Both absolute classics. I'm hoping to get a chance to see Armando Ianucci's recent stage production of Strangelove with Steve Coogan at some point to see how his performance compares with Peter Sellers - hopefully it'll be on the National Theatre at Home streaming service.
Godzilla might have been the first post-Hiroshima/Nagasaki nuclear movie. Wasn’t it filmed shortly after the Fukuryu Maru (“Happy Dragon”) fishing boat getting irradiated from the nuclear tests in the Pacific?
Yep I think the Daigo Fukuryu Maru was a hundred percent part of the impetus behind Gojira/Godzilla. It's *such* a huge cultural phenomenon I should probably do an entire deep dive into it at some point, like I did with Threads. There is actually a dramatisation film of the whole incident of the test that irradiated the fishermen which I found and considered including in the programme. I didn't end up putting it in (there are just waaaaaaaaay too many great options I could have included!) but you can find it on archive.org - I'd love to hear your thoughts if you watch it https://archive.org/details/luckydragon5
The China Syndrome is still relevant, while Dr Strangelove will always be a powerful statement.
Both absolute classics. I'm hoping to get a chance to see Armando Ianucci's recent stage production of Strangelove with Steve Coogan at some point to see how his performance compares with Peter Sellers - hopefully it'll be on the National Theatre at Home streaming service.
Godzilla might have been the first post-Hiroshima/Nagasaki nuclear movie. Wasn’t it filmed shortly after the Fukuryu Maru (“Happy Dragon”) fishing boat getting irradiated from the nuclear tests in the Pacific?
Yep I think the Daigo Fukuryu Maru was a hundred percent part of the impetus behind Gojira/Godzilla. It's *such* a huge cultural phenomenon I should probably do an entire deep dive into it at some point, like I did with Threads. There is actually a dramatisation film of the whole incident of the test that irradiated the fishermen which I found and considered including in the programme. I didn't end up putting it in (there are just waaaaaaaaay too many great options I could have included!) but you can find it on archive.org - I'd love to hear your thoughts if you watch it https://archive.org/details/luckydragon5
This is such a thoughtful and powerful way to explore the nuclear age through film.
Thanks Jon!