(VOD) THE ATOMIC CAFE is an expertly crafted pastiche documentary that maps the nuclear age and Cold War via interviews, archival footage, and U.S. propaganda. It may be because of current times, age, selective memory or whatnot, but I recall it feeling far more irreverent when I first watched it in the 90s. Rewatching it in this day and age, it feels like the pendulum has swung back, becoming a cautionary work again.
Arguably the new 4K restoration looks a bit too clean, has too much of a sheen to it — film grain shouldn’t be scrubbed out of existence! — but it’s worth it to get the film back out there again.
Re-Release Trailer: