I saw an ad earlier tonight―more precisely, a trailer―for the upcoming film Oppenheimer. Exactly how it will turn out I don't know, but a historical biopic about the start of the atomic era is such an unlikely idea for a summer tentpole movie that I have to kind of root for it.
More to the point, it got me thinking about this little song. It was part of the soundtrack of the documentary The Atomic Cafe, and I'm sure many react to it as another disturbing bit of kitsch from the era. It stands up as music on its own, though.
2 comments:
'Summer tentpole movie' is a new one to me but I like it. While I hadn't heard of Oppenheimer before now I've seen the trailer too - the one where Cilian Murphy looks worried in every clip.. and no wonder. Since it's been made by Chris Nolan I can see it might be popular or maybe not - he doesn't always make great movies.
Atomic Cafe was a fine film and one it might be a good idea for the public to be introduced to again. We're a little too close to a nuclear war at this moment which some people seem to think we'd (who's we white man?) win. It might be good to have a revival of Dr. Strangelove too, although the music in Atomic Cafe was better - like Bill Haley's dream of him being the only man left with Thirteen Women.
Now I've thought about it I hope Oppenheimer does draw a big audience.
I guess it's one of those bits of industry speak that have gotten loose among the public. Kind of a new phenomenon, or at least relatively so, since betting such huge amounts of money on a relatively small number of films isn't how they always did it. Nolan has a decent record, but he's not competing among the most interesting directors.
"Now I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed..." Kubrick's Strangelove came around at a time when the audience was ready to start thinking about where the Cold War and the arms race were taking them. And of course among the movies made about the subject it was the first that dared to be funny. In a way Atomic Cafe was too, looking from a slight distance in time. Haley I guess was good at seeing the bright side.
Know what you mean. Maybe the world could use a reminder.
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