it, adding new, interesting twists. Take a look at this bizzaro, futuristic landscape:

Some other great P-A landscapes include THE MATRIX, TERMINATOR, MAD MAX. These sorts of settings take something we know and distort them, turning them into something familiar, yet alien.

Another attractive visual element of the P-A movie is the clothes. It's chance to - yet again - take the familiar and distort it. Sometimes things become more basic, as is the case in THE MATRIX:

Often, a military aspect is taken in the film and therefore, the clothes match. THE TERMINATOR is one such example.

Joss Whedon's DOLLHOUSE features a 'what if' episode, where we're zapped 10 years into the future and given a taste of a P-A Dollverse. The clothes worn in 'Epitaph One' (the episode in question) are similar to those worn in a lot of P-A movies because the characters live in a harsh, hostile and cold world. They wear layers and carry as much as possible, simply because they never know when they'll need it:

So in case we suddenly find ourselves in a P-A world, here's a checklist of clothes you should have in your house:

• Heavy combat boots
• Durable, dark trousers (preferably jeans)
• Vest
• Jumper
• Hoody
  
• Long, brownish coat and/or short, black leather jacket
• Fingerless gloves
• Fake dirt to apply to the face

What about everyone else? What makes you so excited about P-A films? The look, the possibilities, the story (which I haven't talked about at all!)? Let me know.