You ain't nothing but an AGM-28 Hound Dog

[hirez]

Via the Manchester Guardian, we find this marvellous work of Cold War propaganda. Not that I'm a particular fan of Strategic Air Command, Christmas icon notwithstanding, it's just that the film is an unintentional cavalcade of pre-90s cultural icons. Big analogue screens driven by shipping container-sized tech. Curvilinear stove-enamelled computer equipment that provided the styling cues for WOPR. Red AT&T handsets connected to arrays of buttons marked '273rd strategic bombardment wing'.

... And a mysterious woman at the end of each reel standing next to some colo(u)r bars against a curtained background. Cinematographer's partner? Lab tech? Someone who didn't end up on the cutting-room floor?

If there's a plot to her appearances, it's likely that of 'Hidden city', which was a splendid Film-Four enterprise of the mid 80s. It was similarly concerned with the side-effects of the Cold War.

I wish I had a copy of the Poliakoff film about the photo library.

Adam Curtis is still firing on all cylinders, mind. If we're all Tricky Dicky now, I'm writing a piece called 'The million-pound shithammer'.

Comments

[liz-lowlife.livejournal.com]

Amazon is your friend Dear- we found "Shooting the Past" on there no problemo.

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

we're all Tricky Dicky

Yes, I quite liked that bite-sized chunk of anti-whatever-the-thing-is-that-we-have-become. Bob Putnam was right. (http://wwwc.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/nixon-bowling.jpg)

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

I love Poliakoff - Stronger than the Sun is my favourite.