The effects of a nuclear holocaust on the working class city of Sheffield, England and the eventual long-term effects of nuclear war on civilization.

Let me set the scene for you…

The year is 1999, there’s fear amongst people about something called the “Millenium Bug”, For those who don’t know this was a genuine fear that people had, some thought that there was going to be electric problem worldwide, this included the computers that operated the worlds nuclear warheads.

It may sound funny now but this was a bona fide fear that people had. Now, imagine that you’re just a young kid and all you’re hearing about is this nuclear holocaust, then one night your friend brings over a video tape, a film you’ve never seen or even heard of before, but it’ll soon be ingrained into your brain.

I soon found out that this feature had also disturbed an entire generation before me, with the threat of nuclear war in the 80’s at a high I’m sure it was a terrifying watch for them. The fact that the film was set in a town not too far away from me was something that got to me also.

I’ll admit this sin’t exactly a Horror film, it’s classed more as a Dramatic Sci-Fi Thriller, but trust me when I tell you that the Horror is certainly there. To say this was a 1980’s made for TV-movie they really didn’t hold back which still surprises me, especially for the BBC.

“Threads” may be laughable to some in this day and age but it still more than certainly packs a punch. For those who were traumatised by it though, that trauma has never gone away.

If you want to see the “Threads” trailer then just click on the video below:

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Miscellaneous facts about the film:

In the aftermath of the nuclear blast, footage of a cat supposedly “suffocating” outside in the extreme heat is shown. This is actually footage of a cat enjoying a hefty dose of catnip, then they just reversed the film to give the impression of the cat suffocating (the way the cat is rolling on the ground is the giveaway).

While shooting the movie, the BBC got in trouble with local police when they detonated a large smoke bomb in order to simulate a nuclear explosion. Members of the public, who were not aware that a movie was being shot, panicked and thought that a real explosion had occurred.

In the film a Salvation Army brass band is seen marching down a street during a demonstration. This was not scripted,the band was returning from an “open air” service and had unexpectedly marched in on the filming. The director loved the unexpected interruption and kept the cameras rolling.

US television magnate Ted Turner wanted to air this film on TBS, his cable TV network, but couldn’t find a sponsor. He decided to broadcast the film out of his own pocket.

Mick Jackson subsequently travelled around the UK and the US, consulting leading scientists, psychologists, doctors, defence specialists and strategic experts in order to create the most realistic depiction of nuclear war possible for his next film.