Chinatown (1974)
We're starting off with something quite different here. Directed by the crook Roman Polanski, and starring Jack Nicholson, it's more of a neo-noir film rather than the post-apocalyptic theme that you were probably expecting. If you've played through the quest The White Wash, though, then you'll find more than a few references concerning the movie.
A Boy and His Dog (1975)
Now, this movie's based on a series of books by Harlan Ellison, a very prolific author, who's been published over 1,700 times throughout his life, and he's still kicking. The movie stars a very young Don Johnson, whose character, Vic, works with his telepathic dog Blood, to survive in the post-apocalyptic Southwestern United States.
This one's clearly one of the more direct influences in Fallout. There's the scavenging, small towns like Shady Sands in Fallout 1, the most direct precursor to the ghouls that you'll find, and even a huge bunker reminiscent of the vaults. The movie's in the public domain, so you're free to watch it on youtube.
Logan's Run (1976)
If you've played New Vegas with the DLC installed, then you've probably tried Logan's Loophole, which makes you unable to be addicted to any chems or alcohol, but it stops you from leveling once you reach 30.
Logan's Run is based on a book by the same name, and it's about a utopian society in which the resources which they consume are balanced by killing those who reach the age of 30. Our protagonist, Logan 5, is a "Sandman" who used to get his hands dirty for the sake of the society, and now faces the danger of being eliminated himself. This also has a feeling of a Vault-Tec experiment gone wrong.
Escape from New York/Los Angeles (1981, 1996)
These movies star Kurt Russel with an eyepatch and an attitude. Although Snake Plissken is seen as the direct inspiration for Solid Snake, the setting itself in these cities, which were cut off from society and turned into prisons, gives them a distinctly post-apocalyptic vibe which could pass even in a Fallout game.
Le Dernier Combat (1983)
Directed by the formerly-glorious director Luc Besson, this movie was an exercise in the power of visual storytelling. In fact, this was his debut, as well as Jean Reno's first prominent role. There is no dialogue in this movie, so everything is communicated non-verbally. A young man joins with an old loner and together they fight off raiders and scavenge the destroyed ruins of some, probably French, former city.
The Day After (1983)
This one was released directly to T.V., and was watched by more than a million people. Until 2009, it was the highest-rated television film in history, quite an achievement. The movie is about a fictional war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, which led to an all-out nuclear war. You get to see their lives before, during and after the war, which makes for an interesting perspective on the effects of advanced warfare.
Threads (1984)
In a similar vein, Threads is a British movie dealing with exactly the same scenario: war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. This one was more focused on two families, and they go through all sorts of consequences that were had, as well as being the first movie to show what a nuclear winter would look like. Sounds like they would make a good double feature to compare their strengths and weaknesses.
Dead Man's Letters (1986)
From the other side of the ideological coin, here we have a Soviet science fiction film by Lopushansky, about a town in the aftermath of a nuclear war caused by a computer error. In this town, a Nobel Prize in Physics laureate decides to leave the safety of his bunker to help his children out, and shows the meaning of "He who has a why, can bear any how."
Tank Girl (2000)
This is a British film based on a comic book of the same name. It was unsuccessful, but has become a cult movie, and it's notorious for its feminist tones. It takes place in Australia (I wonder why) after an impact event, and Tank Girl, along with her allies, fights corporations that control the water supply in the wasteland.
Waterworld and The Postman (1995, 1997)
Ah, Kevin Costner. What a disappointment. Do yourself a favor and skip these. What a shame, because Waterworld had such a big budget, and The Postman was based on a pretty decent book.
Six-String Samurai (1998)
You want a fun movie, watch this one. It was extremely unsuccessful and everybody involved in it basically finished any possibility of having a nice career in movies, but they created a masterpiece. It also had a soundtrack by The Red Elvises.
After nuclear warfare made most of the U.S. uninhabitable, Las Vegas, now Lost Vegas, is ruled by King Elvis. There's a siege by the Red Army, but the lack of supplies made them just like any other gang. Buddy, a samurai with a sweet guitar, rescues a kid whose name is never known, and makes his way to Lost Vegas to try and take the recently-deceased Elvis's place as the new King. Following him is the heavy metal-playing Death himself, and in his way, a lot of different factions with their own theme. It's pretty fun, and if you can't see how much of New Vegas was inspired by this film, then you need to take another look.
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
You know what this is. I'm not saying this is a good movie, because it isn't, but if you're in love with desert wastelands and post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, which seems to appear a lot in movies for some reason, then kick back and watch a zombie movie in the Mojave.
I Am Legend (2007)
Another example of a movie that had a great source and ruined it all. This wasn't because of bad quality, like Kevin Costner's movies, rather, the director completely ignored the point of the books and changed the whole message.
Still, it's New York, it's post-apocalyptic, there are vampire/zombie hybrids, and it stars Will Smith, who can give a solid performance every once in a while. I'm not sure if the special effects have aged well, though, so beware.
The Road (2009)
Now, I consider Cormac McCarthy to be the best American author alive. Sure, he'll have you visiting the dictionary and Google Translate quite a few times, especially if you don't happen to have the good fortune of understanding Spanish and English and the history of the U.S.-Mexico border, but this movie is pretty light on that.
If Fallout 4 began straight after the war instead of 200 years later, then this would be the game. It takes place in America after an extinction event, implied to be nuclear warfare, and so a father and son take to the road to search for a place with warmer weather. I don't want to spoil too much, but if you enjoy the grim aspects of the Fallout universe, then this is definitely the movie you should watch. Besides, it stars Viggo Mortensen, the man can touch anything and turn it gold, but he had no need to do so with this movie.
Book of Eli (2011)
Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis, it's about a nomad in post-apocalyptic America (of all places) about a man who hears a voice that tells him to deliver a book to sanctuary in the West Coast. It's not that good, but if you're in the mood for what could amount to a side-quest, then go ahead.
Snowpiercer (2013)
I haven't seen this one, but as far as I know it's supposed to be pretty good. Some failed experiment in climate change renders the Earth inhospitable, with the exception of some people who stayed on a train called the Snowpiercer. It stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and some koreans, so at least the cast is decent. I'd watch it.
Turbo Kid (2015)
This one sounds a bit strange, but it's pretty well-viewed. Imagine Spy Kids, well-done, in an alternate 1997, with some actual violence like Robert Rodriguez would actually like to do. It's pretty wacky, but that strange mixture is pretty typical in Fallout as well, so why not watch it?
Mad Max
Ah, I bet you were nervous, I bet you thought that I was missing the most important piece of post-apocalyptic film to have ever existed. Well, this franchise is still king, George Miller is a god, and will go through the strengths each of the films had.
Mad Max (1979)
This movie was so low-budget that the actors were paid with beer, and some of the crew members had to volunteer their own vehicles for demolishing in the action scenes. This movie is seen as the weakest by some, and it's understandable, as you don't get to see the Australian wasteland in all of its glory as in the other films, but it's still interesting to see the way in which society declines after the war. It was the most profitable film ever done for a while.
The Road Warrior (1981)
George Miller's magnum opus. If Mel Gibson did well with the first movie, this one launched him into stardom. By this point, society had broken down and people separated into small groups of nomads, or gangs, depending on their willingness to break any form of social convention that used to exist. This movie has the structure of a Western, with one of the greatest car chases to have ever been recorded near the end.
Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Two men enter, one man leaves. By this point, some towns had been made in which wanderers could barter. So, the main setting for this movie is Bartertown, which is under Tina Turner's thumb. Here we get to see new social conventions being formed, as well as internal power struggles, and even a colony of children, just like Little Lamplight.
Fury Road (2015)
The Road Warrior is Miller's best movie, for sure, but Fury Road is the best action film I've ever seen. Thirty years being planned, and it really shows. From the beginning to the end it's no holds barred, one intense sequence after another, and such was the quality of the directing and everything that went on behind the camera, the storytelling done visually, Miller presented a world that was perfectly consistent with its path and he knew exactly where it was going. You shouldn't just watch this film because it's post-apocalyptic, you should watch it because by the time it's over you're going to be pumped like a racehorse.
And so, these are some of the movies that will definitely interest you if you're a Fallout fan. I'll revisit the franchise, because there is so much you can learn from its writing and its sources, and we'll probably go through books that have inspired or have been inspired by the games. Meanwhile, I hope you can deal with the hype, maybe these can make for a nice distraction while you wait to know what's coming next for these games.
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