ironhorse_iv The idea of combining film from various sources to make something new is a controversial issue. Some people thinks it's stealing; while other people believe collage films like this, are masterpieces of film novelty. In my opinion, I'm one, for the latter argument since many of these propaganda films, TV programs, army and military training films, advertisements, film strips, newsreels, cartoons, government archival film, documentaries, civil defense films, anti-nuclear footage, public service announcements, educational films, and commercial stock footage are in the public domain. So I really doubt, any of this, is considered as stealing in the modern term. Then, there are those critics that says, that films like this, undermining the original message, in which, the original film footage was trying to tell. While, it's true, I haven't saw, many of these film archives on their own, before in my life; so, I wouldn't know, what their original intention were really about, however, I do love, the way, this movie consistent edit all of those found footage from disparate sources into one film to prove that life in the 'Atomic Age' was somewhat comical, despite the era being ride with paranoia, anxiety and misapprehension. I saw, 'the Atomic Café' as a funny, but also an eerily look into the nostalgia of 1940-1960s Cold War. The film's satire shines best, and most vividly in the clever image splicing of the cheerful 1952's animation film, 'Duck and Cover', with that the misinform 'Army Training Videos', which state out, soldiers and Bikini islanders would be alright to return to destructive bomb sites, without getting much radiation. Its shows, how inexperienced and naïve people still were, after ten to 20 years after the horrors of the nuclear bombing of the Japanese towns of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, during World War 2. I know, it's a bit hypocritical to laugh at people from yesteryear, when we still, repeating some of the same mistakes, in today's world, but some of the examples, I brought up, here, are just too hilarious, not to give a few chuckles. The movie is just way too entertaining. In my opinion, I thought that directors, Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty and Pierce Rafferty and their team of film editors and researchers did a great job. After all, this movie was made in the early 1980s; where old film footages isn't as easy to find, as it is, today's work. There was no internet, back then, to share film files with; every film archive had to be search and noted for similarities. I heard, that makers of The Atomic Cafe sifted through thousands of feet of Army films, newsreels, government propaganda films and old television broadcasts to come up with 86 minutes of material for their movie. That's pretty impressive at the time. It's also remarkable that all of this, is presented without any new talking narration, or talking-head interviews to push the narrative along. Even, the vintage songs match, the era in which this movie, is trying to portray. It was very whimsical and yet so razor-sharp accuracy. No wonder, why this movie took five years to make. I just surprised that this documentary wasn't nominated for Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1982; because it should had. If the movie had any faults; it's the lack of seeing what the views of the Soviet Union was going through, during that same era. I know, Soviet Union film footage and newsreels is hard to come back, at that time; but just think, if this movie had some of those. It would make a more well-rounded film. I would love to see more scenes like the 1959's Kitchen Debate, between Vice President, Richard Nixon & Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev or something similar to that. Another fault of the film is the movie doesn't talk much about the early 1960s Cold War attitudes. I think, those events would still, fit with the nostalgia cold war tone of the film. It would be nice to see them, to cover the U-2 incident, the Berlin Wall Build up, the Cuba Missile Crisis and the Space Age. My only guess, in why this movie, didn't show that, was because, those events were too tense to make fun of. However, in my opinion, it would still work. After all, this film, did showcase, some dark events like the Korea War, the trials of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and others. So, I don't see, no reason, why they couldn't add those 1960s events in. Despite that, the Atomic Café did serves up a revealing, somewhat informative hot cup of Cold War history. Overall: Atomic Café was da-bomb! The film was immensely enjoyable. I recommended watching to anybody who is a Cold-War junkie. It will warm your heart.

Woodyanders Comprised of extraordinary newsreel footage, propaganda movies, classroom scare films (the notorious "Duck and Cover" with Bert the Turtle rates as an absolute riot of jaw-dropping idiocy), and military training pictures from the 1940's and 1950's, this genuinely alarming, yet still absorbing and often darkly amusing documentary paints a damning portrait of government duplicity and civilian complacency as Uncle Sam and the media alike spoon feed the gullible American public all kinds of gross misinformation about the severe after effects of the atomic bomb as well as go out of their way to present the communist nation of Russia as a dire threat to the American way of life in order to justify the necessary existence of nuclear weapons. The chilling footage of the actual devastating consequences of radioactive fallout offers a startling contrast to all the outright lies told by assorted cheery authorities and so-called hopelessly clueless experts throughout. Further galvanized by a neat array of catchy'n'jaunty songs, with a wondrous wealth of dark humor bubbling just underneath the deceptively merry surface, and an admirable dearth of narration (the numerous clips tell their own frightening story about the shocking uneasiness and irrationality beget by rampant paranoia all too well on their own), it's both hilarious and horrifying in equal measure.

Martin Teller Completely free of narration, commentary, or intertitles, this documentary presents archival footage from the Cold War era expressing all the facets of nuclear paranoia and the government's feeble attempts to pacify it. Mostly comprised of bits from newsreels and education films (with occasional nuclear-related songs of the time on the soundtrack), the material is alternately hilarious and horrifying, preying on the public's gullibility and need for a voice of authority, no matter how absurd the message. Thirty years after its release, the film is still relevant (everyone got their duct tape ready?).8/10

didier-20 (To counter the comment which plays this film off against Atomic Cafe and deems this title 'pointless')Radio Bikini documents, using some of the 18 tons of film shipped to Bikini by the US Navy to record Operation Crossroads, or as we know it, the Bombing of Bikini Atoll by air and undersea atomic bombs explosions.The remarkable lengths the navy went to capture the exercise is impressive. The direct gaze into the event via full Technicolour all seems counter to the half truths and mixed messages deliberately put out to the American public as the experiment preceded.Perhaps the single most disturbing issue which is not explicitly presented but alluded to in the final moments of the film, is that 22.000 navy sailors were deliberately sailed into ground zero and directly exposed to strong doses of radiation for a good number of days. This was despite public announcements expressing an interest in preserving the health of the US navy subjects and the issuing of protective clothing only to a few scientists. Meanwhile the sailors swam, sunbathed, hung out in the highly radio active wreckage and unforgivably used ground zero sea water to replenish their on-board drinking water converters. Sailors who became sick in ground zero were experimented on in hospital back in San Fransico and after discharge many 1000s must have died horrendous and disturbing deaths later on in their lives in the manner of the interviewee used in the film. The film is about the Bikini operation from beginning to end. Unlike Atomic Cafe, it's sticks to a specific subject and story and it's approach is sober and historically rooted rather than general, absurdest and scatter gun. It needs to remain focused because history must yet establish the culpability & intent to cause harm to 22.000 navy sailors by their own US Navy command and this is the main outstanding question of the film.