The Quiet Earth

Zac Hobson is one of many scientists working on an energy project when something goes wrong overnight. Hobson wakes up to a city devoid of people, and as he explores his New Zealand home looking for other survivors, he slowly comes to accept that he is the last man on earth. Not only is he alone, he's partially responsible for what's happened -- and this burden begins to erode his sanity. When Hobson discovers fellow survivors Joanne and Api his fears are quieted, but only for a short time. Director Geoff Murphy's 1985 apocalypse film The Quiet Earth is a weird excursion into late Cold War paranoia and modern science fiction, set in an unlikely New Zealand location. The Quiet Earth screens at 8 p.m. tonight at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue; www.webster.edu/film-series) as part the Webster Film Series' Strange Brew program. Admission is $5.