Atomic Filmmakers - Hollywoods Secret Film Studio + Mission to Moscow
Hello. Time for more movies… please remember to watch the films and share what you think.
Atomic Filmmakers - Hollywood’s Secret Film Studio by Peter Kuran
Both remarkable and profound. For individuals with recollections of the systemic apprehension and frequent testing conducted in the Pacific islands during the 1950s, this documentary provides recently declassified information. A significant feature of the film is the inclusion of detonations recorded by Rapatronic cameras. It serves as an exceptional resource for the general public and researchers of nuclear testing alike, presenting authentic data devoid of sensationalized narratives or fabricated special effects. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the former Lookout Mountain AFS facility is reportedly currently under the ownership of Jared Leto.
Watch here.
Mission to Moscow by Michael Curtiz
Directed by Michael Curtiz as an immediate follow-up to “Casablanca,” this stands as a singular Hollywood production from Warner Bros. that offers an intensely pro-Soviet. It’s a faithful adaptation of the memoir by Joseph E. Davies, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, who personally approved the screenplay and appears at the film’s opening.
The film provides a detailed look at political maneuvering in Moscow leading up to World War II, including agricultural collectivization, industrial expansion, and the Moscow Trials. While it presents Stalin in a remarkably favorable and peaceful light, it also features authentic footage of Nazi Germany. Despite being crafted as a propaganda piece at the request of F.D.R. to build support for the Soviet Union, the movie is well-paced and competently acted, Walter Huston giving a particularly memorable performance.
Because of its portrayal of events that have since been subject to different historical interpretations, the movie has been largely suppressed. For anyone interested in the complex political landscape prior to the U.S. entry into WWII, this film remains an essential, maybe hysterical, cinematic artifact.
Watch here.