The United States and the former U.S.S.R. may no longer be in the middle of a nuclear arms race, but the threat of nuclear war still lingers in the world consciousness. Nevadans have been particularly sensitive about nuclear-related mishaps since we have a proposed national nuclear waste repository being built in our state. So what better place than Nevada to hold The Atomic Film Festival? Cinemareno presents this retrospective of films relating to nuclear energy or warfare. The event begins 11:30 a.m. March 27 and features George Ratliff’s humorous documentary Plutonium Circus, Jon Else’s documentary The Day After Trinity, a compilation of atomic test film propaganda titled Atomic Café and Stanley Kramer’s post-apocalyptic tale On the Beach. The festival continues March 28 with the documentary Meltdown at Three Mile Island, the 1979 thriller The China Syndrome (which eerily foreshadowed the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident), Ray Milland’s cult classic Panic in Year Zero and Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War-era classic, Dr. Strangelove. Tickets are $7 per movie and $35 for a two-day festival pass. The Meltdown at Three Mile Island showing is free and starts 11:30 a.m. March 28. The festival is at the Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St. Visit www.cinemareno.org.—Kelley Lang
Have a blast
