Tracs Movie Reviews

Tiffany Collinsville IL

Tiffany Collinsville IL

A deft satire about nuclear war, the paranoia of the Communist era US and precious bodily fluids, Strangelove benefits from Kubrick's distant style as a film director. With the exception of The Marx Brothers' Duck Soup, there wasn't any political satires quite as sharp as Strangelove. Kubrick had purchased the novel Red Alert (by Peter George) in hopes of turning it into a serious look at the risk of nuclear weapons. As he prepared the final screenplay he realized that the absurdity of the situation was actually funny. Kubrick hired comic novelist Terry Southern to work with him on the final script and a comic classic was born.

The entire cast is perfect. Peter Sellers brings to life three separate characters all with their individual quirks and so different that it's hard to believe that they are being played by the a same actor. Unfortunately, as Sellers career progressed he never did have the staying hand that a director like Kubrick could provide. He gave many memorable performances before and after but his best performances were for Kubrick ( with the exception of Hal Ashby's Being There).

It's well known that George C. Scott didn't care for much of his final performance in Strangelove; he felt that Kubrick always went for the take that was over the top. He was right. It worked perfectly. Every other actor is in top form and the deadpan Sterling Hayden nearly steals his scenes with Sellers.

The transfer is very, very good. The extras are appropriate given this film's classic status. Included are a documentary and featurette on the making of the film. The interviews with James Earl Jones (this was his first film)and other surviving crew members are enlightening and often quite funny. There's also photos in the documentary of the fabled pie fight conclusion (sadly, the footage for this sequence no longer exists). The documentary covers everything from the inception of the project to the marketing after it was released. We also get an advertising gallery, the cutting edge theatrical trailers and production notes on the making of the film. Oh, and the inclusion of the original split-screen interviews (provided to television stations as a pre-packaged interview with the actors answering questions that would be mouthed by local critics later)is great. Scott's is particularly interesting and funny.

Step into the world of Strangelove and discover a past as serious as it was absurd.

A deft satire about nuclear war, the paranoia of the Communist era US and precious bodily fluids, Strangelove benefits from Kubrick's distant style as a film director. With the exception of The Marx Brothers' Duck Soup, there wasn't any political satires quite as sharp as Strangelove. Kubrick had purchased the novel Red Alert (by Peter George) in hopes of turning it into a serious look at the risk of nuclear weapons. As he prepared the final screenplay he realized that the absurdity of the situation was actually funny. Kubrick hired comic novelist Terry Southern to work with him on the final script and a comic classic was born.

The entire cast is perfect. Peter Sellers brings to life three separate characters all with their individual quirks and so different that it's hard to believe that they are being played by the a same actor. Unfortunately, as Sellers career progressed he never did have the staying hand that a director like Kubrick could provide. He gave many memorable performances before and after but his best performances were for Kubrick ( with the exception of Hal Ashby's Being There).

It's well known that George C. Scott didn't care for much of his final performance in Strangelove; he felt that Kubrick always went for the take that was over the top. He was right. It worked perfectly. Every other actor is in top form and the deadpan Sterling Hayden nearly steals his scenes with Sellers.

The transfer is very, very good. The extras are appropriate given this film's classic status. Included are a documentary and featurette on the making of the film. The interviews with James Earl Jones (this was his first film)and other surviving crew members are enlightening and often quite funny. There's also photos in the documentary of the fabled pie fight conclusion (sadly, the footage for this sequence no longer exists). The documentary covers everything from the inception of the project to the marketing after it was released. We also get an advertising gallery, the cutting edge theatrical trailers and production notes on the making of the film. Oh, and the inclusion of the original split-screen interviews (provided to television stations as a pre-packaged interview with the actors answering questions that would be mouthed by local critics later)is great. Scott's is particularly interesting and funny.

Step into the world of Strangelove and discover a past as serious as it was absurd.

Buy it. You'll love it.

It's a great movie to show at a party or any get together.

If you're suffering from depression, just watch this and you will no longer need Prozac!

I now have it in VHS and DVD. I have to watch it at least once every three months just to keep my sanity.