'Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' Review

Watching Stanley Kubrick's 1964 comedy, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, we could easily be led to believe that we were watching a piece of propaganda film trying to express the absolute shambles that the American government were in the 1960s. The film is unapologetically satirical and rips apart the idea of the American government being an organised and reliable group of people when something diverges from the plan of action that they have prepared for. With billboards boasting the phrase "Peace is our profession" in the background of a shot of generals in a gun battle, the hypocrisy of this 'profession' is put into the audience's mind, and the comical "You can't fight here, this is the war room" line shows just how unaware the President is of his words and the effects of his actions.

The film tells the story of an 'insane' general who gives a fighter plane the instructions to bomb Russian missile bases, in effect, launching their 'doomsday weapon' that will destroy all life on the planet. The story is divided into three different perspectives, we have the rogue general who is responsible for the attack, the President of the united states and high ranking generals in the US 'War Room', and the airforce members who are in one of the planes that is heading to bomb the USSR. This division makes the film tense and keeps the plot fresh, brilliantly executing a story that, had it been directed by anyone other than the legendary Kubrick, would have descended into a stagnant and monotonous mess.

Interestingly, Peter Sellers plays three characters in this film, showing a wide range of his acting abilities and proving him to be one of Hollywood's all-time legends. His performances are all entirely different, with accents being perfected and characters becoming real in the minds of the audience, he really shines through as the star of this film, constantly delivering a brilliant performance. The combination of his natural acting talent and his close work with Kubrick leads to the stand-out performance of his career.

The films general mood resembles that of the tension between the USA and USSR at the time of the film. The internalised arguments especially provide tension throughout, with each of them not seeming to trust each other, it seems that egos and selfishness override the importance of a possible nuclear war, again, going back to the satirical comedy that Kubrick masters in this feature.

The film is definitely an interesting one to watch. Perhaps the lack of amazing cinematography and camerawork that we see in Kubrick's later films such as The Shining and A Clockwork Orange means that this film asks for an audience more attentive to the story and the characters than the visual side, however, it is no less enjoyable than either of the two films listed and, if anything, the awesome atomic-bomb montage sequence at the end, played over Dame Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again' makes the film worth the watch, an almost haunting ending, suggesting the constant threat of the Cold War that was still large when the film was released, and for another thirty decades.

'This is The End' Review

Opening with Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel getting high and playing video games and closing with a Backstreet Boys concert live from... Heaven, this film feels like one big trip from the get-go.

The film takes place at James Franco's housewarming party, with a long, long list of celebrity guests that ranges from Rihanna to Michael Cera. Everything is running smoothly until the apocalypse begins, killing off most of the guests of the party through a giant sinkhole on Franco's front lawn. We are left with Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson and later on Danny McBride as our stars of the film willing to take on the apocalypse readily and intelligently.. sort of.

In a film where the actors are playing themselves, there was a chance that the film could be egotistical and seem false, luckily this was not the case with This is The End, and the performances by the six actors were believable and hilarious, with countless 'inside' jokes being thrown about in regards to the actor's 'real' lives and previous films. It could be a little distracting for those audience members who are not familiar with the actor's personal lives and filmographies, however, with a homemade Pineapple Express 2 being made halfway through the film, and numerous references to James Franco's love of abstract art etc, however I feel the feel is able to stand alone, with plenty of non-related comedy scenes and a fun plot to keep all audience members involved.

The film lacks deeper substance that a group of friends fighting the apocalypse, as one can imagine, however this does not take away from the brilliance of the film. Perhaps the main point being made in this film is that comedy is an art form in itself and the fact that the film made you laugh is good enough for the creators. Written and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, the creators of the wonderful Pineapple Express and Superbad, the film is created by some of the top guns of comedy at the moment, and the wild adventure the film takes you on is completely out-shined by the smaller moments of comedic interactions between the actors that Goldberg and Rogen have proved they are the brilliant at with their past collaborations. 

All in all, the film was a lot of fun. Seeing actors play 'themselves' in a completely alien situation was refreshingly enjoyable to watch. The film boasts some of the most raw, comedic interactions I have seen for a few years and I, along with the friends I took, thoroughly enjoyed the film.