"Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" DVD Review (5/5) -Thaddeus

I spend most of my life surrounded by human beings and, as far as my reports seem to indicate, so do the rest of you. It's not an uncommon occurrence. As a race, we're fairly prolific all across the skin of this particular planet. And honestly, I don't know how you manage to sleep at night knowing who has their finger on The Button.

And that's not a shot, by the way. I wouldn't trust anyone with their finger on, around or otherwise near The Button. The biggest flaw of the military machine is that it's built of human parts.

Seriously, have you seen "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb?" Odds are you have. But today was my first venture...

Yeah, I know: "How can you call yourself any kind of movie guy if you haven’t blah-blah, etc.?"
Get past it.

When "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (heretofore referred to as something shorter much than that) was first mentioned to me, I recall it being described as a black comedy. If that isn't the perfect fit, I don't know what is. It elicits two equally visceral yet totally opposite emotional responses from anyone packing a pulse and a functioning brain: amusement coupled with stomach-wrenching unease.

It's a quality that military satires bring by the barrow. Read "Catch 22" sometime. Oh sure, I could say: "Watch the movie." I mean, this is a movie blog, right? And "Catch 22" is a classic all its own...

Read the damn book!

It's a combination of emotions that we're not confronted with often enough. The humor is absolutely real; just as real as the fear. And such is the world.

But I haven't said anything on the actual film yet.

"Dr. Strangelove" is the Cold War gone hot. A crazed general (Sterling Hayden) sets an emergency nuclear attack plan in motion, locks down his base and basically sends the world on a slow boat to total annihilation for no particular -- or at least particularly good -- reason, while espousing his cracked perspective to his British Executive Officer (Peter Sellers) who desperately tries to talk him down.

In the War Room of the Pentagon, the President (Peter Sellers) and his advisers scramble for solutions. All the while, we follow one of the B-52 bombers, and its crew, as it sails steadily to target.

There are so many great performances in this film that I fear for the length of this review. People steal scenes from each other left and right. Sellers, as the President and the eponymous Dr. Strangelove, vies for screen time against George C. Scott's raucous General Turgidson. Meanwhile, Sellers as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake bears witness to the uncompromising paranoia of Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper as brought to striking life by Sterling Hayden.

And let's not forget Maj. T.J. 'King' Kong (Slim Pickens) and his iconic exit from the film.

The world of the film is dark, cramped and uncomfortable. We’re trapped, as the characters are trapped: in Ripper’s office, in the War room, in the cockpit of the bomber; surrounded on all sides by men who supposedly have all the power in the world, but lack any ability to control it.

Director, co-writer, producer and all-around wunderkind Stanley Kubrick crafted a truly unforgettable film in "Dr. Strangelove." It's as relevant now as it was when it was released, if not more so. I wonder what that says about us?

I'm honestly embarrassed that I waited this long to see it.

So don't be like me; I've got that covered.

5 out of 5

-Thad out