The Atomic Cafe
1982 cult classic juxtaposes Cold War history, propaganda and culture, seamlessly crafted from government-produced educational films and newsreels
Armageddon has never been so darkly funny as in THE ATOMIC CAFE. This 1982 cult classic juxtaposes Cold War history, propaganda, music and culture, seamlessly crafted from government-produced educational and training films, newsreels and advertisements. Taken together, these sources cheerily instruct the public on how to live in the Atomic Age, how to survive a nuclear attack(!)… and how to fight and win a nuclear war.
As a U.S. Army training film advises, “Viewed from a safe distance, the atomic bomb is one of the most beautiful sights ever seen by man.” Returning in a sparkling 4K digital restoration created by IndieCollect, THE ATOMIC CAFE is an absurdist blast from the past that would be downright laughable if it weren’t so eerily relevant to our fake news present.
_“A chilling memory of life in the first years under the mushroom umbrella.” _- Roger Ebert