Excellent, a Must See

A lot of fun.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Ray Milland directs and stars in this gritty, cold war tale of a family trying to survive in the mountains after a nuclear war. Milland emphasises an 'everyone for themselves' survival ethic as his character struggles to keep his family alive at the expense of anyone who stands in his way. The movie was a low-budget project, so don't expect to see vistas of destroyed cities (you see one distant mushroom cloud) or any massive military presence (you see one jeep), but despite the cost-cutting "Panic in the Year Zero" is an effective early entry into the post-apocalyptic genre. Although mostly bloodless (a person shot at close range with a shotgun just hugs himself and topples falls over), the film is quite adult, with several cold-blood killings (on and off screen) and rapes (all off screen). The jazz music score, which is dated and excessive at times, detracts from the bleak tone of the movie, and the ending, while likely 'realistic', may not be a good match for some modern viewers' worldviews. Worth watching, even if only as only a celluloid relic of the cold-war.

Ray Milland and family (including Frankie without Annette) head off for a camping weekend. As they cruise along, they encounter multiple flashes. It turns out that they see a mushroom cloud forming over Los Angeles. At first they try to return but find out quickly that there is no going back and that numerous cities worldwide have been decimated. Of course, there is mass panic and people turn to the dark side (profiteering, looting, and worse). Milland begins the process of trying to save his family. They head to their camping area but have a series of close calls as they try to get supplies. They are confronted by three hoodlums who will later play a part in their lives. Milland is quite enterprising. His wife is little help, not realizing the danger they are in. He is forced to act as he has never acted. While some of this is a bit trite, it's a decent nuclear holocaust story. I'm not sure the science is quite accurate, but it does depict a kind of anarchy that presents itself.

Directed by and starring Ray Milland, "Panic in Year Zero!" is the story of a family of four whose planned camping vacation is interrupted by the onset of nuclear war. The husband (Milland) decides they should be proactive and head for the hills, away from the predictable hazards that will accompany the breakdown of civilization. As they struggle to survive, they make difficult choices that may change them.Shot in black and white, which helps add gravity to the story, the film features a jazz soundtrack by Les Baxter--accomplished and celebrated arranger--that is misplaced. On occasion, it detracts from the somber tone of the film.Besides Milland, the film also features Jean Hagen as the wife, and Frankie Avalon as the son. The entire cast is credible, though a group of three hoods is portrayed in a predictably stereotypical fashion.This is no "Lord of the Flies", but its depiction of what happens when civility is removed from civilization is just as revealing. There are always those for whom lawfulness is merely a thin veneer or a well-acted façade.

Hard-nosed family man Ray Milland (as Harry Baldwin) and his sympathetic wife Jean Hagen (as Ann) get the camper ready for a vacation from their suburban Los Angeles home. Dutiful and muscular son Frankie Avalon (as Rick) is going along, as is pretty blonde daughter Mary Mitchel (as Karen). The family of four are out of the city when they hear a rumble and see a flash of light. It's not an earthquake… It's not thunder and lightning… It's… THE A-BOMB! Getting out of the car, they see the mushroom cloud form over Los Angeles, which has been destroyed in a nuclear attack. Other annihilated cities include New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, London, Paris and Rome. There is no radiation sickness for Mr. Milland, his family and others because, "They come from the hills." Certainly, the wind must have been helping. The survivors learn government officials have declared it the "Year Zero" for all remaining...This ludicrous story makes you wonder if America is worth saving. Almost immediately after the attack, US survivors become selfish and uncivilized hoodlums. They loot, kill and rape at the drop of a hat. Our "heroic" leading man, Milland is hardly better than the worst murderer – witness, for example, his deadly highway stunt. Incredibly, Milland ends the day by thanking God for his success. It must be said that during real disasters, Americans do not act as they do in this film. It's possible some are good people, but the movie highlights everyone's worst behavior. A jazzed-up soundtrack makes you wonder if filmmakers expect you to take this as fun. Milland also directed. An attempt to give his character a moral core fails, and the other family members are characterized poorly. They are joined by Joan Freeman (as Marilyn Hayes), a sex-slave they free. Introduced in her underwear, she later arouses interest in Mr. Avalon.*** Panic in Year Zero! (7/5/62) Ray Milland ~ Ray Milland, Frankie Avalon, Jean Hagen, Mary Mitchel