Panic!

PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO!-1962-Ray Milland (who also directed) goes on vacation with his family just as a nuclear bomb is dropped on LA. He decides the best thing to do is to head for the hills (literally!). He lectures his wife (Jean Hagen) about how he doesn’t want to be part of the breakdown of society and vows to return when order is restored. He likes to order his son (pre-Beach Party Teen idol Frankie Avalon) around and he steals some guns from a dealer (ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS hero Richard Garland) when he runs out of money. In a scene that’s quite ironic today Ray punches out a gas station attendant who has the unmitigated gall to charge 3 dollars a gallon for gas! Along the way they meet greasy thug Richard Balakyan and his two punks. They also pick up Joan Freeman and live in a cave for a while. When his daughter (Mary Mitchel; she was later in SPIDER BABY) is raped he seeks revenge.



Despite the minimal cast and unbelievable plot twists it’s more low budget entertainment from AIP. Also with Willis Bouchey, Rex Holman, Oz Whitehead and Russ Bender.

Academy Award winner Milland also starred in THE PREMATURE BURIAL for Roger Corman the same year and would star in Corman’s X-THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES the next!


"It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked"-Warren Buffett

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