June 'Nick's Pix:' DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB

Join me for Dr. Strangelove, a very Special Nick's Pix Screening on Wednesday, June 11th, at 7 p.m. in Oak Park! Tickets are only $9 ($7 for seniors!) Get your tix HERE!

I am unbelievably thrilled and honored to be hosting a one-night-only screening of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Wednesday, June 11th at 7:00 p.m. at the beautiful Lake Theater in downtown Oak Park.

This isn't just any movie. This is one of the greatest black comedies ever made. One of the best films of all time. And it’s coming to the big screen the way it was meant to be seen — stark, bold black-and-white, political insanity, and some of the funniest, darkest, most jaw-dropping moments ever put on film.

Directed by the one and only Stanley Kubrick, Dr. Strangelove is a razor-sharp Cold War satire, a send-up of military madness and government incompetence, and a comedy about nuclear annihilation. And somehow, in Kubrick’s hands, it’s hilarious.

The Plot (Sort of): Nuclear War by Way of Paranoia and Precious Bodily Fluids

The story kicks off when General Jack D. Ripper — played by the incredible Sterling Hayden — goes full-blown conspiracy nut and orders a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. Why? Because he’s convinced the commies are fluoridating our water to destroy our "precious bodily fluids."

Seriously.

From there, we cut between the B-52 bomber heading toward its target, the War Room at the Pentagon where chaos reigns, and Ripper’s locked-down base where a British officer named Mandrake (Peter Sellers, one of three roles!) tries desperately to stop the madness.

Add in a doomsday device, a Nazi scientist with a rogue arm, a cowboy riding a bomb, and some of the most iconic lines in movie history, and you’ve got a film that walks a hilarious, horrifying tightrope between satire and reality.

It’s funny. It’s scary. And it’s still terrifyingly relevant.

Peter Sellers x3 (Almost x4)

Peter Sellers is a miracle in this movie. He plays three major characters — RAF officer Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley, and the title character, Dr. Strangelove himself. He was supposed to play a fourth role — Major T.J. “King” Kong, the B-52 pilot who famously rides the bomb to his doom — but had to bow out due to a heart attack during filming. Enter Slim Pickens, who ended up delivering one of the most iconic moments in all of film.

Still, what Sellers does do is nothing short of genius. From the hilariously reserved Mandrake with his awkward Britishness, to Muffley, the world's most clueless and ineffectual U.S. President (“Now Dimitri... I’m just as sorry as you are...”), to Dr. Strangelove — the former Nazi war advisor with alien hand syndrome — Sellers is a masterclass in physical comedy, vocal dexterity, and character work.

His performance in the War Room is so good, you can see other actors break. Watch Peter Bull (the Soviet ambassador) try not to laugh when Sellers fights his Nazi salute. It's glorious.

George C. Scott: Comedy God

But as great as Sellers is — and he’s amazing — the funniest performance in the entire movie for my money is George C. Scott as General Buck Turgidson. I’ve seen this movie countless times, and I still laugh out loud at everything he does. The gum-chewing. The belly slapping. The manic energy. The line delivery. The smug arrogance masked as military expertise. His panicked cry of “He’ll see everything... He’ll see the Big Board!” is burned into my brain forever.

Scott gives a physical, manic, fearless comedic performance that is as good as it gets. Kubrick let him loose, and he ran wild — falling over chairs, leaping into the air, throwing tantrums — and somehow it all works brilliantly. The fact that this legendary dramatic actor delivers one of the funniest performances in movie history makes it even sweeter.

The Rest of the Cast: Stacked

Sterling Hayden is pitch-perfect as the terrifyingly mad General Ripper. Keenan Wynn delivers deadpan gold as Colonel “Bat” Guano (and yes, he has a line about Coca-Cola that kills every time). Slim Pickens — who had no idea he was in a comedy, by the way — is unforgettable as Major Kong.

James Earl Jones makes his film debut here as a B-52 crewman. Tracy Reed — a 1962 Playboy Playmate — shows up as Turgidson’s secretary/mistress and even brings some great comic timing. Jack Creley, Shane Rimmer, and Peter Bull round out an absolutely killer supporting cast.

Kubrick’s Vision, Comedy in Chaos, and the Legendary War Room

The movie is beautifully shot. The production design — especially the War Room, with its giant round table and overhead lighting — is legendary. In fact, that set design is so iconic, it’s been referenced in everything from The Simpsons to Austin Powers to Iron Man.

Kubrick’s direction here is tight, sharp, and unexpectedly funny. He even let the actors improvise here and there — rare for him — and you can feel the energy because of it. Dr. Strangelove was way ahead of its time in both satire and political commentary.

It came out the same year as Fail-Safe, a serious take on the same concept (great film, by the way, directed by Sidney Lumet). Watch them back to back and you’ll be blown away by how two completely different approaches to the exact same subject matter can both be brilliant.

But me? I’ll always take the laughs with my apocalypse.

Join Me at The Lake Theater – Wednesday, June 11 at 7:00 PM

I’m beyond excited to present this one-night-only screening of Dr. Strangelove. This is a movie that was meant to be seen on the big screen, with an audience laughing together, cringing together, and marveling at some of the most audacious, brilliant comedy ever filmed.

We’ll have prizes, trivia, behind-the-scenes stories, and discussion after the show. I’ll share some of the fascinating bits about Kubrick’s chess games on set, how Slim Pickens thought this was a serious war film, and why George C. Scott hated the final cut — even though it’s arguably his best work ever.

We’ll laugh. We’ll quote. We’ll freak out a little. And most importantly, we’ll celebrate a true masterpiece of satire and cinema. Don't miss this one. I’ll be there, laughing the loudest.

June Nick's Pix

So, I am very excited to be showing this film to you as my next Classic Cinemas' Nick's Pix' Screening:

Date: Wednesday, June 11

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Lake Theater, Oak Park

Tickets: Get them NOW!

I can't wait to see you there! 

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