For the gazillionth time, I watched "Dr. Strangelove...:"

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it STILL amazes and entertains.
The key to this film, of course, is the brilliant casting and acting. Sterling Hayden's performance is...well, it's hard to describe it as one. It seems more than real.
Peter Sellers, who was also slated to perform Slim Picken's pilot role until Peter fell off a prop whilst arguing with Kubrick, simply is amazing: the President displays a calmness and wisdom, with just enough sly humor, to be believable: Kubrick justly believed that this was the key role. It is the one NOT over the top character around which the other key figures revolve. Sellers showed his unsurpassed comic talent was matched by his dramatic chops.
Interestingly, George C. Scott---who earned critical acclaim for his hilarious portrayal of Gen. Turgidson---remained incensed at Kubrick for many years afterwards.
Kubrick had tricked Scott into his performance by asking him to first play a scene conservatively, then more "realistically" and, finally, "over the top" for perspective.
It was the latter takes, exclusively, that Kubrick printed. All of Scott's preparation and hardest work remained on the cutting floor...
Of course, Kubrick was correct: Scott's character frames the President's seriousness: if he were ominous, the contrasting power of their scenes would have descended into melodrama.
Moreover, the B-52 cockpit was created from imagination: the Air Force refused Kubrick permission to photograph it. Yet, it was so life-like that the gov't. investigated to make sure no one had "leaked" it to the designer.
Finally, I've got to say the Gen. Ripper's lines about "precious bodily fluids" and "essence" still convulse me. Terry Southern, one of three writers which included Kubrick, was a genius.

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Topic - For the gazillionth time, I watched "Dr. Strangelove...:" - tinear 05:15:25 07/14/05 (10)

I was a bomb-nav tech on B-52 F's and G's. - J.R. 14:53:25 07/14/05 (6)

James Earl Jones was the bombadier - grinagog 19:34:49 07/15/05 (0)

Re: You mean... - geoffkait 04:13:05 07/15/05 (0)

Next you'll be telling us you've never seen pilots - tinear 15:30:02 07/14/05 (3)

Sorry, his response addressed a particular point in your post - Victor Khomenko 17:40:24 07/14/05 (2)

Ok, here it is, s l o w l y: - tinear 05:06:42 07/15/05 (1)

W o r d o f t h e m o u t h - Victor Khomenko 06:21:59 07/15/05 (0)

Re: For the gazillionth time, I watched "Dr. Strangelove...:" - Hodie 12:03:31 07/14/05 (1)

Re: For the gazillionth time, I watched "Dr. Strangelove...:" - rico 13:21:07 07/14/05 (0)

Re: For the gazillionth time, I watched "Dr. Strangelove...:" - Victor Khomenko 06:45:59 07/14/05 (0)

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