Home :: DVD :: Military & War :: Comedy  

Action & Combat
Anti-War Films
Civil War
Comedy

Documentary
Drama
International
Vietnam War
War Epics
World War I
World War II
Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition)

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition)

List Price: $19.94
Your Price: $14.96
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 .. 28 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the funniest things I've ever seen...
Review: This is certainly a cynical view of the military-industrial machinations of the Cold War combatants, but it's all kinds of funny.

From "Peace is Our Profession" to "You can't fight in here, this is the war room!", this movie hits on every joke. Peter Sellers is great in three roles, and George C. Scott (as General Turgidson) is one of the funniest characters in movie history.

They say that the best satire contains an element of truth, and this axiom certainly holds for this movie. The funniest (or most disturbing, perhaps) thing about this movie is that it really doesn't seem that far out of the realm of possibility of things that could've happened in the early sixties, in the era of McCarthyism and the Red Menace. I think Kubrick hit the nail squarely on the head here, and created a classic.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good DVD, poor picture
Review: Please don't get me wrong...Dr. Strangelove is an incredible satire that humorously illustrates how governments behave like children. Though this DVD is an improvement over VHS in regard to picture quality, it pales to several other black and white movie transfers...especially Sunset Boulevard, All About Eve and Citizen Kane. It reminds of a dusty print at a movie theatre.

On an upper note, there are some interesting extras about Kubrick that are worth seeing.

I might hold out for a restored copy...but if you gotta have it, you gotta have it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: No seriously, they really are like this.
Review: The best example of why we all should move to New Zealand. Or Switzerland. Or the moon. This is foreign policy at its dumbest, which seems to be the status quo. George C. Scott gives the performance of his life (which is saying alot) and Peter Sellers is at the top of his form. Can anyone see this and think our government really works?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Possibly the greatest comedy ever!
Review: Stanley Kubrick has done it again. DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (well, that's quite a long title) is a superb example of American filmmaking, and it's possibly the greatest comedy ever. Peter Sellers is really funny, and George C. Scott is great, while we also have Slim Pickens and more famous people (we also get a look at a young James Earl Jones). It's just a great film, and the black & white shade gives a kind of "eerie" feeling. It's just a great movie. It's flawless! (although the ending happens a little quick, but...)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Strangelove Never Gets Old
Review: This might be my favorite film of all time. Kubrick created a genuine masterpiece with this movie. The other glowing reviews here pretty much cover every comic nuance of this great flick so I won't duplicate the effort here. If you have not seen this movie stop whatever you're doing, find a copy and watch it right now.

If you have seen this film and even if you own the VHS make the investment in the DVD . . . the bonus features are well worth it and will give you new insights into this incredible dark comedy.

FYI . . . keep your eye on the Russian embassador during the scene in which Strangelove gets out of the wheelchair . . . he starts to crack up at Peter Seller's ad libbed performance and then catches himself - - very funny stuff.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Satire With A Scary Message.
Review: DR. STRANGELOVE is one of the greatest satirical movies ever made on any subject. It raises some very frightening questions which are still pertinent. Is it possible for one mad general to trigger World War III and a nuclear holocaust? Are there any idiots in positions of power at the pentagon?

At the time the film was released in 1964 the Cuban missile crisis was very much in the public consciousness and an affirmative answer to the above questions seemed possible. Hopefully there have been enough safeguards put in place to prevent any such catastrophes from ever taking place.

In a movie filled with several stellar acting performances Peter Sellers manages to stand out. He plays three very different roles as the former Nazi scientist Dr. Strangelove, a British officer and the American president. Pay attention because you may not recognize him as President Merkin Muffley. In the role of Captain Lionel Mandrake he serves as an aide to Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper. Sterling Hayden is brilliant and hilarious as the insane Ripper who launches his bombers for a nuclear strike against Russia. George C. Scott is superb as the hawkish General Turgidson and Slim Pickens is outrageous as Major T.J. Kong who pilots the B-52 which manages to penetrate Russia's air defenses.

The film received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (Stanley Kubrick), Best Actor (Peter Sellers) and Best Adapted Screenplay. The competition for awards was intense in 1964 with MY FAIR LADY winning the Oscar for Best Picture.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Still Crazy After All These Years
Review: Everything that can be said about this film has been said. I'll say no more.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Fantastic movie, but badly in need of restoration
Review: This movie is a classic and one of Kubrick's finest, but I was surprised at how many pops and scratches were on the disc. I'm assuming that the DVD was made from the best print obtainable, which makes me think that the master print is damaged or not available. The quality varies from scene to scene, but generally looks like a print that has a lot of miles on it. I hope that the studio goes to the trouble of restoring this film someday soon.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Kubrick's fantastic take on black comedy
Review: There is one apparent similarity between all of Stanley Kubrick's films, and that is everyone of them is very different then the rest. Dr. Strangelove is no exception as his only comedy, and it works on nearly every level.

Dr. Strangelove is considered by many as one of his best works. While I don't necessarily place it as high on that list, it is still an excellent dark comedic look at nuclear threat. The story jumps back and forth between a number of characters as an insane general gives his planes orders to drop nukes on the Soviet Union in an unprovoked attack while the rest of the nation scrambles to put a stop to it.

Probably the most apparent success in this film is the excellent acting by Peter Sellers in three different roles (the president, a British officer, and the eccentric Dr. Strangelove), as well as wonderful performances by George C. Scott, Slim Pickens and the rest of the cast. Sellers nails each of his characters, adding much of their comedic wit. Many of his funniest lines were improved, such as a hilarious phone call to the drunken Russian president. Kubrick managed to bring out top-notch acting all around here. Also, the fantastic sets are amazing, especially the gigantic War Room set comprised of a gigantic round table and three huge panels depicting the world looming over it. Kubrick shows his photographic roots as well in the stunning cinematography of many of his scenes. Characters and objects are juxtaposed in visually pleasing and symbolic ways, and often reveal visual gags.

Much of the humor, as is often the case with black comedy, is easily missed if your not paying attention. In fact, this film definitely favors repeat viewings. Each time I watch it, I notice a few more jokes hidden throughout the film. But the suspense also builds along with the humor as the world's situation becomes more and more desperate.

The only flaws in Dr. Strangelove seem to be its slow beginning which doesn't offer much humor, and a few minor production value problems such as jump cuts and poor audio transitions, most of which can be contributed to filmmaking conditions of the time.

This is definitly worth checking out if you like black comedies, or love the visual and symbolic style of Kubrick.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: not to be missed if you're stuck on the elevator!
Review: I happened to be muddling around the local movie theatre straddled with my significant other on my new Segway Peoplemover whilst my placenta unexpectedly burst. With one hand on my lover's bosom and the other buried deep in popcorn, Kubrik's popular overrated three-hanky masterpiece brought tears even to the eyes of my incontinent newborn. Even the ringing of my cellphone could not distract the attention of my wide-eyed grimace from the glorious cinematic directorial debut of God himself. Whilst quickly recuperating in the maternity ward in time to see the second half of the movie, I even chose to name my young one Stanley Kabuki, in honor of the Japanese goddess of unrepentant unrelenting psychodrama. Thank you for this film!


<< 1 .. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 .. 28 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates