Review of Where Have All the People Gone

Fondly remembered by all who saw it back in the 70's, this end-of-the-world flick packs a punch. I caught the last forty minutes about a year ago on an independent channel--which temporarily replaced another station that was being primed for a Spanish-language channel takeover. Could this made-for-tv movie have been inspired by the Star Trek episode titled "The Omega Glory"? There are striking similarities: most notably the state of the doomed crews' bodies. In the movie, however, the disease is caused by solar flares. You don't need elaborate and costly effects to convey the desperation and fear in the survivors' milieu. The situation itself is enough. Peter Graves sheds his B-movie threads and delivers a heroic performance as the father who leads by example and care, never loosing sight of their goal to hook up with their loved ones. The director, John Llewellyn Moxey, has deservedly earned his cult status. His television resume is impressive: The Night Stalker, The Last Child, Genesis II, Home for the Holidays, as well as the pilots for Kung Fu and Charlie's Angels.