Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

[NostalgiaGuy]

I've only got the sketchiest of recollections to go on, but I'll try my best.

I remember a theatrical short from the early to mid 80's. It was British, and set in contemporary times, but I don't recall anyone well-known in it. The plot revolved around a young man who is paranoid about a nuclear war breaking out, and builds himself a fall-out shelter in his rented house, stocking it with all the tinned food he can get his hands on. He must have fallen behind on his rent, as his landlord keeps coming round and arguing with him. He is at the supermarket buying more food - several trays of baked beans if I remember rightly - when the four minute warning sounds. The young man races frantically back home only to find that his landlord has come round and found his shelter, sealing himself in and our hero out. The final shot is of our hero sat despondently on the front step awaiting his doom... and then realising that he has in his hand the only tin opener in the house.

I think I saw this in around 1983-85, probably attached to Return Of The Jedi, Clockwise or The Last Starfighter. If anyone knows the title, and if it's online anywhere, I'd love to see it again!

[HG]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

Ooh that rings a bell, I must have seen the same film.

[Heather74]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

I thought this might be from the series Tales of the unexpected (or a similar twist in the tale type) but I'm yet to find it.

[NostalgiaGuy]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

No huggie74, it's definitely a cinema short rather than a tv episode...

[Heather74]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

Thanks for the feedback. I can stop searching that area now

This ones driving me nuts lol

[NostalgiaGuy]

That's OK, huggie74. I really appreciate your efforts!

Oh yes, I've just remembered an important detail that might help - there was very little, or no, dialogue... except for TV and radio news bulletins about the build-up to war.

[Heather74]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

I've not given up yet

And with any luck someone else will beat me too it.

[NostalgiaGuy]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

Bump. I'm not giving up just yet! Although I admit that without any cast & crew info I've given people precious little to go on...

[FLYING SAUCER]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

OK, this may sound a bit strange, but, I am 46, and do not remember "EVER" living in the "FACE OF THE BOMB" We were living through Cold War times, RAF QRA 5 minute readiness - but not like it was in the 1950's 60's period.

All our schooling was quite retrospect (even though I lived through the tail end of the COLD WAR) Everything was 50's 60's Nuclear Threat orientated. Our Teachers mentioned Nuclear Blast Shelters and warnings, but until I was enrolled in my 1984 College Psychology Group, and we were lucky enough to be taught by an ex Vulcan Air Electronics Officer who was on standby during the Cuba Chrisis (3 minutes readiness - almost imminent attack) we never really heard much about "THE BOMB" ?)

[NostalgiaGuy]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

OK, this may sound a bit strange, but, I am 46, and do not remember "EVER" living in the "FACE OF THE BOMB" We were living through Cold War times, RAF QRA 5 minute readiness - but not like it was in the 1950's 60's period.

All our schooling was quite retrospect (even though I lived through the tail end of the COLD WAR) Everything was 50's 60's Nuclear Threat orientated. Our Teachers mentioned Nuclear Blast Shelters and warnings, but until I was enrolled in my 1984 College Psychology Group, and we were lucky enough to be taught by an ex Vulcan Air Electronics Officer who was on standby during the Cuba Chrisis (3 minutes readiness - almost imminent attack) we never really heard much about "THE BOMB" ?)

When I was a kid you couldn't escape from the subject! This was the era of Greenham Common, of CND rallies, endless pop stars and actors making speeches during interviews, and alternative comedians working the subject into their rants. Ever watch Spitting Image? When I think of that show, I think of its pitch-black 'Every Bomb You Make' song. I vividly remember the TV movies Threads and The Day After, and the cartoon movie When The Wind Blows, all of which haunted me for weeks after viewing them. I was only 12 or 13, so a little too young to be aware of the politics of the time, but I certainly heard a LOT about 'The Bomb!' After being exposed to all that lot during childhood, it's a wonder any of my generation grew up relatively normal at all.

Ahhh the 80's. Happy Days. Thanks for contributing, FLYING SAUCER.
Oh and while I'm here... BUMP!

[Danny]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

The young man races frantically back home only to find that his landlord has come round and found his shelter, sealing himself in and our hero out. The final shot is of our hero sat despondently on the front step awaiting his doom... and then realising that he has in his hand the only tin opener in the house.

Surely at that point the music should have started and the voiceover says "Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet"

[NostalgiaGuy]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

Surely at that point the music should have started and the voiceover says "Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet"

LOL! Have you ever worked in advertising, Danny..?

[NostalgiaGuy]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

Two years and four months later... BUMP! Not letting this one die just yet...

[Shado66]

Re: Early-mid 80's 'bomb shelter' short

Just goes to prove is different from the other persons perspective. As for myself, I remember things got pretty hot in the early 80's. I think it was after Brezhnev died in the USSR and things seemed to get more tense. Reagan had issued his "Evil Empire" speech and there seemed to be more public information around with Protect and survive etc. As NostalgiaGuy said there was a lot of tension with Greenham common protests and the TV dramas like "threads" and the american version "the day after". Apparently in 1981 we got pretty close to a disaster because the USSR thought the west was preparing for a preemptive strike when it conducted the "Able-Archer" war-games. I remember being in a geography class in Coventry in around 1980/81 when an early warning siren went off accidentally. For a few minutes it all went quiet. everyone just looked at one another. You could see the look of terror in peoples faces even the teacher. Then someone came into the class and said it was a false alarm. Some idiot had been testing the system and caused it to go off by accident. God, we almost passed out from relief. The teacher let us out to have a break and try to calm down a bit and probably change his own underpants! Im wondering if anything similar happened to anyone else?

[the fox]

We had a ww2 air raid siren near us in London. Periodically in the early 80's they would test it in readiness. Our local library had leaflets on display detailing how to build shelters.

I remember as a kid hearing about Reagan's "Star Wars" project and getting quite worried. Then when I was about 12 I watched the film "threads" on TV. It scared the fall out of me. I spent the rest of my early teenage years terrified that they were about to "drop the bomb" at any moment.

The other day I was talking about this era to a guy who is 20. When I mentioned "THE Bomb", he asked, "which bomb is that?". Lol.

Anyway, to the OP, good luck with the search.