David Bowie was originally slated to record several songs for the film but was only able to contribute the title song due to time constraints regarding his then-upcoming album "Never Let Me Down". Roger Waters contributed to most of the film's songs instead.
Just three years after this film was released in Germany, the Berlin Wall came down quite peaceably, and only three weeks later the Cold War was over.
This movie was part of a cycle of movies about nuclear war and the risks of nuclear energy. Other movies included: The China Syndrome (1979), Silkwood (1983), Testament (1983), Threads (1984), WarGames (1983), The Day After (1983), The Atomic Cafe (1982), The Manhattan Project (1986), Whoops Apocalypse (1982), Special Bulletin (1983), Ground Zero (1987), Barefoot Gen (1983), Rules of Engagement (1989), Dead Man's Letters (1986), Memoirs of a Survivor (1981) and The Chain Reaction (1980).
When talking to his son on the phone, Jim says "what do you mean by 'we will all go together when we go'?" This a reference to a satirical song by Tom Lehrer that was popular at the time, when he talks about nuclear Armageddon. The lyrics go:
"For if the bomb that drops on you / gets your friends and neighbors too / there'll be nobody left behind to grieve. / And we will all go together when we go. / What a comforting fact that is to know. / Universal bereavement, an inspiring achievement, / yes, we all will go together when we go."
The steam from the boiling kettle early in the film forms the shape of a mushroom cloud.
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