Dr. Strangelove 40th Anniversary Edition on DVD: Bombs Away!?!

Perusing this week's issue of The New Yorker--dated 10/18 and with the flag cover design--there is a full-page ad for the upcoming 2-disc SE, due, perversely fittingly, on Election Day, 11/2.

Reading that there would be interviews with Bob Woodward, Spike Lee and Roger Ebert wasn't exactly a thrill--the latter I can understand, but what the other two are supposed to offer, can't really imagine...although there is tantalizing mention of "never-before-seen footage from the estate of Peter Sellers"....

The extras and sundry are all well and good, but what' bothersome is this little notation in the ad:

"5.1 Audio Mix created from the original Mono; English DTS Audio"

Not so long ago I started a thread about waring-fds, that dreadful remastering process used for the Original Sound and early Priority CD's. When I looked for info about the process I stumbled upon Waring's site, and he is still in business doing things like....creating 5.1 audio mixes from mono sources. I've no idea who's involved in this project, nor does it really matter. The very concept simply fills me with loathing. It's happened, before, of course, but there simply is no need for such chicanery. If mono is all there is, seems to me mono in 2--or 5--speakers should be enough. Even then, offer that option, too, not force us into having 5-channel mono when our ears are used to 2-channel.

No mention in the ad of whether the original MONO soundtrack will be included. If so, I'd be tempted to buy...if not....

 

If they are smart, Ken, yes....it's the way the ad is worded that bothers me, since 'true' faux 5.1--as we've heard on Silverline DVD-A's, for instance--are appallingly bad. And of course, the difference here is that the Kubrick estate probably has no control over anything Sony will do, whereas the long relationship witih Warner has been one of mutual respect, and nothing done without the Kubrick family's blessing.

Agreed on both points: fine mixes, but wish the originals had been included, also.

 

If there's no original soundtrack included, I'm skipping it and staying with what I have. The current DVD is very enjoyable.

 

I used to really like the Criterion LD, as it had the cool "Duck and Cover" videos from the 50s/60s. They used to show these in school.

If you have not seen one, they would show school children walking to school, a siren would go off, and the kids would duck and shield themselves from the nuclear blast. Once the flash was over, they would hurry away to safety.

Holy smokes! If they showed something like this to school kids today, the school system would get sued and the principal, superintendent and teacher would be fired.

All in a days lessons for the child of the 60s!

 

They should include Fail-Safe as a bonus feature.

IMO, there is absolutely *NO* excuse for not including the original soundtrack on any film's DVD (whether mono, 2-channel stereo, whatever). Create any latest-and-greatest remix you like, but dammit, include the originals!!

 

Jon,

I will guess you have seen that old '80s docu, THE ATOMIC CAFE, a cornucopia of just such duck'n'cover stuff, tons of old footage, that, while skewing toward the hysterical, apocalyptic aspects of the '50s & early '60s, nonetheless made its point quite well....and the prospect is never as far away from reality as we fool ourselves into believing.

And yes, in today's world, to suggest a lot of things while get you rerprimanded, fired and persecuted...even if you are right. What a change....

 

The Atomic Cafe is a great doc. One that manages to be side-splittingly funny and bone-chillingly horrifying at the same time.

 

Y'know, I was just thinking...mentioning FAIL-SAFE....although there are other films, can you imagine a marathon like this?

1. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
2. SEVEN DAYS IN MAY
3. FAIL-SAFE
4. THE BEDFORD INCIDENT
5. DR. STRANGELOVE

What a scary collection, huh? Throw in SECONDS and a few others(funny how all these are B&W!)and....well, I'd enjoy it at the same time I know it would rekindle my paranoia and fear of The End...

 

Don't forget On the Beach and The World, the Flesh, and the Devil! (I especially love the opening scenes in the latter, where Harry Belafonte stumbles around a completely deserted NYC.)

 

I think they have this DVD at my local library. I'll have to check it out.

 

Awesome! I look forward to this.

Now what will this be? The 3rd (or 4th?) DVD incarnation

 

The ad that inspired this thread. Really cool looking, but a little too honest? Or are there folks out there that must have 5.1 even if it might be totally bogus(don't answer that, gang--we already know!):

 

1989's "Miracle Mile" starring Anthony Edwards & Mare Winningham gave me atomic nightmares for a couple of nights. From the director of "Cherry 2000".

 

Gentlemen - NO FIGHTING IN THE WAR ROOM!!!

 

I wonder if there's any truth to the rumor that "Try a Little Tenderness", heard under the opening credits, is now Otis Redding's version.

 

Isn't there a Superbit version coming also??

 

So, no Yellow Submarine DVD for you, Ed? There wasn't a lot of multitrack available for that either but the 5.1 soundtrack came up pretty convincing... oui?

 

Really? What multitracks were missing? I believe if they can isolate the music track--which is more than most DVD's offer--you're a few steps beyond the Strangelove ad's suggestion of "5.1 Audio Mix created from the original Mono; English DTS Audio".....which sounds more to me like what we'll be getting will be akin to the Silverline School Of Mono-to-5.1....sure hope I'm wrong!

The recent LA DOLCE VITA package is interesting...it has 2.0 'stereo' and 5.1 audio options, though no one even took the trouble to pan much of anything directionally, and anyway, none of it is true stereo, and hence, the 5.1 is pretty worthless ...good news is, Koch/Lorber was kind enough to include the mono soundtrack as well...

 

Peter Sellers was a genius actor with a great sense of intelligence and playfulness - even in the midst of a topic of madness. This is a great film to be viewed more than once.

 

Especially in jewel box packaging. I used to pay like $10 extra for those at Virgin.

 

They are available from here (free download):

http://www.archive.org/movies/details-db.php?collection=prelinger&collectionid=19069

They were made fun of in one South Park episode.