Forgotten Bomb (2010) User Reviews

Powerful plea for Sanity

[br6647 · 7/10 · 15 July 2012]

The Forgotten Bomb is a powerful plea for some rational awareness and policy decisions concerning the unstable and dangerous reality of huge nuclear arsenals armed and poised to be use by nine countries around the world. Some reviewers have focused on the attention to the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the accounts of survivors, and whether or not the U.S. was justified in using nuclear weapons. I believe that the real points to take from this information and these memories in the film are a) that the United States is the only country to have used nuclear weapons on another population, so a wee bit of humility is in order; and b) that the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were infinitesimal compared to the destructive power of one of today's missiles, meaning the death, destruction, misery and horrors after the fact for any survivor would be accordingly magnified. So the message that we must find a way to reduce, control and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons is timely and urgent and the only sane course for us to take. "It ain't gonna happen!" is one response, but for the sake of our children and grandchildren we have to try.

Informative, passionate, thoughtful

[adobedaves · 18 July 2011]

Having been raised in the "birthplace" of the atomic bomb, Los Alamos, there have always been debates about the right or wrong of the first use of the atomic bomb and of how many American lives were saved by its use. Few have addressed the horror it inflicted upon the civilian population and I believe, once again, brings up the question of the use WMD's and how they could ever have a place in our world then or ever again. Ryan and Overbey give us a good look at the history of the use of the bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and subsequent development of the worlds arsenal in the decades to come at the cost of many lives and cultures throughout the world not to mention the trillions of dollars that have been spent (and are still being spent) in their development, storage, and dismantlement. In the world we live in today, I for one, think we could find much better uses for all those dollars spent on weapons that would bring an end to the world in a matter of days and focus on a world that works on resolving conflicts and cultural differences. The Forgotten Bomb is not only a good history lesson of the atomic era but a good insight into the possibilities of life without it.

Forgotten Bomb is Riveting!

[johnlindner-hr · 9/10 · 29 June 2011]

Loved the film, and couldn't stop watching. Overbey and Ryan do a masterful job of providing a new perspective on nuclear issues and in setting the record straight. I was on the fence before watching The Forgotten Bomb, but it has made me rethink things. Particularly fascinating are experts interviewed. Insightful interviews are conducted with a whole host of credible sources including George Schultz. Addtionally, I found that I held many beliefs based on old information or rooted in conventional wisdom. The film carefully probes these typically "American" views and peels back the misconceptions to reveal the real facts. Whether you are a fan of documentaries or not, you will enjoy this film. The filmmakers stay true to the issue and the subject matter without redirecting focus on themselves.

How soon we forget...

[poe426 · 10/10 · 29 December 2014]

The whitewashing of nuclear energy is just one of the many monumental lies we have learned to live with in this country. I live less than 50 miles from a nuclear power plant and I can attest to the fact that, since moving here, I've seen more genetic mutations than you can point a spent fuel rod at. THE FORGOTTEN BOMB doesn't whitewash these kind(s) of mutations, but it doesn't go out of its way to dwell on them, either- and that's a disservice to the very people this documentary is aimed at. (Sure, you can go online and see what kind of carnage is wrought when humans are exposed to radiation, but THAT'S exactly the kind of thing a doc like this demands: don't just TELL us, SHOW us; it's the only way to make some people even acknowledge that it happens.) (And anyone who thinks that the people who made this one are full of s---, I DARE you to go live downwind from a nuclear power plant.) The "disposal" of spent fuel rods, et al, should've been addressed, as well: from all the evidence, it looks like most of it's been dumped on Native Lands. The biggest shock (for me) watching this one was the revelation that there have been as many as 2400 nuclear explosions around the world since 1945.

Complete garbage

[pwarren5000 · 1/10 · 16 August 2012]

I understand its better to hear both sides of a story before you base your opinions on something. This movie in all is just one mans quest to manipulate his own personal agenda to make people believe his views. In the movie there are a lot of cuts to the scenes during interviews when he is asking questions. I love how just because people declined interviews from this guy they immediately are evil and are trying to hide something. Hey think about this, maybe they didn't want to be portrayed as a bad guy like you portrayed half the people during your interviews. I guarantee half those people wish they never had agreed to be interviewed. Oh and one last thing when he was interviewing a girl that lost her husband and mother to cancer most likely caused by mining uranium, she said when ever she had a lunch break they ate on top of uranium deposits they just mined. Then when she was talking about how OSEA came in and told them safe work habits but they didn't say anything about how sitting on uranium deposits while eating lunch was unsafe. If you are not smart enough to think that might be such a great idea then thats just natural selection in motion. So if you watched this movie or thinking about it also check out other information about this subject, just like the museums marketing to the younger generation so is his documentary.

A BS Production

[aland-16 · 1/10 · 22 May 2012]

The opening credits say that it is a BS production and that is certainly correct. Just another in a long line of movies slamming the evil old U.S. for nuking Japan and calling for a complete elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. Well I've got a newsflash for Mr. Ryan, it ain't going to happen. Do this genius really think that the likes of North Korea and Iran are going to stop their nuclear ambitions if the rest of the world does it first? Like it or not the nuclear genie is out of the bottle and there is no putting it back.

This film is worth a few laughs though. The best is when they say that during the Cuban missile crisis John Kennedy made the statement that if the situation was not handled carefully, 200 million people could die. Not likely since at this time the population of the entire U.S. was less than 200 million and the missiles in question did not have sufficient range to reach much further than some east coast cities.

A Must See~

[tishwilson1 · 21 July 2011]

The Forgotten Bomb has reminded me how important it is that we never forget how WWII ended and what happened to our fellow human beings in Japan. My father, a WW II veteran always told my sisters and me that it was necessary to use the bombs to end the war and he dehumanized the Japanese; that never really "fit" with my way of thinking/feeling.

The film focuses on several distinct themes: human cost, financial cost, moral cost and the current use of the technology developed and its potential continued misuse as a weapon of mass destruction OR for nuclear power and how unsafe it really can be (think tsunami in Japan after the devastating earthquake).

Ryan and Overbey have created a film that is rich on facts, at times tense with challenging information, a call to "do something" and, thankfully, some lighthearted bits of humor (in cartoon form).

I highly recommend this film be viewed by all.