Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Answer Is...(5)

Just as Jim feared (wow, can't believe I went there), Mr. Pat Hatt's encyclopedic movie knowledge led him to another victory. Thankfully, he abbreviated his answer and allowed a few others to play in the reindeer games as well:
So congrats to G and Nicole as well as the unstoppable movie trivia juggernaut that is Pat Hatt on guessing correctly. Although nobody identified the film's title, their answers proved sufficient enough. The answer to the previous challenge was:
Stanley Kubrick's hilarious 1964 classic, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The image I selected is of actress Tracy Reed. She plays General Turgidson's sexy secretary/mistress and also doubles as the film's Playboy centerfold, "Miss Foreign Affairs."

What can I say about Dr. Strangelove that hasn't already been said? It's one of Kubrick's finest works and easily stands as not only one of the funniest movies, but you know, one of the greatest films ever made. Nearly 50 years after it's release, Dr. Strangelove's morbid/black humor is as potent as ever. While the Cold War may have ended peacefully, the larger theme of Kubrick's ingenious satire still rings true, that of mankind's uncanny ability to favor irrationality/bat shit insanity over reason and common sense. The smartest species to ever walk the Earth, is also the only one dumb enough to destroy itself and the entire planet as well. It's so tragic/terrifying when you think about it, all you can do is laugh at the absurdity of it all. Thats exactly what Kubrick does in Dr. Strangelove.

awesomeness
The film centers around a paranoid Air Force commander named General Ripper who launches a nuclear attack against the Soviet Union because, well, he's bat shit insane. The President gathers his top military advisers and tries to figure out how to stop the strike and do damage control with the Russians before they retaliate and the entire world is annihilated by way of mushroom cloud. Unfortunately, mostly everyone on the case is either out of their minds or utterly incompetent. Peter Seller's is brilliant playing three different roles. His President Muffley is the ultimate bumbling bureaucrat while his Captain Mandrake character is the film's sole voice of reason. Sellers also plays the film's title character, the president's chief scientist, former Nazi brainiac Dr. Strangelove. Of course my favorite character is George C. Scott's General Turgidson. His character sets the template for modern Neo-Con Rupublican's foriegn policy, which is funny because he's the equivalent  of  Daffy Duck in a military uniform.

Again, even though the film is nearly half a century old, it's held up amazingly well. I think this serves as a testament to Kubrick's innovative directing. Even the cheesy split screen/model plane shots look cool! 50 years later and his work still seems contemporary. The film's cast is superb, Kubrick's direction flawless and two generations later, the satire/political commentary is still biting. If you haven't seen Dr. Strangelove, I emplore you to do so.

24 comments:

  1. Congratulations to all the winners, in my opinion this was probably one of the toughest yet, you'd have to trawl through a lot of movies to recognise that still for sure. Stanley Kubrick is awesome though, I'm a little disappointed in myself that I've never watched this flick before.

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  2. Yep, was definitely one of his best. You really went there too hahaha I gave Jim Fear, see I can do it too!

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  3. I've heard a lot about Dr Strangelove, but I'm still yet to watch it.

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  4. I.. have to see it still. It's on the list of classics to watch. It has been.

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  5. Agh, I've seen that movie loads of times and completely forgot. You win this time, Jim.

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  6. YAY!! I honestly haven't seen too many classics but I have luckily seen this one, it's pretty awesome!! : )

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  7. Pat Hatt sure is knoledgable!

    I'm waiting for just the right time to watch it.

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  8. okay then, i must see this film. :D

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  9. A great movie and the iconic scene of Slim Pickens riding the bomb.....

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  10. I'm a little sad that I have yet to see this classic. :p

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  11. I remember seeing this as a kid for the first time, and thinking it was a drama. But goddamn is it funny

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  12. one of my all time favourites :)

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  13. Hats off to winners.
    I am sold not just on your feedback but on word Kubrick. Thank you.

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  14. Haven't seem Dr Strangelove, I'll check it out some time

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  15. It's so funny of how off I was about my conception of the movie.

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  16. agreed, i would never be able to get that right.

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  17. Congratulations to Pat Hatt!

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  18. good what a great movie of all times..follow

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  19. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  20. good what a great movie of all
    times.. +follown bdw come thru my blog sometime

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  21. One of my all time favorites. I think it's absolutely hilarious, but unfortunately no one I personally knows shares that aspect of my sense of humor.

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