Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Atomic Cafe Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 18, 2018

“Funny” is a word that’s often associated with 1982’s “The Atomic Café.” Such promise of humor is stamped all over the promotion of the picture, with nervous distributors trying to lure viewers who wouldn’t normally be interested in an 87-minute-long summary of American leaders lying to the public about the true destructive possibilities of an atomic bomb blast. Funny this movie most certainly isn’t, but I suppose the actual toxicity of this darkness is subjective, with “The Atomic Café” more of a skillful assembly of footage than a knee-slapper. Directors Jayne Loader and Kevin and Pierce Rafferty spent years stitching together a look at the development of American paranoia and hubris, and they end up with an eye-opening examination of Atomic Age denial and experimentation, delivering, without narration, an extraordinary view of military power and those tasked with deflecting attention away from surefire dangers during a time of reckless experimentation.

The filmmakers offer no talking heads or hand-holding explanation, electing to use footage as a guide through the development of atomic weapons in the 1940s and ‘50s. “The Atomic Café” is comprised entirely of short films, newsreels, and press conferences, allowing those directly involved with the creation of superweapons to speak for themselves. The documentary actually opens with reflections on the Enola Gay mission to bomb Nagasaki during the end of World War II, detailing the procedure of the flight as it transformed into a world-changing event, while President Truman shares his feelings on America’s Godly destiny to use the atomic bomb to stop war and prevent future challenges to world order. The Heavens are evoked multiples times in “The Atomic Café,” with those in charge of ordering death happily passing the buck to God, putting the weight of responsibility on religious direction, while the reality of the blast is highlighted in images of survivors, propped up for the camera with charred skin and missing body parts. To intensify the callousness of the event, the helmers pipe in pop hits celebrating the bomb and audio from a comedian making light of such massive destruction. It’s chilling to watch.

“The Atomic Café” maintains rhythm with moments in history, exploring testing at Bikini Atoll and post-war escalation of armament, with a brief WWII collaboration with the Soviet Union quickly breaking down into the Cold War, inspiring an arms race that’s detailed in unsettled American response to new doomsday developments from the Soviets. The documentary is careful to monitor horrors from this march into the 1950s, including the botched relocation of native cultures daring to live on islands near testing sites, and the rise of the Korean War, with U.S. leaders using the A-bomb as a weapon of intimidation, making it clear that America is willing to go the extra step in the quest for peace.

Despite footage of melting flesh and glib leaders, “The Atomic Café” isn’t hardcore journalism, getting more of a charge out of contrasting the bright future of atomic warfare with the reality of its after-effects. Such hope is examined in propaganda shorts from the era, which offers the elusive goal of hope should a bomb arrive in America. Government agencies are shown downplaying the ravages of radiation, selling the dream of self-protection instead through “Duck and Cover” safety measures and the glamour of fallout shelters, offering opportunists a chance to zoom in and sell the growing suburban market on a vision of comfort in a concrete cell while the world burns outside. Sure, there’s absurdity in play, watching Average Joes suckered into silly survival schemes, and it’s something to see how extensively the American Government lied to the public about the reality of the Atomic Age. Paranoia was a powerful weapon, with Red Scare coverage perhaps the most engrossing stretch of the picture, identifying a strange time in history when fear of Communism infected national consciousness, blinding people to the real concerns of the day.

The Atomic Cafe Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The folks at IndieCollect have restored "The Atomic Café" for future use, offering a 4K scan of the 16mm production. The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation is working with a collection of archival materials, and the creative goal here is to preserve their older, scratchy appeal, not clean everything up to modern digital standards. Embrace this wear and tear, with clarity decent along the way, giving these obscure offerings of propaganda and news reports fresh life in HD while still preserving the filmic appeal of the original feature. Color is limited but effective, handling saturated primaries, while whites retain their brightness. Delineation is secure.

The Atomic Cafe Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't built to wow with dimension, remaining simplistic but effective. Elements retain their aged origin, but clarity is never problematic, offering a clear read of short film speechifying and performances, and political footage is also preserved. Music handles with ease, delivering agreeable instrumentation. Sound effects are defined, perhaps too much so, with the sweetening of screams (animals and otherwise) popping out a bit too sharply.

The Atomic Cafe Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Propaganda Films include "Operation Crossroads" (26:43), "Self-Preservation in an Atomic Bomb Attack" (17:43), "Atomic Alert" (10:34), "Duck and Cover" (9:12), "Survival Under Atomic Attack" (8:47), "A is for Atom" (14:42), "The House in the Middle" (12:03), "About Fallout" (23:33), "Atomic Energy as a Force for Good" (27:31), "Operation Cue" (15:11), and "The Day Called X" (28:26).

• "Filmwax Radio Interview" (27:13) is an August, 2018 reunion with moviemakers Kevin and Pierce Raffery and Jayne Loader, who attempt to discuss the restoration of "The Atomic Café." The Filmwax host has a habit of interrupting his guests, but decent information is shared concerning the early stages of production, with a plan to create the documentary dating back to 1976. Years of research ensued, with the trio practically living at the National Archive as they examined propaganda offerings. Some talk of the picture's initial theatrical release is shared, highlighting box office success and a promotional tour that brought the directors on talk shows, including a David Letterman appearance. A modern appreciation of "The Atomic Café" is presented, and the movie's induction into the Library of Congress Film Archives collection is marveled over, representing newfound life for the endeavor.

• "Public Shelter" is an ill-fated 1995 CD-ROM project about the Atomic Age from Loader, who provides the following sound clips: "Dwight D. Eisenhower" (14:11), "Nevada Interviews" (5:12), "Second Nevada Interview" (17:11), "Richard Nixon" (28:11), and "Subversive Activities" (13:44).

• And a Re-release Trailer (2:24, HD) is included.

The Atomic Cafe Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Atomic Café" hit the zeitgeist in 1982, released during a time of nuclear escalation, with the U.S. and Russia locked in an arms race. And now it's being released in 2018, when the world is once again teetering on the edge of chaos, with antagonisms growing amongst superpowers. It doesn't make the film prescient, but it serves as a potent reminder of circular behavior from government leaders only concerned about protecting complacency, not the people. "The Atomic Café" works as nostalgia, with a tightly curated selection of shorts that underline beaming American pride, but it's also there to horrify, tracking the nation's grim experimentation with power, without any real clue how to wield it. Your mileage may vary when it comes to laughs.