Film Review: DR. STRANGELOVE… (1964)

A.K.A.: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writers (Screenplay): Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern and Peter George (also book ‘Red Alert’)
Running Time: 95 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Comedy/War/Thriller
USA Release Date: 29^th January 1964

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 14^th April 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I remember watching many years ago. I recall that I wasn’t all that impressed with it then, but then again, I was probably a bit young to appreciate it. Now a tad older (& wiser) I felt I could do it a bit more justice and boy was I right! I have to say it’s one of the best satirical comedies I’ve seen in many a year and a film that will easily make it into my top 100! More of my thoughts after this very brief summary.

When an American General loses his marbles and orders a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, it’s up to a few men in a room in the Pentagon to sort it out. They are aided by the crazy scientist, Dr. Strangelove, who has some interesting ideas about the survival of the human race after a nuclear war. But I’m getting ahead of myself; the General in question, Jack Ripper, has an executive officer at the base, the British airman, Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake, who spends most of the film trying to get the release codes out of the General. We also have the pleasure of meeting the crew of one of the B52 bombers, piloted by Maj. ‘King’ Kong. This crew don’t know their orders might be bogus and are determined to carry them out to the letter. Meanwhile, back in the pentagon, the President, Merkin Muffley, is trying all diplomatic routes in order to avoid a nuclear war! His Generals, particularly Gen. ‘Buck’ Turgidson, want to take the upper hand and attack the Soviets, but Muffley invites the Soviet Ambassador into the war room and this stifles the General. I won’t tell how it ends up or the Spoiler Police will be dropping me from a plane (again), but needless to say there are a few surprises to come.

Although the effects are not of the quality we expect today, a pretty good job was done considering the technology in the early 1960’s. The film was all very well shot, Kubrick had a great eye and I can see the early echoes of the latter scenes in ‘Full Metal Jacket’ in certain scenes here. Performance-wise, well nobody put a foot wrong, but I must give special praise to Peter Sellers who was superb in all three of his roles; Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley and, of course, Dr. Strangelove. Also worthy of note; George C. Scott as Gen. ‘Buck’ Turgidson, Sterling Hayden as Brig. Gen. Jack Ripper, Keenan Wynn as Col. 'Bat' Guano, Slim Pickens as Maj. ‘King’ Kong, Peter Bull as Russian Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky, James Earl Jones as Lt. Lothar Zogg and finally, Tracy Reed as Miss Scott.

Darkly satirical throughout, I really love the way this film never lets up and portrays the military as the bad guys. Surprisingly the politicians, the President in particular, comes off pretty well in the end. One slight niggle (for me) was that the film was shot in a 4:3 ratio and I’m afraid that did make it look a little dated. I can forgive the fact that it was made in black & white given where, and when, it was made. Over all though, a genuinely entertaining film that has several highs and one that have absolutely no problem in deeming… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My Score: 9.4/10

IMDb Score: 8.6/10 (based on 196,848 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0057012/

MetaScore: 96/100: (Based on 11 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 100/100 (based on 60 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 94/100 (based on 117,100 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dr_strangelove/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Narrator: For more than a year, ominous rumours had been privately circulating among high-level Western leaders that the Soviet Union had been at work on what was darkly hinted to be the ultimate weapon: a doomsday device. Intelligence sources traced the site of the top secret Russian project to the perpetually fog-shrouded wasteland below the Arctic peaks of the Zhokhov Islands. What they were building or why it should be located in such a remote and desolate place no one could say.

General "Buck" Turgidson: Mr. President, about, uh, 35 minutes ago, General Jack Ripper, the commanding general of, uh, Burpelson 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 Drop-Kick. Now, it appears that the order called for the planes to, uh, attack their targets inside Russia. The, uh, planes are fully armed with nuclear weapons with an average load of, um, 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, uh, 25 minutes.
President Merkin 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.
General "Buck" Turgidson: That's right, sir, you are the only person authorized to do so. And although I, uh, hate to judge before all the facts are in, it's beginning to look like, uh, General Ripper exceeded his authority.

Major T. J. "King" Kong: Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones. You sure you got today's codes?

Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Colonel... that Coca-Cola machine. I want you to shoot the lock off it. There may be some change in there.
Colonel "Bat" Guano: That's private property.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Colonel! Can you possibly imagine what is going to happen to you, your frame, outlook, way of life, and everything, when they learn that you have obstructed a telephone call to the President of the United States? Can you imagine? Shoot it off! Shoot! With a gun! That's what the bullets are for, you twit!
Colonel "Bat" Guano: Okay. I'm gonna get your money for ya. But if you don't get the President of the United States on that phone, you know what's gonna happen to you?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: What?
Colonel "Bat" Guano: You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.

[Strangelove's plan for post-nuclear war survival involves living underground with a 10:1 female-to-male ratio]
General "Buck" Turgidson: Doctor, you mentioned the ratio of ten women to each man. Now, wouldn't that necessitate the abandonment of the so-called monogamous sexual relationship, I mean, as far as men were concerned?
Dr. Strangelove: Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.
Ambassador de Sadesky: I must confess, you have an astonishingly good idea there, Doctor.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Film Review: THE SHINING (1980)

Co-Writer (Screenplay)/Director: Stanley Kubrick
Based on a novel by Stephen King
Running time: 142 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Horror

USA Release date: 23^rd May 1980

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 25^th September 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have seen ‘The Shining’ a couple of times before but I never realised just what a great film it is until this time around. I guess watching it late at night after many beers can take away the impact of it somewhat though. This time, its morning, I’m a little hung over but nothing a good strong cup of coffee and a decent breakfast couldn’t cure! I have to admit I haven’t read the Stephen King novel on which it is based, but it is on my reading list. As a fan of the work of both Mr King and indeed Mr Kubrick I was more than thrilled to see this collaboration. More of my thoughts after this brief summary.

The Overlook Hotel is in a very remote part of Colorado high up in the Rocky Mountains. So high up in fact that it is shut down every winter because the roads become impassable. To this end a caretaker is employed to look after the place during the winter months. This time around it is writer Jack Torrance along with his wife, Wendy and young son, Danny that gets the job. Before he starts, Jack is told of an incident a few years back where one of his predecessors had gone mad and murdered his family before unloading a shotgun into himself. Jack is not put off; he is looking forward to the solitude so he can work on his new novel. Oh, I should point out that young Danny has a special gift, one that doesn’t go unnoticed by chef, Dick Hallorann before he leaves. Things start out well and the family soon settles into a routine. Danny goes off riding his trike around the long halls of the hotel while Jack writes and Wendy tends to the everyday maintenance tasks. When Danny starts to see things, (two strange girls), and Jack begins to lose his cool, it becomes apparent to Wendy that all is not what it seems at the Overlook Hotel. I’ll leave it there as I’m sure there are one or two out there that may not have seen this one. And anyway, the Spoiler Police will be locking me in a store room if I say much more.

The film is brilliantly shot with some truly iconic scenes and some beautiful scenery to balance it up. I must also say the music by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind really added to the mood and gave the film an extra dimension. Brilliant performances all round, particularly from Jack Nicholson, chewing the furniture and really letting rip as Jack Torrance and from Shelley Duvall as the put-upon wife Wendy Torrance. I also have to give a shout out for the young Danny Lloyd who coped really well with the (at times) demanding role of Danny. Finally, honourable mentions go to Scatman Crothers as Dick Hallorann, Barry Nelson as Stuart Ullman, Philip Stone as Delbert Grady and Joe Turkel as Lloyd the Bartender.

Stanley Kubrick was a master of storytelling and also a master of the visual arts. I loved the look and feel of this film but, just occasionally, I found the dialogue got a little bogged down. It was almost as if it was lifted straight from the novel and didn’t flow quite as well as it might. I can forgive that though because the film as a whole really works and I must give credit to all the filmmakers for that! Most definitely one I will watch again (without the irritation of commercials next time) and one that comes highly recommended.

My Score: 9.1/10.

IMDb Score: 8.5/10 (based on 222,736 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88/100 (based on 49 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shining/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
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FAVOURITE QUOTES:

(Sorry there’s so many… I got a bit carried away!)

Jack Torrance: Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in. Not by the hair of your chiny-chin-chin? Well then I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in.
[axes the door]

Jack Torrance: Heeere's Johnny!

Jack Torrance: I like you, Lloyd. I always liked you. You were always the best of them. Best goddamned bartender from Timbuktu to Portland, Maine. Or Portland, Oregon, for that matter.

Danny Torrance: Dad?
Jack Torrance: Yes?
Danny Torrance: Do you like this hotel?
Jack Torrance: Yes. I do. I love it. Don't you?
Danny Torrance: I guess so.
Jack Torrance: Good. I want you to like it here. I wish we could stay here forever... and ever... and ever.

Jack Torrance: And are you concerned about ME?
Wendy Torrance: Of course I am!
Jack Torrance: Of course you are! Have you ever thought about my responsibilities?
Wendy Torrance: Oh Jack, what are you talking about?
Jack Torrance: Have you ever had a SINGLE MOMENT'S THOUGHT about my responsibilities? Have you ever thought, for a single solitary moment about my responsibilities to my employers? Has it ever occurred to you that I have agreed to look after the OVERLOOK Hotel until May the FIRST. Does it MATTER TO YOU AT ALL that the OWNERS have placed their COMPLETE CONFIDENCE and TRUST in me, and that I have signed a letter of agreement, a CONTRACT, in which I have accepted that RESPONSIBILITY? Do you have the SLIGHTEST IDEA, what a MORAL AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLE IS, DO YOU? Has it ever occurred to you what would happen to my future, if I were to fail to live up to my responsibilities? Has it ever occurred to you? HAS IT?
Wendy Torrance: [swings the bat] Stay away from me!

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)

Co-Writer/Director: Stanley Kubrick
Running time: 159 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
UK Release date: 10th September 1999

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 17th July 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This was Stanley Kubrick’s last film and I thought it an apt one for my 400th review. It’s maybe not his greatest work, but you can still see the hand of the master in this one. His attention to detail is second to none and you’ll struggle to find anything out of place in any shot. As for the plot, well, it’s all very psychological and quite complicated, but worth sticking with. If you’re bothered by nudity, which few people are these days, but even so, this one may not be to everyone’s taste. I’ll attempt to give you a brief summary and then some of my thought afterwards.

Bill Harford and his wife, Alice, live together with their daughter, Helena, in an apartment in New York. They are quite well off, Bill is a doctor and they enjoy many of the good things in life. And yet they are not happy. After an argument about sexuality, Bill sets out (to put it in basic terms) get laid. Events conspire against him and he fails, but a conversation with a friend, a musician, Nick Nightingale, leads him to a very strange party. Everyone is wearing cloaks and masks and it seems almost everyone is having sex. One of the women there tries to warn him that he may be in danger and he makes to leave, but too late, he is called before their leader to explain himself. Here I will leave my brief summary… Thought I’d leave you on a bit of a cliff-hanger this time.

At two hours and forty minutes, this is one of the longest movies I’ve seen. It has a very slow and deliberate pace that, at times, can be a little annoying, but stick with it. To be honest, I had to take a little fifteen minute break in the middle or I wouldn’t have made it to the end. The pay-off in the end may not be to everyone’s liking and some my even see it as a let-down, but I thought it was ok.

As far as performances go, well, Tom Cruise proved that he can do more than stupid action/spy movies as Dr. William 'Bill' Harford. And Nicole Kidman put in a great performance as his wife, Alice. Sydney Pollack was good as Victor Ziegler and Todd Field was also decent as Nick Nightingale.

This film has gained a bit of notoriety for the sex scenes in it and, yes, there are sex scenes but there’s nothing that breaks any decency laws. I found the film hard going in places but stuck with it. The music is really great too; just listen to the music playing in the background in places and you’ll hear some melodies you might just recognise. It’s probably the least favourite of the Kubrick films I’ve seen to date, but it’s still worth a viewing (if you can clear a long enough time-slot)… Recommended.

My Score: 7.3/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0120663/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eyes_wide_shut/
Official Site: http://eyeswideshut.warnerbros.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: PATHS OF GLORY (1957)

Co-Writer/Director: Stanley Kubrick
Running time: 88 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Drama/War
West Germany Release date: 25th October 1957

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 9th July 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I am a bit of a fan of Stanley Kubrick and have decided to try and watch as many of his films as I can. This one was showing one afternoon and so it was duly recorded for a viewing at a later date. That later date came around today. Set during World War I, this film tells the story of a French Colonel who ends up with the unenviable task of defending three of his soldiers who are charged with cowardice.

Colonel Dax, a lawyer in civilian life, cares very much about his troops and tries to do his best for them. When ordered by General Mireau to attack a well defended position called the ‘Ant Hill’, he follows orders, but the enemy proves too strong and his troops have to fall back. One platoon is trapped in the trenches and the General orders his own artillery to open fire on them. This order is not obeyed despite the General’s threats to the officer commanding the artillery battery. After this debacle, and wishing to make an example, the General, along with his colleague, General Broulard, agrees to Court Martial three men for cowardice. Colonel Dax decides to act as their defence, but is not hopeful of a good outcome. The penalty for this crime is death by firing squad. The three men are selected by their unit commanders. At this point I’ll leave my brief summary, I won’t tell you the outcome because I don’t want to give away too much.

An excellent example of the filmmaker’s art, I couldn’t find fault with this film. It may look dated by today’s standards, but given the era it was made and the budget available, it’s a fine job. Also guilty of doing a great job was Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax, he really stands out as a quality actor in this one. Also worthy of note were Ralph Meeker as Cpl. Philippe Paris, Adolphe Menjou as Gen. George Broulard and George Macready as Gen. Paul Mireau.

Everything about this film is well done, that is with one exception. The sound in the court martial scene is terrible, it’s a big room and I found the echo of the voices quite an annoyance. That aside though, I thought the anti-war message got through loud and clear and you are left with no doubt who the enemy really is. I really enjoyed watching this film and I can recommend it very highly.

My Score: 9.1/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0050825/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/paths_of_glory/
Trailer:

Film Review: FULL METAL JACKET (1987)

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Running time: 116 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/War
UK Release date: 11th September 1987

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 18th June 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film was on the TV in a pub I was frequenting last week. Being one of my all time favourites I was hopeful there was going to be a repeat showing. Fortunately the same channel obliged and I was able to record it for a viewing today. For me it is one of the three iconic films about the Vietnam war; the others being Apocalypse Now (1979) and Platoon (1986). I’m sure others will be mentioned in dispatches, but these are the three that have served me best. It is a film of two parts.

The first part deals with the training of a group of U.S. Marine recruits under the watchful eye of Gunnery Sgt. Hartman. Among the platoon are characters Hartman calls Private Joker, Private Cowboy and, the focus of much of his scorn, Private Pyle. Unfortunately Private Pyle isn’t really cut out to be a Marine and keeps making mistakes. It gets so bad that Hartman begins to take it out on the platoon whenever he screws up. This has a rather disastrous effect on Pyle and it doesn’t end well for more than one of them.

With training over the focus now switches to the theatre of action in Vietnam. We follow Private Joker who has become a journalist working for ‘Stars and Stripes’ magazine as a combat correspondent. He is sent into the combat zone with his photographer, Rafterman, where he joins up with a platoon that contains his old friend Private Cowboy. They are sent into a built up area to clear out any enemy combatants hiding inside. Having been pinned down by a sniper, it’s up to Private Cowboy to figure a way out of the situation. I’ll leave you hanging there, if you have seen the film, you’ll know what happens, if you haven’t well, it’s just a little incentive for you to give it a look.

Stanley Kubrick had a great eye for detail and looking at this film you can see that every little detail is perfect. I love the look and the feel of it, even though it is of two very distinct and very different parts. Great performances all round; in particular Matthew Modine as Pvt. Joker, Vincent D'Onofrio (who some of you may know from TV’s Law and Order: Criminal Intent) as Pvt. Pyle and R. Lee Ermey as Gny. Sgt. Hartman. Also worthy of note were; Adam Baldwin as Animal Mother, Dorian Harewood as Eightball, Kevyn Major Howard as Rafterman and Arliss Howard as Pvt. Cowboy.

I will admit that I, like most people I know, enjoyed the first part slightly more than the second. I think it’s because it has many more memorable, even iconic, scenes in it. But in defence of the second part, it was a hard act to follow! Having said that, the second part does deal with the gritty realities of war and goes some way towards satirising it. I should note there is an excellent soundtrack and the use of various songs throughout is well balanced against the visuals. Over all, a near-perfect war film (IMO) and one which comes very highly recommended.

My Score: 9.6/10

LINKS:
(RT=Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0093058/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/full_metal_jacket/
Trailer (concerning Part 1):

Trailer (concerning Part 2):