[year/rating] 1982 NR [genre] Documentary [director] Jayne Loader & Kevin Rafferty [starring] Lloyd Bentsen W.H.P. Blandy Owen Brewster Frank Gallop

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Summary Capsule

A warped editing of footage from the Atomic Bomb era.

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Justin's Rating: Didn't George C. Scott star in this film?
Justin's Review: Few of us have life spans that go easily back to the late 40's and early 50's, where rock 'n roll was virtually non-existant and Brill cream oiled the heads of many. This was the frightening age of the discovery and use of atomic weapons, something that we take for granted now, but was quite new and unknown back then.

"What you didn't see was Justin, in his sporty red coupe, racing the hell away from anything exploding into the upper atmosphere."

The Atomic Café is a unique splicing of actual documentaries of atomic tests and attacks (including Hiroshima), as well as snippets of civil and Army information films. If you want to have a large collection of genuine nuclear explosions, this is definitely the film for you. The harrowing blasts are simultaneously fascinating and frightening. Yet, this movie contrasts our headlong rush into the atomic age with the ignorance of the public and military of its true potential.

Possibly one of the most memorable scenes is after a large H-bomb test in the desert, when a group of soldiers emerge from their bunkers and start walking toward the blast, which is still in motion. Toward the blast? What you didn't see was Justin, in his sporty red coupe, racing the hell away from anything exploding into the upper atmosphere. Yet this apparently insane action has perfectly insane logic to back it up -- the Army test films downplay the seriousness of dangers involved.

There's also the infamous "Duck and Cover" information film that has kids scrambling under -- hopefully lead-lined -- desks, with a chirpy voice singing "duck and cover" in the background. It's no wonder why civilization got so bad as to enter the seventies and rely so heavily upon shag carpeting and the Brady Bunch.

If you like the History, Discovery or Learning channels, but crave something a little more real, order a slice of radioactive pie from The Atomic Café. (note: Justin feels horrible, just horrible to make that weak analogy. Please relay his confession to the next priest you spot)

Andie's Rating: It's DA BOMB
Andie's Review: Okay, so the only reason I've even seen this film is because we watched it in my film class. This is one of the few classes I find I have time to go to, because my life has become completely overrun by things like Homecoming, which I choreographed a dance for and was in the parade and whatnot, and things like being a stage manager for Godspell which is cool but takes a lot of time and I wish I was actually IN the show because DAMMIT I'm a good singer and a good actress and why shouldn't I be cast but no I'm the stage manager which I suppose is good experience but really I'm just the director's b**** and I don't like that so much and I'm also in an Acting class right now and I've had to do two scenes right in a row and my partner for the second scene just told me the other night that she has a thing for me, that's right I said SHE, and I have to have two monologues memorized pretty soon and they're cool monologues, one is the baseball speech Susan Sarandon does at the beginning of Bull Durham, but I just don't have time to memorize them because I'm also running for a couple positions in my sorority, parliamentarian and education chair, and my sorority has a retro rollerskating date dash tonight, which I cannot attend because I have Godspell rehearsal, and we also have a formal on the 18th which I have a great dress for but I do not have a date yet and I probably won't have one because I haven't had a boyfriend since like March of my senior year of high school and that's depressing and all my ex-boyfriends seem to be getting married and that's even more depressing and you know what's really depressing?

The Atomic Cafe. A good movie about nuclear war, which everyone should see.

Next Stop: Radiation Poisoningville Mmm... deadly liquor...

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• Shelter life doesn't look too bad!
• We don't get trained in ducking and covering nowadays!
• The really bad acting of the Army films
• Kooky animation that is outdone by early episodes of Scooby Doo

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

Probably not.

Unnecessary Background

The atomic bomb was first born out of an arms race between Nazi Germany (who reportedly started working on one around 1939) and the U.S. (dubbed "The Manhattan Project"). It took American scientists six years and $2 billion to complete and perfect an atomic bomb. On July 16, 1945, the first atomic bomb was detonated in the mountains of New Mexico, which could be seen for over 120 miles away. After witnessing the event, many of the atomic bomb creators tried to sign petitions against ever using such a device again.

Up to this point in history (June 2004), there have only been two military uses of the atomic bomb. To avoid a drawn-out and costly invasion of the Japanese islands, President Truman authorized the use of the bomb on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945 -- 66,000 people were killed and 69,000 injured by a 10-kiloton atomic explosion) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945 -- 39,000 deaths and 25,000 injuries).

"My God, what have we done?" - Robert Lewis, the co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb.

As of today, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, Russia, United States all have nuclear weapons. Iran and North Korea are attempting to develop them, it is unknown if Israel has them, and South Africa abandoned its nuclear arms after building them.

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

Attention South Park fans! If the "Duck and Cover" info film seems familiar, then cast your mind back to the "Volcano" episode, where South Park citizens are advised to "duck and cover" when lava comes toward them. Seems equally stupid, don't it?

Groovy Quotes

Army information film: When not close enough to be killed, the atomic bomb is one of the most beautiful sights in the world.

Civil defense film: Be sure to include tranquilizers to ease the strain and monotony of life in a fallout shelter. A bottle of 100 should be sufficient for a family of four. Tranquilizers are not a narcotic, and are not habit-forming.

Voiceover: We do not yet know the effect of the bomb on the Japanese morale.

Soundtrack Review

Some bad ol' gospel/country songs featuring and often glamorizing the atomic bomb.

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