Dr. Strangeloveor: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1963)Director: Stanley Kubrick. Cast: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, Keenan Wynn This masterful Cold War black comedy remains timeless as it speaks volumes about the power machines wield over men. Peter Sellers’s bumbling, impotent President Merton Muffley (one of three roles he plays in the film) struggles to avert a nuclear disaster spurred on by a maniacal Air Force general who wants to decimate the Soviets because, he believes, they are out to “pollute the precious bodily fluids” of Americans. All the President’s Men (1976)Director: Alan J. Pakula. Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jason Robards Though they essentially brought down Tricky Dick, Woodward and Bernstein can also lay claim to ushering in a new generation of prying and spying journalists driven by their thirst to unearth the next scandal that will change the world. The film about the Washington Post reporters’ crusade to lay bare the facts of Watergate did open the Oval Office to public scrutiny, both in real life and in celluloid. Next
title: “Presidents Day” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-24” author: “Julia Avila”
Dave (1993)Director: Ivan Reitman. Cast: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Ben Kingsley Electoral College Presidential Elections, 1789 to 1996 Facts about elections Unusual Voting Results Minority Presidents An unexpected hit, the Capra-esque Dave won bipartisan praise. Though Kevin Kline’s president initially recalled George Bush, he’s beginning to show more shades of Bill Clinton. Presidential fill-in Dave Kovic assumes the job full time when a stroke puts the president in a coma. Dave warms the cold heart of the First Lady and pushes through a compassionate agenda. Next
title: “Presidents Day” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-25” author: “Zachary Wade”
Wag the Dog (1997)Director: Barry Levinson. Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche
Related Links:
Spotlight: Presidential ScandalsSpotlight: A Short History of ImpeachmentVice PresidentsCabinet MembersThe U.S. ConstitutionNational Film Registry
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