The Atomic Cafe
This darkly funny and eerily relevant 1982 cult classic about how to stop worrying and love the bomb is pieced together from government-produced educational and training... Read more
The Atomic Cafe
Directed by Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader, and Pierce Rafferty
The Atomic Cafe
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 to theaters 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.
Reviews
"Bitterly funny… as vital as ever. A time capsule of a time capsule, the 1982 documentary compilation film The Atomic Cafe feels suddenly, enragingly relevant again… back to remind us how fucked we truly are, and perhaps have always been."
"One of the funniest documentaries ever made. Feels more sharply relevant than ever."
“Never feels too distant, despite the years, perhaps because both careless stewardship of the bomb and surreal official propaganda seem to be making a comeback.”
“A stunner, a movie that has one howling with laughter, horror and disbelief. Deserves national attention."
“An artfully assembled collage of official insanity.”
"Bitterly funny. As vital as ever. A time capsule of a time capsule, the 1982 documentary compilation film The Atomic Cafe feels suddenly, enragingly relevant again… back to remind us how fucked we truly are, and perhaps have always been.”
“A comic horror film. Everyone should visit The Atomic Cafe.”
“A chilling memory of life in the first years under the mushroom umbrella.”
"Nuclear holocausts were never so darkly funny as in The Atomic Cafe (1982), a compilation of hilariously scrunchy archival footage.”
"Jaw-dropping... skillfully illustrates in absurd and horrifying fashion how the job of educating the public was accomplished through God-on-our-side propaganda."
"Often hilarious and frightening. The Atomic Café’s half-life is far from over."
Awards
National Film Registry – U.S. Library of Congress
RT' @DedzaFilms': NEPTUNE FROST tells the story of a cosmic romance between an intersex hacker and a coltan miner who seed revolution. Expe…
“Provocative. Breathtaking vistas of green hills, waterfalls, and snowy mountaintops…contrast with the high-stakes…' https://t.co/n9LxgZvLq6'
“Mondocane is the genre movie that Italy had been waiting for.” - Giulio Zoppello,' @esquire' MONDOCANE opens today…' https://t.co/n5B0HLSzzN'
NOW PLAYING!🔥 In MONDOCANE, two best friends are caught between love, crime and ambition in a world of the future t…' https://t.co/g1ESNzyGDN'
"Kino Lorber’s new Miklós Jancsó Collection is both welcome and important... presents the esteemed but too-little-k…' https://t.co/zBb3XUXiYR'
MONDOCANE director Alessandro Celli "creates a world worth getting lost in as a viewer, opening up the senses as hi…' https://t.co/o6ievTTmaB'
RT' @am_cinematheque': LF3 limited engagement June 17th - 24th! Q&A w/' @SaulWilliams' &' @dreamstatesmeta' on 6/17 💫' https://t.co/dVIyx0d8Cn'
RT' @Kanopy': We're excited to be partnering with' @KinoLorber' on the release of BRAINWASHED: SEX-CAMERA-POWER (2022). Look for this Nina Menk…
We're thrilled to partner with' @Kanopy' on the release of' @sundancefest' standout BRAINWASHED: SEX-CAMERA-POWER from…' https://t.co/4yzX5rIO78'
RT' @dreamstatesmeta': NEPTUNE FROST SOON IN A THEATER NEAR YOU 🛸✨👁https://t.co/QmTpEM06GD' https://t.co/XV95A6gQMG'
General Inquiries
333 W. 39th St., Ste. 503
New York, NY 10018
Tel. (800) 562-3330
Fax. (212) 714-0871
Press & Media
For publicity assistance and press inquiries please contact us by emailing dninh@kinolorber.com or calling 212-629-6880.
Educational
Please visit our educational site at www.KinoLorberEDU.com
For assistance with educational orders, please contact us at:
Phone:212-629-6880
Fax: 212-714-0871
Email: edu@kinolorber.com