"Sir, you can't let him in here. He'll see everything. He'll see the big board! "

Stanley Kubrick's DSOHILTSWALTB aside from being one of longest acronyms ever (!) is arguably one of the greatest black comedies ever written. Satirising the cold war, the story kicks off when a mentally unstable Air Force General, "Jack D Ripper" sends bombers to destroy the USSR. The president and his advisors frantically figure out how to bypass strict and ludicrous military protocol to recall the bombers and prevent global warfare.

Supporting Kubricks undeniable directorial and incredible script-writing skills are some of the greatest comic performances ever committed to celluloid, most notably George C Scott as General Buck Turgidson, and Peter Sellers playing 3 completely seperate and diverse characters.

George C Scott reportedly fell out with Kubrick onset, due to the director forcing him to ham his performance up, and always using the most over-the-top take. However it is exactly the combination of Scott's great "straight" acting, and Kubrick's twist which makes the gum-chewing, patriotic Turgidson so perfect and memorable.

Peter Sellers also ups the ante with his portrayal of 3 of the story's main protagonists. The morally driven English Captain Mandrake, the well meaning but seemingly powerless President of the USA Merkin Muffley, and the exaggerated ex-Nazi Dr Stranglove, complete with "alien hand syndrome". Sellers takes each character and makes them his own in a chameleon-like way, masterfully fleshing out the characters with perfect accents and mannerisms, ruining any notion that the 3-way was just a movie marketing gimmick. You would be forgiven for not realising it was the same actor on first viewing.

Also keep an eye out for a very young James Earl-Jones in his big-screen debut, as part of the crew of the ill-fated bomber.

While some (including myself) would argue that 2001 was Kubrick's 'Magnum Opus', Dr Strangelove almost certainly contains his best dialogue, and you really get the sense that he had a lot of fun making it. While lighthearted and incredibly quotable, the themes contained are still very relevant in today's political climate. Anyone who enjoys dark comedy, larger than life characters, military and political satire, and comedies in general HAS to see this movie.