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Their entire careers shrouded in secrecy, the filmmakers of Lookout Point, the Air Force's fully contained film-production studio located in the Hollywood Hills, finally get their due in this brief (50 minutes) but thoroughly engrossing documentary. A worthy companion to
Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie, this film introduces us to the great lengths that the U.S. government went to in order to capture on film the numerous atomic tests of the late 1940s and '50s. With full funding from the Atomic Energy Commission, Lookout Point was no low-budget educational film house cranking out 16mm cheapies on the dangers of VD. Located near the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, the filmmakers were quick to take advantage of the latest technology. You really can't beat seeing an atomic-bomb test in full Technicolor and Cinemascope, as is shown here for the first time. Other technologies utilized were VistaVision (Hitchcock used this process, as well) and stereophonic sound. Over the course of 20 years, the Lookout Point facility produced more than 6,500 shorts, many of which are still classified to this day.
--Kristian St. Clair
From the back cover
The amazing story of the government filmmakers who documented America's incredible nuclear bomb tests.
Produced by Peter Kuran, the award-winning creator of Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie and renowned special effects filmmaker, this extraordinary documentary chronicles the top-secret film studio that for more than 20 years photographed more than 300 nuclear-weapons tests. Their work is among the most spectacular ever captured on film. From the Nevada desert to remote Pacific atolls to outer space, the Atomic Filmmakers developed advanced techniques and methods to create their fantastic movies. They made 6,500 films and all were locked away as soon as they were watched by a handful of government officials.
With the end of the cold war, the story of the secret film studio in the Hollywood Hills can be told. It is a story of selfless dedication to country and outstanding filmmaking that resulted in some of the most stunning images ever recorded. Many of their most amazing images are featured in this fascinating production. The Atomic Filmmakers created a visual legacy that will be studied for years to come and will serve as an important reference for one of the most dangerous times in world history.
