An Ode To Post-Apocalyptic Trash Can Fires

We love to destroy the world.

Oh, Fire In A Can, Or Some Other Receptacle, Keep us Warm As We Fight Aliens and Viruses and Robots

I have said some dumb things in my life. Shocking, I know. But one of the dumb things I said was in high school when my friends and I were trying to choose a movie to watch and I said, “I don’t like movies in jungles.”

Which, first of all, was not even remotely true. I loved Romancing The Stone and that movie is significantly jungle-y. What I was trying to say, but didn’t have to words for, is I don’t like all the knock-off Predator action movies of the 80’s that always end up being in a jungle.

So, when I was listening to the How Did This Get Made podcast years ago and Jessica St. Clair said she didn’t like trash can fire movies… I understood. She didn’t like generic post-apocalyptic hellscape movies where humankind is forced to use trash can fires to survive. And, I get it. There were SO MANY of them in the 80’s and early 90’s. While in crappy TV shows trash can fires = HOMELESS AREA OF CITY, in crappy movies it almost always was = POST-APOCALYPSE.

But… despite it being an over-used trope, just like the original 80’s jungle action movie Predator was awesome, so were plenty of trash can fire movies.

1. Blade Runner

The O.G. The production design of this movie is just… beyond compare. Dark, rainy, grimy, neon, crowded… and trashcan fire-y. They add a beautiful glow amongst all of the shadows and murkiness. Case in point: the still below where a trashcan fire (presumably, I haven’t verified this sighting) becomes a stunning detail in the background of Harrison Ford’s close up. It’s a vibe. A very very very cool vibe.

2. The Terminator

You guys. She’s watching a fire in the TV. Don’t anyone ever say James Cameron isn’t a poet. Our glimpse into the hellish future wrought by out of control robots would not be complete without trash can fires lighting the way. How would we know there was no electricity? Also, from a practical standpoint, how would the cinematographer film a scene that’s underground when there are no sources of light?

3. The Running Man (the original)

Arnold loved a good trash can fire movie. I tried my best to find a still online without having to go through the whole movie and the best I could do were the two below. But you’re gonna have to trust me, the crowds of poor oppressed citizens watching the life or death reality show on big screens outside? We only know they are there because of their trash can fires.

4. Escape From New York

You wanna know who else LOVES a good trash can fire? John Carpenter. Obviously if New York became a prison island the criminals would have to keep themselves warm SOMEHOW. Peep the one hanging out behind Romero in the still below. I must say, if I were a production designer or cinematographer I think I would advocate trash can fires to be in all my movies. They just really add something, don’t they?

5. They Live

John Carpenter strikes again. Not only does They Live have one of the best fight scenes ever (Roddy Piper and Keith David are just insane), and also has one of the best lines ever, (“I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubble gum.”), it ALSO has beaucoup trash can fires in the homeless camp where Roddy hangs out. Which of course is violently raided, see below.