Customer Reviews

Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition)

5 star:		(155)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's on every list of the greatest comedy movies. Even though it was made back when movies were still limited to two colors, three if you count grey, it's humor is still...humorous. People today think it's cool when Mike Meyers does multiple characters, but he's nothing compared to Mr. Seller's. Despite a sort of slow start, you soon come to realize why this made it on so many lists. If only because of the great ending.

"Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" is an old movie that tackles a difficult subject, the end of the world as we know it due to a nuclear war. Despite that, it is simply brilliant, and not boring at all.

Why? Well, there are different reasons to say that, but I think I'll point out only those that I deem more important:

1- To start with, even though this film was made in 1964, director Stanley Kubrick managed to create a timeless masterpiece that depicts, in a sardonic way, the dangers of nuclear war. The message of this movie still comes across as valid, albeit nowadays for different reasons.

2- Secondly, even though the subject is undeniably serious, this movie is a black comedy that makes you laugh. If that is difficult to believe, take into account that the plot involves a crazy general (Sterling Hayden) that sidesteps the chain of command in order to launch a nuclear airstrike on the URSS, something his aide (Captain Mandrake, played by Peter Sellers), the President (played by Peter Sellers!!) and many of his advisors (including Dr. Strangelove, a scientist also played by Peter Sellers) try to stop. But will that be possible? And what about the Soviet "Doomsday Machine", that will be triggered automatically by any nuclear attack on Soviet soil?

All in all, I think this is the kind of movie you simply must watch. Highly recommended :)

Belen Alcat

Every ideology that seems terribly important to one generation usually ends up seeming idiotic and even disturbingly naive to the following generation.

Think about it. The ideologies of the 18th century - dying for one's prince, duke or loot - seemed insane during the Napoleonic Wars, when nationalism became THE primary motivating factor.

"Pure" nationalism - like the extreme gung-ho attitudes at the beginning of World War I - seemed rather distasteful to the Allied forces in World War II, who fought to liberate peoples from Fascism.

The idea that Fascism would always endure, and was seriously in danger of taking over the world, seemed laughable during the Cold War.

How does the Cold War look to us today? The McCarthy era; Americans truly believing the USSR and the Communists were veritable Antichrists; truly believing that DESTROYING ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET was a feasible prediction about life in the near future; that the world was, always had been, and always would be, characterised by a fight between Communists and Capitalists.

*Sigh*

Dr Strangelove (or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb) is actually MORE funny - and disturbing - in some ways now than it was before. Admittedly I can sort of understand the immense impact of this film - could ANY politial satire have been more timely - but the fact that the "better red than dead" ideology nowadays seems as ridiculous as fighting for your Duke, means that this film can be seen in a new light.

People actually believed that is was better to be dead than Red? (Yes they did). People actually believed fluoridation of water was a communist conspiracy??? (Yes, they did). The Russians actually contemplated building a Doomsday device? (Yes they did!!! Josef Stalin actually started research on such a device, which would have EXTERMINATED ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET for the sake of a politial dispute between Communist and capitalist that today seems absolutely laughable!)

The passing of the Cold War era means that this movie is seriously disturbing. To a new generation, the all-annihilating power of the superpowers of the 1960s appears to have been based on disputes that appear petty in the extreme. Truly this movie makes us wonder what future generations will think of our fixation on modern ideologies; in an era that began three years ago with the late unpleasantness - and which is already making Francis Fukuyama's ideas, from the happy days of the 1990s, seem obsolete. He claimed that history was over; that free market ideology was the ULTIMATE ideology that would finally bring about an end to all future historical events by making us all live in peace.
That is SO 1995...

History is not over. Each generation seriously believes its own era is the ultimate era - that their own era is THE era whose disputes TRULY matter.

Well, history changes, as Strangelove shows us. I seriously hope that this movie makes us moderns think a little further before considering annihilating the world again! At least over something like fluoridation of water...

This is one of the best movies of all time. I was disappointed with the picture quality on the blu-ray, though. I was expecting it to be much better.

5 star movie, 3 star blu-ray quality.

This vendor supplied a reasonably priced product delivered on time and in great shape. I would purchase from them anytime!

This film is still amazingly relevant today, even 44 years after its release and as a result it would be a travesty not to give it 5 stars - it is the bonus DVD that falls a bit short of the mark. Savage political satire with outstanding performances from a superb cast. Sellers and Scott outdo themselves. The only disappointment is the bonus DVD which could have provided such an important historical perspective to such a landmark film and the knife edge dangers of nuclear armageddon that the world was faced with in the early 60s. The first documentary feature is excellent, but could have talked more about the effect of the Cuban missile crisis on how close we came to obliteration - the rest of the special features are interesting but not that illuminating. In conclusion the film is outstanding but save your money and just go for the film without the rather disappointing bonus DVD.

For those that have not seen the movie, which is highly unlikely, this is an improbable situation where a base commander is in the position to order an attack on Russia. Originally supposed to be a serious movie based on the book "Red Alert" by Peter Bryant (really Peter George). Now converted into a black comedy with many great stars including Peter Sellers as there of the characters. (It would have been four characters if he has not broken a leg).

The DVD (special edition) is worth purchasing even if you have earlier versions. There are also later editions with a different mix of goodies. Many DVD's contain what they call extras (I call them Goodies). In a lot of cases they are just rehashed versions of the movie or just rattling. In this case the extra "Inside the Making of DR.STRAINGLOVE" rivals the movie itself for entertainment and useful content. You find out how the movie evolved from a serious piece to a serious black comedy. You find that the movie is an aggregate of many talented people. It would take too log to describe the details that motivated the movie so you will just have to purchase this edition.

There is also a trailer for "Fail Safe" a rival movie on the special edition.

Dame Vera Lynn "We'll Meet Again" (1942)

We'll Meet Again

We'll meet again,

Don't know where,

Don't know when,

But I know

We'll meet again

Some sunny day.

Keep smiling through

Just like you

Always do

Till the blue skies

Drive the dark clouds

Far away.

So will you please

Say hello

To the folks

That I know

Tell them,

I won't be long.

They'll be happy to

know

That as you saw me go

I was singing this song.

One part I found interesting was when the Air crew was examining their survival kit. Slim Pickens says a person can have a good time in Dallas with the kit. This is over dubbed by Las Vegas as a result of JFK just being shot in Dallas.

A byproduct of the cold war is that it provided Hollywood with enough fodder to celebrate espionage in a string of political thrillers. Some took the threat of Russian invasion quite seriously. Others chose a less credible, but wholly more satisfying route into pure farcical escapist entertainment. Of particular interest in this latter category is Stanley Kubrick's intense black comedy about the nuclear age; "Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb." "The film, frequently adorning "all-time best" lists, is a vapid spoof that teeters on political insanity and military incredulity. The story begins as homage to the Cubin Missile Crisis, with General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), an obsessed relic, launching his own personal assault on Communism. Ripper commissions a squadron of B-52s to bomb the USSR. Naturally, the big bad Russians launch their own counter offensive - the so- called "Doomsday Device." While the world holds its excess gas, U.S. President (Peter Sellers) enters into riotous hot-line negotiations with his Commi-counterpart. Always fascinating to watch, Sellers also interjects his own inimitable brand of craziness into two more roles; a British military attaché with a humorous tick and the psychotic bomb-maker, Dr. Strangelove. This trio of psychotics is fleshed out by Gen. Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants loose canon whose military advice boils down into two parts mass hysteria and one part factoid meaningless statistics.

This is the third outing for "Dr. Strangelove" on DVD. As with its predecessors, this disc exhibits a just above average visual presentation. Working backward from second and third generation elements, blacks are sometimes velvety deep and smooth. There is some minor edge enhancement and a hint of pixelization but nothing that will distract you from enjoying this classic. There's also alot of film grain. Multiple aspect ratios are in keeping with the film's original theatrical presentation. The movie also boasts 5.1 DTS. This 40th anniversary edition also embellishes its extras made previously available with two more short subjects. Overall, there's little reason to run out and re-buy this title, although die hard fans will ultimately want the very latest from the military board room in the cockpit of their own libraries. Either way, brace yourself - its blast off time for the neurotic age!

This movie has a ton of reviews and I probably cannot add anything of significance to what has already been written. Just want to add my voice with this simple comment. If ever a movie deserved 6 out of 5 stars, this is it. Number one on my all-time favorite list

There are excellent reviews here about this movie, most of them rate it highly, and rightly so. It is no accident that this DVD is on average (at the time of writing) around 4.5 stars.
I must confess I did not know about Peter Sellers before watching this movie. I was recommended the movie by an 'artsy' friend - you know, the type of guy that thinks Citizen Kane is the greatest movie ever made - so I wasn't expecting too much, knowing how these types prefer style over substance.

I was pleasantly surprised. This is the type of film anybody can enjoy, it's seriously funny. It will probably have more meaning if you are familiar with the Cold War and the arms race, but if you don't know too much about that, the extras are a great help. There is one extra that deals with the making of the film, and how at the time of its production there was some subtle opposition to its release. Subtle in that the Air force was unwilling to lend it's expertise in the design of the B-52 bomber used in the film, and there was fear that its release at the time of J.F.K's death might have been seen as unpatriotic.

Well that's all behind us now, and we don't have to worry about the bomb so we can enjoy it more as a comedy than as a political message presented as satire. I must say that Peter Sellers is a genius; I couldn't tell when I first watched it that he was playing three roles! There are so many funny parts in the film and I don't want to spoil it for you by mentioning any. George C. Scott is also excellent and has some very memorable lines.

A bonus for me was that there was a language soundtrack in five languages; German, Italian, French, Spanish and English (off course) plus there were subtitles in more languages which is great for anyone trying to learn a new language.

I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves satire and who appreciates jokes that aren't always below the belt.