President Merkin Muffley: You're talking about mass murder, General, not war!
General "Buck" Turgidson: Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks.
Best. Satire. Ever.
I swear to God everytime I watch this movie it gets better. Hilarious. I really can't think of much to say about this movie. I mean, it's brilliant directing, writing and most of all acting. Peter Sellers is my all-time favorite comedic actor because of his three roles in this movie. He plays the British Mandrake who is so anal about code and honor that it sets him back, President Muffley who has a cold and "doesn't want to go down in history as the greatest mass murderer since Adolf Hitler" and finally, the best of the three, Dr. Strangelove himself, a wheelchair bound ex-Nazi aid that is now helping the United States. Half of his body is controlled by his love of the Nazi's and leads to many hilarious fights with himself. Then there is good ol' George C. Scott in his finest role of his life. He steals the screen whenever he is on it. This blows my mind since Peter Sellers is my favorite comedic actor. How does Patton kick his ass?!
Anyway, political satire is by far the best. Brazil is close to this in greatness, but this movie is less serious satire and more slapstick-satire. Kubrick is a genius. This film goes to show how great of a director he is. He can do Lolita before this which was also funny, but a lot darker, then this film then 2001 which doesn't fit into the mold of his films up to this point at all. Then Clockwork! MY WORD! WHAT RANGE! Anyway, I really don't know what else to write about this, so I'm going to put one of my fav monologues (sort of) in here as proof of it's ridiculousness.
[the President calls the Soviet Premier]
President Merkin Muffley: [to Kissoff] Hello?... Ah... I can't hear too well. Do you suppose you could turn the music down just a little?... Oh-ho, that's much better... yeah... huh... yes... Fine, I can hear you now, Dmitri... Clear and plain and coming through fine... I'm coming through fine, too, eh?... Good, then... well, then, as you say, we're both coming through fine... Good... Well, it's good that you're fine and... and I'm fine... I agree with you, it's great to be fine... a-ha-ha-ha-ha... Now then, Dmitri, you know how we've always talked about the possibility of something going wrong with the Bomb... The *Bomb*, Dmitri... The *hydrogen* bomb!... Well now, what happened is... ah... one of our base commanders, he had a sort of... well, he went a little funny in the head... you know... just a little... funny. And, ah... he went and did a silly thing... Well, I'll tell you what he did. He ordered his planes... to attack your country... Ah... Well, let me finish, Dmitri... Let me finish, Dmitri... Well listen, how do you think I feel about it?... Can you *imagine* how I feel about it, Dmitri?... Why do you think I'm calling you? Just to say hello?... *Of course* I like to speak to you!... *Of course* I like to say hello!... Not now, but anytime, Dmitri. I'm just calling up to tell you something terrible has happened... It's a *friendly* call. Of course it's a friendly call... Listen, if it wasn't friendly... you probably wouldn't have even got it... They will *not* reach their targets for at least another hour... I am... I am positive, Dmitri... Listen, I've been all over this with your ambassador. It is not a trick... Well, I'll tell you. We'd like to give your air staff a complete run-down on the targets, the flight plans, and the defensive systems of the planes... Yes! I mean i-i-i-if we're unable to recall the planes, then... I'd say that, ah... well, ah... we're just gonna have to help you destroy them, Dmitri... I know they're our boys... All right, well listen now. Who should we call?... *Who* should we call, Dmitri? The... wha-whe, the People... you, sorry, you faded away there... The People's Central Air Defense Headquarters... Where is that, Dmitri?... In Omsk... Right... Yes... Oh, you'll call them first, will you?... Uh-huh... Listen, do you happen to have the phone number on you, Dmitri?... Whe-ah, what? I see, just ask for Omsk information... Ah-ah-eh-uhm-hm... I'm sorry, too, Dmitri... I'm very sorry... *All right*, you're sorrier than I am, but I am as sorry as well... I am as sorry as you are, Dmitri! Don't say that you're more sorry than I am, because I'm capable of being just as sorry as you are... So we're both sorry, all right?... All right.
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