FAIL SAFE! Reconsidering an American Classic with a Japanese Connoisseur of Cinema!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Monday, March 18), I paid a visit to Hiroshi Kashiwabara's cafe to participate in an event focused on a classic movie. (If you know anything about Kashiwabara-san, you know about his extensive fondness for American oldies.) The topic of the evening was the Sidney Lumet thriller Fail Safe (1964).

Some of the memorabilia on display. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It's always been fascinating to me (in a less-than-positive way) that Dr. Strangelove (1964) is regarded as an all-time classic while Fail Safe has largely been forgotten. I first saw Dr. Strangelove circa December 1996 when I was going through my Kubrick-Is-God phase (through which most teenage boys eventually have to pass). That and The Shining (1980) were the two Kubrick films I had the most trouble getting into. (I'd throw in 1962's Lolita, too, but does a film that minor even rate?)

I just never found Strangelove particularly clever or funny. It has its moments (most of which I found out later were improvised), but I'd be hard-pressed to call it one of the best films of 1964, let alone of all time.

Even more memorabilia! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Around August 1997, I saw Fail Safe for the first time on late-night cable TV. It was everything that Strangelove wasn't. I've since read that audiences of the time avoided Fail Safe because they supposedly found the subject matter humorous in the wake of the Kubrick film, but I certainly wasn't laughing. (Heck, I wasn't laughing the first time around, watching the genius auteur's would-be comedy.) Fail Safe kept me on the edge of my seat, and ever since that evening I've considered it the superior film.

Anyway, a funny thing happened this evening. When I entered the venue, I noticed a few attendees giving me a quizzical look. One of them asked Kashiwabara-san if I was an actor. He explained who I was, after which I confirmed to the folks in attendance that I'm indeed not a performer.

When the discussion of the film ended, Kashiwabara-san asked me to stand up, and he proceeded to tell the gathered attendees about more about me. I wasn't expecting to be put in the spotlight, but it's always flattering. Afterward, a few attendees expressed interest in seeing my interviews, so I shared the URL for Vantage Point Interviews with them. They seemed impressed!

Tonight was a fun night of film discussion. Many thanks to Kashiwabara-san for making it possible!