Thursday, March 5, 2026 6:30pm
Stanley Kubrick is arguably the most highly regarded filmmaker of the latter half of the 20th century, if not all time. Say his name and you might think of the magisterial 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), a millennia spanning sci-fi epic that speculates on the origins and meaning of human existence. Or the brutally dystopic vision of A Clockwork Orange (1971), where individual agency is overridden by state-sponsored psychological manipulation. Or the films Paths of Glory (1957) and Full Metal Jacket (1987) that subvert notions of moral clarity and the typical framing of war as a clear-cut battle of good vs. evil. Or The Shining (1980), a masterpiece of suspense that leaves viewers questioning whether the horror resides without or within.
But say his name and it’s unlikely that the first thing you think of is laughs, which is a shame, because he could be damn funny. A mordant wit undergirds all his films, and moments of humor provide relief to the drama and tension he builds. Plus, he made one of the greatest satires of all time, Dr. Strangelove (1964).
Based on the dead serious cold war novel Red Alert (1958), it wasn’t initially intended to be a comedy, but the subject matter–global thermonuclear annihilation–was so ominous and depressing that he decided the only possible approach was to play it for laughs. (So much so that the script included a slapstick pie fight, which was later cut.) The result is a film that stares down the barrel of impending doom and responds with a shrug and guffaw. You’ll laugh until you cry.
Screening Thursday, March 5, 2026. Doors 6:30, screening 7:00pm.
