*** The 'Dr. Strangelove' Appreciation Thread ***
12-07-04, 02:43 PM
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*** The 'Dr. Strangelove' Appreciation Thread ***
Just let me start by saying I just got into the whole home theater experience a couple of years ago. Since joining Netflix last year I have been renting some of the older "classic" films that I had never seen before. Last night for the first time I watched Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb .
I have to say, even though I may have only laughed out loud a handful of times due to the understated and dark comedy, this is such an excellent film. Peter Sellers was absolutley brilliant. Believe it or not I didn't even notice until the end during the crazy arm thing that Sellers was playing the role of Dr. Strangelove! I feel dumb for not realizing it sooner.
My favorite parts of the film were:
President's phone conversation with the drunk Russian Dmitri. "I know your sorry Dmitri...but I'm sorry also. I know Dmitri but I'm just saying that I am every bit as sorry as you are." And the whole time the entire warroom of generals is listening in.
Major Kong's reading of the contents of the Survival Kit. Slim Pickens' heavy southern accent and follow-up line was so funny. "Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff."
Mandrake (Sellers) conversation with Gen Ripper. Mandrake tries to get the code from Ripper while Ripper tells of the evils of flouridation and the Commie conspiracy to contaminate our pure bodily fluids.
Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson (George C. Scott) throughout the whole movie was absolutely brilliant. His insistance that the Russians be prevented from seeing "THE BIG BOARD" and the great Sellers' line, "There's no fighting in here! This is the WAR ROOM!"
Mandrake (Sellers) trying to make that call to the President from the pay phone. "If I hear any 'preversions' in there I'm going to blow a whole in your head." (something like that)
There are many other hilarious moments, although the humor is for the most part dry and dark. I couldn't help but appreciate the ironic and historical aspects. Just the complete insanity of the whole situation is mind-boggling. I know some might be put off by making light of nuclear war and world destruction, but I think this is an absolute masterpiece. 10/10
So what did you like about Strangelove?
I have to say, even though I may have only laughed out loud a handful of times due to the understated and dark comedy, this is such an excellent film. Peter Sellers was absolutley brilliant. Believe it or not I didn't even notice until the end during the crazy arm thing that Sellers was playing the role of Dr. Strangelove! I feel dumb for not realizing it sooner.
My favorite parts of the film were:
President's phone conversation with the drunk Russian Dmitri. "I know your sorry Dmitri...but I'm sorry also. I know Dmitri but I'm just saying that I am every bit as sorry as you are." And the whole time the entire warroom of generals is listening in.
Major Kong's reading of the contents of the Survival Kit. Slim Pickens' heavy southern accent and follow-up line was so funny. "Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff."
Mandrake (Sellers) conversation with Gen Ripper. Mandrake tries to get the code from Ripper while Ripper tells of the evils of flouridation and the Commie conspiracy to contaminate our pure bodily fluids.
Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson (George C. Scott) throughout the whole movie was absolutely brilliant. His insistance that the Russians be prevented from seeing "THE BIG BOARD" and the great Sellers' line, "There's no fighting in here! This is the WAR ROOM!"
Mandrake (Sellers) trying to make that call to the President from the pay phone. "If I hear any 'preversions' in there I'm going to blow a whole in your head." (something like that)
There are many other hilarious moments, although the humor is for the most part dry and dark. I couldn't help but appreciate the ironic and historical aspects. Just the complete insanity of the whole situation is mind-boggling. I know some might be put off by making light of nuclear war and world destruction, but I think this is an absolute masterpiece. 10/10
So what did you like about Strangelove?
12-07-04, 03:02 PM
#2
Originally Posted by taa455
Believe it or not I didn't even notice until the end during the crazy arm thing that Sellers was playing the role of Dr. Strangelove! I feel dumb for not realizing it sooner.
In fact, that's actually one of my favorite moments in the movie. When President Muffley yells out "Dr. Strangelove!" and you remind yourself by saying "Oh, yeah! That's the name of the movie!" You are so into the plot that you forget about the film's title, and I love that bit when the camera then shows Buck Turgidson looking around confused like "Who the hell's Dr. Strangelove?" And then comes one of my favorite character entrances ever.
12-07-04, 03:08 PM
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Ok, maybe what I said was a bit confusing. I knew that the guy in the wheelchair was Dr. Strangelove. I didn't realize that Peter Sellers was the actor playing the role.
12-07-04, 03:20 PM
#4
Oh mahbad. Thought you meant you didn't know who Strangelove was until he started acting Nazi.
Replay the scene where Strangelove pounds on his right arm. The Russian Ambassador busts up (Probably unintentionally)
Replay the scene where Strangelove pounds on his right arm. The Russian Ambassador busts up (Probably unintentionally)
Last edited by Mondo Kane; 12-07-04 at 04:07 PM.
12-07-04, 04:00 PM
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What's most amazing to me about DS(oHILtSWaLtB) 
is that the actors are all able to strike pretty much the same tone, and a difficult one at that: slightly exaggerated, but still naturalistic (I guess Peter Sellers as Dr. S does go over the top at the end) so that someone watching this out of the corner of their eye on TV might not realize that they were seeing anything other than a conventional cold war thriller. Just think of two actors as unalike as Peter Sellers (who could play any role) and Slim Pickens (who could really only play himself but did that brilliantly) both fitting into a film like this.
It is one of my favorites; it is my last pending shipment from the recent DDD sale
is that the actors are all able to strike pretty much the same tone, and a difficult one at that: slightly exaggerated, but still naturalistic (I guess Peter Sellers as Dr. S does go over the top at the end) so that someone watching this out of the corner of their eye on TV might not realize that they were seeing anything other than a conventional cold war thriller. Just think of two actors as unalike as Peter Sellers (who could play any role) and Slim Pickens (who could really only play himself but did that brilliantly) both fitting into a film like this.It is one of my favorites; it is my last pending shipment from the recent DDD sale
12-07-04, 04:06 PM
#6
I agree with Ebert that the concluding pie fight would have been a bad idea, but after seeing photos of it on the Anniversary DVD, I wish they could have included it as a deleted scene.
12-08-04, 10:08 AM
#7
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A great film. Have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?
General Jack D. Ripper: Have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Well, I can't say I have.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Well, I can't say I have.
General Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream, Mandrake, children's ice cream.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Lord, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: You know when fluoridation first began?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: I... no, no. I don't, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: Nineteen hundred and forty-six. Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Uh, Jack, Jack, listen, tell me, tell me, Jack. When did you first... become... well, develop this theory?
General Jack D. Ripper: Well, I, uh... I... I... first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: Yes, a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I... I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women uh... women sense my power and they seek the life essence. I, uh... I do not avoid women, Mandrake.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: No.
General Jack D. Ripper: But I... I do deny them my essence.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Lord, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: You know when fluoridation first began?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: I... no, no. I don't, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: Nineteen hundred and forty-six. Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Uh, Jack, Jack, listen, tell me, tell me, Jack. When did you first... become... well, develop this theory?
General Jack D. Ripper: Well, I, uh... I... I... first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: Yes, a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I... I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women uh... women sense my power and they seek the life essence. I, uh... I do not avoid women, Mandrake.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: No.
General Jack D. Ripper: But I... I do deny them my essence.
12-08-04, 11:01 AM
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I love that part, Heat. The way Mandrake placates Ripper by sympathizing with his psychotic rant, all the while trying to coax him into giving the code. The acting is so perfect.
12-09-04, 08:20 PM
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Well, I'd like to hold off judgment on a thing like that, sir, until all the facts are in.
Muffley: Right. Now, General Turgidson, what's going on here?
Turgidson: Mr. President, about thirty-five minutes ago, General Jack Ripper, the commanding General of Burpleson Air Force Base, issued an order to the 34 B-52's of his wing which were airborne at the time as part of a special exercise we were holding called Operation Dropkick. Now, it appears that the order called for the planes to attack their targets inside Russia. The planes are fully armed with nuclear weapons with an average load of 40 megatons each. Now the central display of Russia will indicate the position of the planes. The triangles are their primary targets, the squares are their secondary targets. The aircraft will begin penetrating Russian radar cover within 25 minutes.
Muffley: General Turgidson, I find this very difficult to understand. I was under the impression that I was the only one in authority to order the use of nuclear weapons.
Turgidson: That's right sir. You are the only person authorized to do so. And although I hate to judge before all the facts are in, it's beginning to look like General Ripper exceeded his authority.
Turgidson: Mr. President, about thirty-five minutes ago, General Jack Ripper, the commanding General of Burpleson Air Force Base, issued an order to the 34 B-52's of his wing which were airborne at the time as part of a special exercise we were holding called Operation Dropkick. Now, it appears that the order called for the planes to attack their targets inside Russia. The planes are fully armed with nuclear weapons with an average load of 40 megatons each. Now the central display of Russia will indicate the position of the planes. The triangles are their primary targets, the squares are their secondary targets. The aircraft will begin penetrating Russian radar cover within 25 minutes.
Muffley: General Turgidson, I find this very difficult to understand. I was under the impression that I was the only one in authority to order the use of nuclear weapons.
Turgidson: That's right sir. You are the only person authorized to do so. And although I hate to judge before all the facts are in, it's beginning to look like General Ripper exceeded his authority.
Muffley: Are you in contact with General Ripper?
Turgidson: Ah.. No sir, no, General Ripper sealed off the base and cut off all communications.
Muffley: Where did you get all this information?
Turgidson: General Ripper called Strategic Air Command headquarters shortly after he issued the go code. I have a partial transcript of that conversation if you'd like me to read it.
Muffley: Read it.
Turgidson: The duty officer asked General Ripper to confirm the fact the he had issued the go code and he said, "Yes gentlemen, they are on their way in and no one can bring them back. For the sake of our country and our way of life, I suggest you get the rest of SAC in after them, otherwise we will be totally destroyed by red retaliation. My boys will give you the best kind of start, fourteen hundred megatons worth, and you sure as hell won't stop them now. So let's get going. There's no other choice. God willing, we will prevail in peace and freedom from fear and in true health through the purity and essence of our natural fluids. God bless you all." Then he hung up. We're still trying to figure out the meaning of that last phrase, sir.
Muffley: There's nothing to figure out General Turgidson. This man is obviously a psychotic.
Turgidson: Well, I'd like to hold off judgment on a thing like that, sir, until all the facts are in.
Turgidson: Ah.. No sir, no, General Ripper sealed off the base and cut off all communications.
Muffley: Where did you get all this information?
Turgidson: General Ripper called Strategic Air Command headquarters shortly after he issued the go code. I have a partial transcript of that conversation if you'd like me to read it.
Muffley: Read it.
Turgidson: The duty officer asked General Ripper to confirm the fact the he had issued the go code and he said, "Yes gentlemen, they are on their way in and no one can bring them back. For the sake of our country and our way of life, I suggest you get the rest of SAC in after them, otherwise we will be totally destroyed by red retaliation. My boys will give you the best kind of start, fourteen hundred megatons worth, and you sure as hell won't stop them now. So let's get going. There's no other choice. God willing, we will prevail in peace and freedom from fear and in true health through the purity and essence of our natural fluids. God bless you all." Then he hung up. We're still trying to figure out the meaning of that last phrase, sir.
Muffley: There's nothing to figure out General Turgidson. This man is obviously a psychotic.
Turgidson: Well, I'd like to hold off judgment on a thing like that, sir, until all the facts are in.
12-10-04, 09:26 AM
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This is both my favorite comedy, and my favorite Kubrick film.
Muffley: Well now, what happened is... ah... one of our base commanders, he had a sort of... well, he went a little funny in the head... you know... just a little... funny. And, ah... he went and did a silly thing... Well, I'll tell you what he did. He ordered his planes... to attack your country...
