Dr. Strangelove (w/ Matthew Cunningham-Cook)

Rivka and Frank are joined by Lever reporter Matthew Cunningham-Cook for an educational (and terrifying) conversation about Stanley Kubrick’s satirical masterpiece Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. 

The group unpacks the historical parallels between Dr. Strangelove and what actually transpired during the Cold War. Matthew explains how one of the film’s main characters, Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper, was loosely based on eccentric anti-communist Air Force General Curtis LeMay.The team also explores the influence of the right-wing anti-communist John Birch Society on 1950s American politics, and the origins of the nefarious Operation Paperclip, in which the U.S. intelligence community recruited former Nazi military officials and scientists to help defeat the Soviet Union.

A rough transcript of the episode is available here.

For next week’s movie, MVC will be watching Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop.

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Produced by The Lever | Artwork by Rufus Paisley

You can learn more about Conch Shell Productions at conchshellproductions.com

What is Movies vs. Capitalism [DEAD FEED]?

MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM explores the politics of your favorite films through an anti-capitalist lens. Each episode, hosts Rivka and Frank are joined by a guest for a critical discussion about a film and how it’s obviously a scathing indictment of late-stage capitalism.

MVC examines the crucial intersection between pop culture and politics — unpacking the ideological messages baked into some of your favorite movies.