I watched this movie on DVD last night and I really liked it! Peter Sellers, George C.Scott, James Earl Jones, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, James Earl Jones, were all great in the movie! The movie ended ******apoilers**** with a woman saying "We'll Meet again" I highly recommend this movie!
shareOne of the finest satires and dark comedies around, which is doubly-impressive because of how bloody difficult it is to get either of those genres right. So many good lines, good characters, and good performances, and the cinematography in beautiful B&W - the film looks incredible!
shareAce,
TCM is doing Oscar winners for the whole month of March and this was on yesterday. I just got finished watching it (on DVR) for the first time and I don't know, I just didn't get it. I see the satire in it and for something made in 1964 it probably took on a greater meaning back then, and, even today with the Russia/Ukraine conflict and talk of nuclear war going on, I can see how the plot of this film could have some relevance but for whatever reason, it just didn't work for me. I was never quite sure when to laugh during this movie. lol... maybe you're not really supposed to??
But I was talking to someone else about this film, I can't remember if it was you or not but several people on the MC boards have been comparing DS to the much newer film; Don't Look Up (2021). Perhaps you've seen it?
I have to admit, I liked watching DLU more than DS. I know the critics weren't too fond of DLU but it is such a great satirical film based on today's political climate. I thought it was pretty damn funny.
DS has some funny parts but I got to give it a 6.0 out of 10 and Kubrick is one of my favorites. I watched a trailer of that movie Fail Safe which is a film that came out in the same year and has almost an identical plot to DS. I also watched the trailer of Fail Safe (2000) with Brian Dennehy and Richard Dreyfuss. The 2000 trailer looks pretty good.
From what I've read on the net, Kubrick actually sued the Fail Safe production team claiming it was too similar to his film.
I can see why many consider this an important movie because of all the interesting facts about it which are listed here.. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63436/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-dr-strangelove
...but the film just didn't grab me the way DLU did. I'm going to have to watch both Fail Safe films too.
Not every movie is going to be for everybody. You took a stab at it, anyway.
For me, the film has a lot of dark satire, but also some great "bits". I smile just thinking about the phone call between the Presidents of the US and Russia where more than half the call is Seller's US president reassuring the Russian president that he *does* like him. It's hilarious to imagine this insecure guy on the other end, it sounds more like a relationship call with a guilt-tripping girlfriend (or mother) than heads of state, and that's funny to me. There are other "bits" in the film that are great, too.
Then there is how quotable the film is. "They're after our precious bodily fluids!" and "You can't fight in here! This is the war room!" and a dozen others.
But, again, not everything's gonna grab you the same way it grabs me. Yes, the times have changed, and the sharp edge of a Cold War satire just might have dulled over the years.
I only vaguely recall hearing about Fail Safe. I did think Don't Look Up seemed interesting, and I think I'll try to check it out on your recommendation.
The last dark comedy I saw was The Banshees Of Inisherin and it made DS look like a walk in the park in comparison. Banshees is a much darker film.
I would have to say, I liked Banshees more too. But I do see the humor in DS. It's a satirical/comedic look at how someone that's literally crazy could be in charge of nukes and that's a pretty funny idea when you consider who the world leaders of today are and back in the 60s. I'm just not sure the execution worked but a lot of people really liked it.
I know Fail Safe is not a comedy, its a more serious look at the same scenario.
I did like that line "You can't fight in here! This is the war room!". That was pretty funny.
Good luck with Don't Look Up. I thought it was quite funny. If you watch it, let me know if you liked it. It might be my favorite disaster film at the moment. It's currently on Netflix if you have it.
I have to see Banshees. I love McDonagh's work, and have done since reading The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Yes, he is extremely dark, so while I haven't seen BoI, I am confident you are right. Although, Dr. Strangelove is dealing with the potential extermination of all humanity. That's pretty dark, too.
For me, I absolutely love Dr. Strangelove. It's amazing stuff.
I'll try to remember to pop back over here after I've watched Don't Look Up.
You should definitely watch BoI. I thought it was a great film featuring some top-notch acting, great dialogue and beautiful cinematography but it is a little disturbing due the nature of the film.
That being said, I really liked it a lot but I do enjoy dark humor and it sounds like you do too. I was slightly upset that it didn't win a single Oscar this year, even though it was nominated 9 times. Anyhow, BoI is on HBOMAX.
And while DS is dark I could never take the threat of a nuclear holocaust serious because of the comedic themes of the film. It just killed some of the more dramatic moments for me. I thought the best parts were close to the beginning when they first enter the war room, that's about the only time the movie takes on a serious role.
Another side note about DS: when Oliver Stone did his documentary featuring his interviews with Vladimir Putin, he showed this movie to Putin. lol...
Putin didn't have much to say about it. Not that he would but it was kind of funny to know that he saw this.
I'll track down BOI for sure.
I can see where DS isn't as dark as other dark comedies - certainly not as atmospherically dark, and certainly not as atramentous as McDonagh's work.
Interesting about Putin. What a weird screening that would have been.
For me, the film has a lot of dark satire, but also some great "bits".
Yes! This hit the nail on the head about DS - this is the only Kubrick film that feels like a collection of skits, like Monty Python. They almost make sense without context. Seller's phonecall, the general's bit when he realizes how the jets will eventually get to their targets, the monologues of Sellers as the mad scientist... Everything is a sketch, but ultimately a coherent narrative emerges.
Good observation!
Plus, the sketches are recurring characters! Mandrake, the President, the bomber crew - they all interweave and affect each other even though they're never in the same rooms!
shareYou wrote James Earl Jones twice....
This is a very funny flick with witty dialogue.
great film
share"We'll Meet Again" sung by the great Vera Lynn, who passed away two years ago, age 103. It is one of the most famous songs of the World War II era, though maybe better known in Britain than in the US.
shareLove the film and I have the same opinion. If you haven’t and are curious, you should absolutely give Dr. Strangelove a try. It has great dialogue, great acting, and, for me, is an all-around fun film.
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