Most people have forgotten the hysteria that took place because the movie was shown on TV. The fact that anyone was criticizing the Soviet Union was deemed heresy at that time. It was a different atmosphere than what it is now. It was written in stone that no network would ever criticize Communist totalitarianism but should, instead hate America. Ted Turner, an admirer of Marxist dictatorships and husband of Hanoi Jane, countered with "peace" programs on his television outlet. From a cinematographic viewpoint, it failed because it needed drastic editing. A later film, Red Dawn, about a Russian invasion of the US was more compact. It, too, was was hysterically attacked by people who objected to anything bad being said about Russia or Communists.