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This movie or possibly TV episode (I saw it on TV) was set during the Cold War. The main character was a lady who could stop time for about 15 minutes or so.

There are a bunch of relatively mundane things that happen while the Cold War tensions keep rising in the background. In the final scene the main character leaves the store after having stopped time and sees a Soviet missile hanging in the air above the street (since time is stopped) about to impact the town (the missile still had all of the stages attached, for some reason)

Other details that I can (sort of) remember: it was set in a small town, I think during late 70s or 80s

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    Welcome to the site. You have a good start here. If you could take a look at this guide to help jog your memory and edit in any more details, that would be great. Every little bit helps us.
    – amflare
    Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 16:16

1 Answer 1

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This is "A Little Peace and Quiet" from The Twilight Zone.

While doing a little gardening (to the tune of her neighbor’s chainsaw), Penny digs up a necklace with a watch on it. That afternoon after a hectic trip to the grocery store, spilled milk, and an idiot husband, she clasps the watch and screams, “SHUT UP!” To her shock and awe, there is immediate silence as everyone freezes.

....

That night as Penny is luxuriating in a bubble bath, she hears a new annoying sound — an air raid siren. Her husband calls her in to hear the news that Soviet missiles have just entered US air space. She stops time and for some reason decides to take a stroll downtown in her robe. It is an eerie site as she weaves her way around frozen people and stopped vehicles. She sees several people who are looking at the sky. Looking up, she sees a nuclear missile just a few hundred feet from vaporizing her town.

Ending scene of "A Little Peace and Quiet" with missile overhead

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    That is one of the few 1980s Twilight Zone stories that I remember vividly.
    – Buzz
    Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 16:23
  • Yes, that's the one, I'm remembering the annoying kids now :) Anyway, thanks a lot
    – Maxim
    Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 16:42
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    Ah, I was thinking about that movie recently - without remembering where it came from. The image of the missile a few meters above the ground really stuck in my memory.
    – WoJ
    Commented Jan 15, 2018 at 19:36
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    I assume it's no small coincidence that Dr. Stranglove is a film playing at the Cinema in a show that ends in Nuclear Annihilation.
    – SGR
    Commented Jan 16, 2018 at 9:01
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    @SGR The other film, "Fail Safe", is very similar to Dr. Strangelove IIRC, just without the comedy.
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Jan 16, 2018 at 9:42

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