“La Jetée belongs to a genre that breeds opportunity for elaborate vision and little thought; the film is responsibly contrary to both assessments,” writes Rumsey Taylor at Not Coming to a Theater Near You. “Its strength is its simplification.”

“Lasting 29 minutes, shot in black and white and consisting almost entirely of still photographs – imaginatively blended with dissolves, wipes and fades – this is the bare bones of science fiction.” Simon Sellars at Ballardian: “It highlights why we are attracted to SF in the first place: not for bug-eyed aliens or galaxy-hopping spaceships, but for the way in which the form can twist our most cherished versions of reality inside out…. La Jetée’s influence is palpable. In a 1966 review for New Worlds magazine, JG Ballard considered it to be one of the few convincing acts... (more...)

Dr. Strangelove, What’s in a name?

Title: Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Release Date: 29 January 1964
Plot: An insane general starts a process to nuclear holocaust that a war room of politicians and generals frantically try to stop.

Dr. Strangelove is actually a companion film IMHO that must be paird with Failsafe in order to gain the full impact of the film.

Dr. Strangelove begins with an aero-ballet between Air Force bombers and refueling planes as the title sequence set to calm tranquil music. This sets a tone, albeit false, that the viewer accepts until we are greated with the actual movie title screen. Kubrick’s choice of giving Dr. Strangelove two titles sets us up, unknowingly, to absorb his serious as well... (more...)

Failsafe

Title:Failsafe
Director:Sidney Lumet
Release Date:7 October 1964 (USA)
Plot:American planes are sent to deliver a nuclear attack on Moscow, but it’s a mistake due to an electrical malfunction. Can all-out war be averted?

Failsafe is the serious counter to Dr. Strangelove. Released in October of the same year, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick, director Sidney Lumet presents to us a serious and challenging question about atomic war.

I tried to write about the story and production but really the most fantastic part of this film is in the last 2 minutes. Lumet takes 10 quick scenes of New York people and animals to establish a perception of “New York” and to, hopefully, have the audience connect with one of them. After /something/ happens,... (more...)