Dr. Strangelove

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2005)

From director Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket) this is quite an interesting satirical look at Cold War, with a great actor playing three great roles. Basically U.S. Air Force Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) goes completely mad and sends his bomber wing to destroy the U.S.S.R., he suspects they are planning wide spread pollution. The befuddled U.S. President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers) meets with his advisers, where the Soviet Ambassador De Sadesky (Peter Bull) tells him that if the U.S.S.R. is hit by nuclear weapons, it will trigger a "Doomsday Machine", destroying all plant and animal life on Earth. Also in the story is the story of the plane dropping a bomb, and bemused Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Sellers again) trying to help on the ground. But the title character of Sellers' three is the greatest, Dr. Strangelove is the crazed U.S. Nazi adviser with an arm out of control that can grip, raise and strangle at any time. Also starring George C. Scott as Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson, Keenan Wynn as Col. 'Bat' Guano, Slim Pickens as Maj. T.J. 'King' Kong, Tracy Reed as Miss Scott, young James Earl Jones as Lt. Lothar Zogg, Jack Creley as Mr. Staines, Frank Berry as Lt. H.R. Dietrich, Glenn Beck as Lt. W.D. Kivel, Thunderbirds' Shane Rimmer as Capt. G.A. 'Ace' Owens, Paul Tamarin as as Lt. B. Goldberg, Gordon Tanner as Gen. Faceman, Robert O'Neil as Admiral Randolph and Roy Stephens as Frank. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and it won the BAFTAs for Best British Art Direction, Best Film from any Source, the UN Award and Best British Film, and it was nominated for Best British Screenplay. Peter Sellers was number 57 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 22 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, he was number 7 on Britain's Finest Actors, and he was number 24 on The World's Greatest Actor, the film was number 64 on 100 Years, 100 Quotes ("Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"), it was number 18 on The 100 Greatest War Films, it was number 29 on The 50 Greatest Comedy Films, it was number 3 on 100 Years, 100 Laughs, it was number 26 on 100 Years, 100 Movies, and it was number 56 on The 100 Greatest Films. Very good!