Dr. Strangelove (Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb): 40th Anniversary Special Edition

Columbia Tristar Home Video, $34.95

Forty years later, Stanley Kubrick’s world-annihilation satire might be the most relevant classic we have. Such a mantra is reiterated by such politicians and cinephiles as Bob Woodward, Roger Ebert, Spike Lee – who, true to form, calls Condoleezza Rice an idiot – and Robert McNamara on the second disc’s special feature documentaries about the historical significance of Dr. Strangelove. The interview with the influential ex-Secretary of Defense is especially revealing – à la The Fog of War – considering the film, released during his tenure, pretty much eviscerates the logic behind most of his policies. Ebert includes an essay about the brilliance of George C. Scott’s facial ticks, while the never-before-seen clips from the estate of Peter Sellers are well-paralleled by his very own biopic, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, airing on HBO this holiday season. Strange how it all interconnects, isn’t it? Had they only included the lost final scene – a custard pie fight in the infamous war room that Kubrick decided to cut at the last minute – the special features would be the perfect complement for this timeless masterpiece.

This article appears in December 17 • 2004.

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