The Atomic Cafe

Directed by Kevin Rafferty and Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty

Year: 1982
Running Time: 88
Color Type: Color
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Booking Inquiry Playdates

The Atomic Cafe

Crew
Directed by Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty


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

“A stunner, a movie that has one howling with laughter, horror and disbelief. Deserves national attention."

– Vincent Canby, The New York Times

“A comic horror film. Everyone should visit The Atomic Cafe.”

– J. Hoberman, Village Voice

“An artfully assembled collage of official insanity.”

– David Ansen, Newsweek

“A chilling memory of life in the first years under the mushroom umbrella.”

– Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"Nuclear holocausts were never so darkly funny as in The Atomic Cafe (1982), a compilation of hilariously scrunchy archival footage.”

– CBS

“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.”

– Michael Agresta, Texas Observer


Awards

  • National Film Registry – U.S. Library of Congress

Original publicity still for The Atomic Cafe (1982), courtesy of Kino Lorber
Original publicity still for The Atomic Cafe (1982), courtesy of Kino Lorber
Original publicity still for The Atomic Cafe (1982), courtesy of Kino Lorber
Original publicity still for The Atomic Cafe (1982), courtesy of Kino Lorber
Original publicity still for The Atomic Cafe (1982), courtesy of Kino Lorber
Original publicity still for The Atomic Cafe (1982), courtesy of Kino Lorber
Original publicity still for The Atomic Cafe (1982), courtesy of Kino Lorber

PLAYDATES

Venue City Date
Film Forum New York 1533096000August 1 - August 14, 2018


Join the conversation
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 6:39pm
RT' @nytimes': 18. "Ganja & Hess" (1973): Directed by Bill Gunn, a fixture of the New York black independent film movement, the movie's a sen…
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 6:25pm
“A sensual, scholarly, magic-realist exploration of black history and black desire.” –' @aoscott', The New York Times…' https://t.co/VhuTxDUTYf'
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 6:14pm
"A reminder of the egolessness necessary for great egos to flourish." –' @BostonGlobe' FILMWORKER (@SK13movie) opens…' https://t.co/4t4tPKiViq'
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 6:13pm
RT' @MetrographNYC': GANJA & HESS composer and actor Sam Waymon joins us for a Q&A and vinyl-signing of the soundtrack on 5/30. The new resto…
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 4:27pm
RT' @LandmarkLTC': After his first encounter with Stanley Kubrick, Leon Vitali swiftly resolved to devote the rest of his life working for th…
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 3:21pm
RT' @panorama_cine': Tout ça. Douglas Fairbanks c'était tout ça, en plus d'être un métis dans The Half-Breed d'Allan Dwan (1916), récemment r…
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 3:05pm
RT' @r_emmet': The PERSONAL PROBLEMS DVD and Blu-ray will be out July 3rd, with essential bonus features:' https://t.co/5MsichsJRZ'' https://t.c…'
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 1:29pm
@XavierLegrand' @AlexandreGavras'' @DenisMenochet'' @lea_drucker'' @DreamsCelluloid'' @Directors_Label' We're so thrilled to…' https://t.co/ErEJnChgRm'
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 1:28pm
RT' @firstshowing': New US Trailer for Xavier Legrand's Acclaimed French Drama 'Custody'' https://t.co/HSMroP7Oei' #XavierLegrand' @KinoLorber' h…
'@KinoLorber' on May. 23 2018 at 1:28pm
RT' @FilmsontheGreen': June 8 at Washington Square Park: free outdoor screening of French-Vietnamese movie THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA. In Viet…
Tweet Now!

Inquiries & Press

General Inquiries

Kino Lorber, Inc.
333 W. 39th St., Ste. 503
New York, NY 10018
Tel. (212) 629-6880
Tel. (800) 562-3330
Fax. (212) 714-0871

Press & Media

For publicity assistance and press inquiries please contact us by emailing rodrigo@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