▁skill ▁to ▁spare , ▁it ▁man ages ▁to ▁spo of ▁everything ▁that ▁character ized ▁the ▁old ▁science - f iction ▁B - mov ies , ▁from ▁che es y ▁spaces hips ▁( with ▁visible ▁w ires ▁and ▁err atic ▁flight ▁paths ▁that ▁send ▁them ▁b ump ing ▁into ▁the ▁sets ) ▁to ▁cheap ▁weapon ry ▁( an ▁' am pl ific ator ' ▁whose ▁base ▁is ▁an ▁Elect rol ux ▁vac u um ▁cleaner ), ▁st ilt ed ▁language ▁(' app reh ensive '), ▁Cold ▁War ▁par ano ia , ▁cond esc ension ▁toward ▁women ▁and ▁utter ▁conv iction ▁in ▁the ▁inf al lib ility ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ." ▁ ▁" A ▁splendid ▁surprise ! ▁This ▁cra zy ▁sat ire ▁is ▁absolutely ▁en chant ing . ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁del ici ously ▁silly , ▁while ▁the ▁music ▁and ▁lyr ics ▁are ▁s vel t ely ▁appropriate ▁to ▁subject ▁matter ▁and ▁treatment . ▁The ▁music ▁ranges ▁from ▁Dor is ▁Day / Per ry ▁Como ▁style ▁rom antic ism , ▁to ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁rock ▁and ▁de wy ▁do o - w op . ▁And ▁there ▁is ▁even ▁one ▁number , ▁" The ▁American ▁Way ," ▁that ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁p enn ed ▁by ▁that ▁half - s av age ▁Harvard ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁sat ir ist , ▁Tom ▁Lehr er , ▁with ▁its ▁comment ▁aim ed ▁at ▁our ▁nation ' s ▁enemies : ▁' Don ' t ▁just ▁hate ▁' em , ▁ex termin ate ▁' em .' ▁By