Dr. Strangelove

Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964) parodies all kinds of strange American elements (our endless wars, our tangled politics, our obsession with conspiracy theories) so well that it's difficult to see now how risky all those decisions were at the time. Made just four years after Hollywood stopped blacklisting people deemed "unpatriotic," the film portrays the military, the scientists and the diplomats as selfish, flawed beings. It's also a hoot, mainly thanks to Peter Sellers' work as Lionel Mandrake, President Muffley and the eerie Dr. Strangelove, the former Nazi scientist who has one hand he can't quite control. Can any of these men save the world from the impending nuclear destruction Air Force Commander Jack D. Ripper intends to unleash on those bastard commies for poisoning our water supply with fluoride? Don't bet on it. Turner Classic Movies presents a special screening of Dr. Strangelove at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday (September 18 and 21). You can see it locally at the Wehrenberg Des Peres 14 Cine (12701 Manchester Road, Des Peres; www.fathomevents.com). Tickets are $10 to $12.50.