In this special movie-review episode of Mil History Talk, Hope launches the podcast’s new film review feature and takes on her role as the show’s official (and very unofficial) Hollywood liaison. With wit, skepticism, and historical depth, she explores how Hollywood has portrayed nuclear war—and how those portrayals shaped public understanding far more than doctrine ever could.

From the confident professionalism of Strategic Air Command, through the chilling systemic failure of Fail Safe, to the dark satire of Dr. Strangelove, this episode traces the evolution of Cold War nuclear anxiety on screen. The second half confronts the human aftermath and institutional doubt shown in The Day After, By Dawn’s Early Light, and the modern unease of A House of Dynamite.

Each film is rated using Mil History Talk’s 1–5 service-based system, blending cultural analysis with strategic insight. Serious subject, sharp humor, free popcorn—this is nuclear war as Hollywood taught us to fear it.