Customer Reviews

Atomic War Bride/This Is Not a Test

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Again S.W.V. pulls off another hat trick. Taking two atomic age films from opposite sides of the world (one, THIS IS NOT A TEST is all American, while ATOMIC WAR BRIDE, is all Yugoslavian - yes, they have a film industry), gives you a uncanny perspective on just how nuclear war was looked at. In some ways they are both the same, but in others, there are major differences (THIS IS NOT A TEST dissolves into a kind of material anarchy, while ATOMIC WAR BRIDE asks for and gets civil duty, but they both end with a bang). As for extra's, S.W.V. has a reputation for pulling together a string of themed shorts that are both funny and downright scary - the best of these shorts for this set is YOU CAN BEAT THE A-BOMB. I must warn you now that this short is perhaps one of the most jaw dropping and creepy short films you will ever see - not only does it approach the subject of nuclear holocoust with a FATHER KNOWS BEST mind set, but even for the time it was produced (1950) it is amazingly scant on details, and long on urban fantasy. Very, very creepy (and please, when you see this, feel free to email me, I would love to know what you think of it). As for the movies, both hold up very well. THIS IS NOT A TEST was done on a near zero budget, but manages to pull off the impossible by being entertaining and creepy all at once. ATOMIC WAR BRIDE is pure propoganda (and good luck trying to decide which side this film is really on), and yet oddly compelling. I can't recommend this S.W.V. DVD enough, it's a classic.

Mike Vraney has turned out this wonderful double bill of Atomic terror. The first film is Atomic war Bride from 1960 Yugoslavia, and it is a well made little film about atomic war and the devastating effects it has on people. A shocking ending as well.
The second filmis a gem called This Is Not A Test. I had seen this on late night television and never forgot it. A gritty, well acted film about several people waiting for the end of the world at a roadblock set up by a local policeman. Great film, great ending!!
The extras are good here as well. I highly recommend this dvd is you like 50's and 60's sci-fi.

Nowadays, the threats seem to come from all directions: terrorists, environmental disaster, a faltering economy...it makes you long for the days when the only threat was nuclear annihilation. Okay, maybe not, but if you feel nostalgic for that era of Cold War peril, then Something Weird Video has a nice pair of "Super Science Thrillers" from the early 1960s to entertain you.

Top billing goes to Atomic War Bride, which is appropriate because it is the better movie. The name makes it sound like a campy '50s sci-fi film, but it's actually something more serious. It's a Yugoslavian picture taking place in an unnamed (but distinctly European) country where perpetually upbeat John is about to marry Maria. As he heads to the wedding, war breaks out, but John's not worried: it'll be over quickly and certainly, no one would use nuclear weapons. The wedding itself is interrupted by an air strike and John is soon impressed into the army. From there things get worse and worse, though John always hopes for the best. This is a surprising effective dark, anti-war satire.

The second feature is This is Not a Test. A sheriff's deputy is asked to put up a road block on an isolated mountain road. It soon becomes clear that a nuclear war has broken out and the deputy will need to take command and set up a survival plan for the mix of people who he's stopped. This has kind of a made-for-TV look to it and is structured more like a play, focusing on dialogue far more than action or effects. Unfortunately, much of the drama seems forced and tedious.

Beyond the movies, the DVD also comes with a number of non-fiction shorts from the 1950s that are rather quaint in their simplistic discussions of how to deal with a nuclear attack. The general message is that it can happen anytime (with the implied message that you can't trust those evil Commies who hate our freedom) and that a little forethought is all that's required to survive (if you're not at ground zero). Radiation, as it turns out, is not all that dangerous and will not hurt most people. There's even criticism of the Japanese, with the implication that more people would have survived Hiroshima and Nagasaki if only they'd had a plan for dealing with nuclear attack. And what Something Weird Video would be complete without a little striptease video with a vaguely Cold War theme?

In short, the highlight of this DVD is Atomic War Bride, but beyond entertainment value, this also offers the viewer a chance to look at the mindset of 1950s Cold War America.

If you don't like cheesy B-Sci Fi movies, then you will not like this movie.
The "Atomic War Bride" is an interesting movie. Made in Yugoslavia, it's an interesting take on atomic war. The title sounds silly but comes from a couple who happen to be getting married when a war breaks out. Thus the cheesy title. But the movie is made with the groom more as a target for the plot rather than the bride.
There are some truly funny scenes in this movie. For one, the "groom" is sent to what looks like a one day boot camp. They practice camouflage by sticking a tree branch in the top of their rifles. Interesting. I think we laughed more than we took this film seriously.
The trailers are good for anyone interested in Atomic War.
And "This Is Not A Test" is a neat film about strangers who get caught up out in the open when Atomic bombs start to fall. Interesting character studies here.
The film is worth the cost as long as you don't pay over $10

I love this stuff! It's so bizarre! I've never laughed so hard as when everyone is told to don their anti-radioactive suits in ATOMIC WAR BRIDE and they're just big garbage bags! And then one guy tries to get inside one with somebody else because he doesn't have one. Pure hilarity!