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
Click here to learn more at Kino Lorber Edu. Interested in bringing The Atomic Cafe to your school or library? If you'd like to have an in-class viewing, on-campus screening, or purchase the DVD for your library's collection, please visit our site or contact Estelle Grosso at EDU@kinolorber.com or call (212) 629-6880 with your request.
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Venue | City | State | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Lincoln Theatre - Damariscotta | Damariscotta | ME | 1540094400October 21, 2018 |
Alamo Drafthouse Winchester | Winchester | VA | 1540008000October 20, 2018 |
National Gallery of Art | Washington | DC | 1539489600October 14, 2018 |
Hollywood Theatre | Portland | OR | 1538971200October 8 - October 9, 2018 |
Grand Illusion Cinema | Seattle | WA | 1538712000October 5 - October 11, 2018 |
Vermont International Film Festival | Burlington | VT | 1538366400Coming in October |
Smith Rafael Film Center | San Rafael | CA | 1538193600September 29, 2018 |
Cleveland Cinematheque | Cleveland | OH | 1538193600September 29 - September 30, 2018 |
Northwest Film Center | Portland | OR | 1537588800September 22, 2018 |
Gene Siskel Film Center | Chicago | IL | 15375024009/21, 9/23, 9/26 |
Austin Film Society | Austin | TX | 15371568009/17, 9/19 |
Wexner Center for the Arts | Columbus | OH | 1536897600September 14, 2018 |
Detroit Institute of Arts | Detroit | MI | 1536292800September 7 - September 9, 2018 |
Cornell Cinema | Ithaca | NY | 15362928009/7, 9/18 |
Pacific Film Archive | Berkeley | CA | 15358608009/2, 9/7, 9/14 |
Cinestudio | Hartford | CT | 1535860800September 2 - September 5, 2018 |
Miami Beach Cinematheque | Miami Beach | FL | 1535688000August 31 - September 6, 2018 |
Parkway Theatre | Baltimore | MD | 15350832008/24-25, 8/29 |
Art Theatre | Champaign | IL | 1534824000August 21, 2018 |
Taos Center For The Arts | Taos | NM | 1534651200August 19 - August 22, 2018 |
Laemmle Claremont 5 | Claremont | CA | 1533960000August 11 - August 12, 2018 |
Laemmle Playhouse 7 | Pasadena | CA | 1533960000August 11 - August 12, 2018 |
Laemmle Monica Film Center | Los Angeles | CA | 1533873600August 10 - August 16, 2018 |
Roxie Theater | San Francisco | CA | 1533873600August 10 - August 16, 2018 |
Film Forum | New York | NY | 1533096000August 1 - August 14, 2018 |
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