Laura Barcella

Society has a morbid fascination with the end of the world. And really, who can blame them? I certainly can't since I'm one of the many morbidly curious.

The End is a look at pop culture's many dooms day predictions, and how they continue to influence the masses and media. There were many pieces I had never heard about, or only had a vague concept of, and it was interesting to see how they connected to other more current works. I do have to admit that as a zombie fan, I was wanting them show more represented a bit more, but I'm sure I could come up with at least 50 pieces for them alone!

This was a pretty quick read, with each piece of work broken down into a summary, Inspirations for the piece, unforgettable moments, reality factor, and the impact it has had on our culture. The Kindle formatting I received through Net Galley did make it difficult to read, but I notice that at this time it's only available in paperback, which I think would be cool to see, as there are photos to go with each 'vision'. This is definitely a fun look at pop culture! show less

The End will resonate most with readers who have had little exposure to the apocalyptic / post-apocalyptic genres before reading this book. For lifelong movie geeks and word nerds, most, if not all, of the selections in The End will be familiar; in other words, these entries are about as mainstream as one could go. Having said that, if you're new to the "end of the world" genre, or just curious about what might be out there, The End will serve as a fun guide to movies, TV, plays, artwork, show more songs, and books. But be warned: spoilers everywhere! If you haven't read/ watched/ heard about an entry and don't want to know everything beforehand, skip it.

3 stars show less

The End is a fun facts that you should know about, Very well written with each page containing a picture of subject, unforgettable moment, reality factor, the inspiration, the impact, quotable, and more movies directed by. There are 50 apocalyptic visions from pop culture that you should know about... before it's too late.

I want to give you an example of one called Children of Men (2006);
Unforgettable Moment
At the start of the movie, clusters of somber, scared-looking Brits squeeze into a show more storefront to catch the news, blaring from an overhead TV screen. Eighteen-year-old Baby Diego- the youngest person left on the planet--has been stabbed to death in a bar brawl. The onlookers' horrified reaction to the news is less about the dead young man and more about what his death represents: Any hope for the future is gone.

Inspiration
The title of both book and film were inspired by the Bible. The phrase "children of men" comes from verse three of Psalm 90: "Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men." Most believe that the first part means that mankind will be wiped out by God because of humans' grave propensity to sin. The second part ("and sayest, Return, ye children of men") is interpreted different ways. Some believe that the "return" is simply man's return to dust; others believe the "return" here signifies that Christ will call those who repent to resurrection after the destruction. Either way, it can be seen as an end-of-times, apocalyptic reference.

The Impact;
The movie offered a haunting vision of what a world without children would look like. Though the movie's chase scenes and shoot-outs are intense to begin with, the film's violence is even more visually arresting due to the flat grey landscapes it's set in. the lack of youth, laughter, and sunlight echo the lack of hope in the population as a whole.

Quotable

"As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices."
Miriam's observation as she, Theo, and Kee hide from police inside a school.

It is a great book for children 12 or older and parents to talk about around the dinner table. A fun way to learn about different things you never thought about before. A must read for all!

I was given this book from Zest Books www.zestbooks.net show less

The End is a fun facts that you should know about, Very well written with each page containing a picture of subject, unforgettable moment, reality factor, the inspiration, the impact, quotable, and more movies directed by. There are 50 apocalyptic visions from pop culture that you should know about... before it's too late.

I want to give you an example of one called Children of Men (2006);
Unforgettable Moment
At the start of the movie, clusters of somber, scared-looking Brits squeeze into a show more storefront to catch the news, blaring from an overhead TV screen. Eighteen-year-old Baby Diego- the youngest person left on the planet--has been stabbed to death in a bar brawl. The onlookers' horrified reaction to the news is less about the dead young man and more about what his death represents: Any hope for the future is gone.

Inspiration
The title of both book and film were inspired by the Bible. The phrase "children of men" comes from verse three of Psalm 90: "Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men." Most believe that the first part means that mankind will be wiped out by God because of humans' grave propensity to sin. The second part ("and sayest, Return, ye children of men") is interpreted different ways. Some believe that the "return" is simply man's return to dust; others believe the "return" here signifies that Christ will call those who repent to resurrection after the destruction. Either way, it can be seen as an end-of-times, apocalyptic reference.

The Impact;
The movie offered a haunting vision of what a world without children would look like. Though the movie's chase scenes and shoot-outs are intense to begin with, the film's violence is even more visually arresting due to the flat grey landscapes it's set in. the lack of youth, laughter, and sunlight echo the lack of hope in the population as a whole.

Quotable

"As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices."
Miriam's observation as she, Theo, and Kee hide from police inside a school.

It is a great book for children 12 or older and parents to talk about around the dinner table. A fun way to learn about different things you never thought about before. A must read for all!

I was given this book from Zest Books www.zestbooks.net show less