Dr. Strangelove & the Apocalypse
March 21, 2022
The Department of Religion and Culture will host “Dr. Strangelove & the Apocalypse,” a film screening and discussion, to celebrate the work of the late professor Stephen Prince.
Prince was a beloved professor of cinema in Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts for 32 years, and served as president of the Society for Cognitive Study of the Moving Image. One of his many books, “Apocalypse Cinema,” was published posthumously in July 2021.
The event will take place at 7 p.m. in 3100 Torgersen Hall, and is free to the public. Discussion will be led by religion and culture Assistant Professor Shaily Patel, Professor Brian Britt, and Professor Matthew Gabriele.
Prince’s final book provides lively overviews of pivotal Apocalyptic cinema, including “Dr. Strangelove,” which focuses on the recurrent threat of nuclear war and conspiracy theories. Throughout his book, Prince considers why audiences are drawn to apocalypse cinema — and finds it is linked to fundamental existential questions about existence. But ultimately, Prince believed apocalypse cinema is about hope — about those who step up after seeing a need for change in the world.