what inspired lunacy this film is. great acting from coburn and the rest of the cast. i love the look of the phone company scene as well as the ridiculus "hippie" middle section. the music the dialogue, the messages everything just works. easily as good as "dr. strangelove".
shareThere's a direct link to 'Dr. Strangelove' too, as Dr. Schaefer tries to call the White House from a pay phone. I'd also compare it favorably to 'North by Northwest' and 'The Prisoner'.
I think the 'hippie' section is really a nice touch - hippies generally weren't depicted that kindly back then - either a spaced-out joke or the banana-peel-smoking menace at your door. They were shown as a nice, sincere bunch here, even if Barry McGuire literally wears rose-colored glasses - later worn by Schaefer while happily banging away on the gong (I may be reading too much there, but it fits!)
I absultly love every second of this film.
shareyep, the film gets about everything right.
shareYes, it does -- absolutely!! Like "Dr. Strangelove" & "Network," this 'satire' is also too true to get made these days -- esp. by a major studio! -- and/or too requently used as propangda; thus, in retrospect, they're seemingly prescient. But, it's also Coburn best (and Darden's & Camrbidge's) and one hell of a funny film! A few slow moments and a couple visual flaws, but it's right up there w/ the aforementioned and "A New Leaf," i.m.h.o. And somewhat better, perhaps, if one is a Gen. or two older w/ some rememberance of Cold War times? It's most unfortunate, and a real shame, that there was not an S.E. version of the DVD when its principals were still alive, available for commentary! 9~9.5 of 10*