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: Le syndrome chinois (1979), Le mystère Silkwood (1983), Le dernier testament (1983), Threads (1984), WarGames (1983), Le Jour d'après (1983), The Atomic Cafe (1982), Manhattan Project (1986), Whoops Apocalypse (1982), Bulletin Spécial (1983), Terre interdite (1987), Gen d'Hiroshima (1983), Rules of Engagement (1989), Lettres d'un homme mort (1986), Mémoires d'une survivante (1981) and Réaction en chaîne (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 from 1959, 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.