On The Beach (Region B) Blu-ray ***Preorder*** 7/27

Although there'd been "doomsday dramas" before it, Stanley Kramer's On the Beach was considered the first "important" entry in this genre when originally released in 1959. Based on the novel by Nevil Shute, the film is set in the future (1964) when virtually all life on earth has been exterminated by the radioactive residue of a nuclear holocaust. Only Australia has been spared, but it's only a matter of time before everyone Down Under also succumbs to radiation poisoning.

With only a short time left on earth, the Australian population reacts in different ways: some go on a nonstop binge of revelry, while others eagerly consume the suicide pills being issued by the government. When the possibility arises that rains have washed the atmosphere clean in the Northern hemisphere, a submarine commander (Gregory Peck) and his men head to San Diego, where faint radio signals have been emanating. The movie's all-star cast also includes Ava Gardner as Peck’s emotionally disturbed lover, Fred Astaire as a guilt-wracked nuclear scientist, and Anthony Perkins and Donna Anderson as young parents facing a terrible decision

Extras

• Presented in High Definition
• Audio commentary written by Dr Philip Davey, author of When Hollywood Came To Melbourne, read by actor Douglas Hansell
• Making On the Beach (1959, 9 mins): rare 8mm footage shot by amateur filmmaker Douglas Brockfield
• Interview with Donna Anderson (2015, 20 mins): the actress discusses her time working with the cast and crew of On the Beach
• Original theatrical trailer
• Stills gallery
• Includes optional English descriptive subtitles
• All extras are tbc and other extras are pending
• **FIRST PPRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring new essays by Christina Brennan and Barry Forshaw and a biography of Stanley Kramer by Jennifer Frost