Dr Strangelove (Kubrick, 1963): ICA Cinema, 6pm
Here is the ICA introduction: In his new book A Short History of Nuclear Folly, Rudolph Herzog, the acclaimed author of Dead Funny,
presents a devastating account of history's most irresponsible uses of
nuclear technology. From the nightmare of Broken Arrows to Nazi bombs,
suicide dust to plummeting nuclear satellites - and the death of John
Wayne - Herzog focuses in on long-forgotten nuclear projects that nearly
led to disaster.
A Short History of Nuclear Folly is a blackly sardonic people’s history of atomic blunders and near-misses in the spirit of films such as Dr. Strangelove and The Atomic Café. So it's only fitting that this celebrated young historian will introduce the book before a screening of Kubrick's Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Rudolph Herzog is the author of the hugely popular Dead Funny: Telling Jokes in Hitler’s Germany (Melville House, 2011) and, as a director, is best known for the reality crime series The Heist (Channel 4). He is the son of the celebrated filmmaker Werner Herzog.
Time Out review:
'Perhaps
Stanley Kubrick's most perfectly realised film, simply because his
cynical vision of the progress of technology and human stupidity is
wedded with comedy, in this case Terry Southern's
sparkling script in which the world comes to an end thanks to a mad US
general's paranoia about women and commies. Peter Sellers' three roles
are something of an indulgent showcase, though as the tight-lipped RAF
officer and the US president he gives excellent performances. Better,
however, are Scott as the gung-ho military man frustrated by political
soft-pedalling, and - especially - Sterling Hayden as the beleaguered
lunatic who presses the button. Kubrick wanted to have the antics end up
with a custard-pie finale, but thank heavens he didn't; the result is
scary, hilarious, and nightmarishly beautiful, far more effective in its
portrait of insanity and call for disarmament than any number of worthy
anti-nuke documentaries.'
Geoff Andrew
Watch this trailer. Now try and tell me you don't want to see this film again.
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