This movie made me realize that I had something of a talent for appreciating great motion picture production. I fully agree with nearly all professional movie critics, directors, screen playwrights, authors, etc. that this satire is one of the most underrated films ever made. In fact I regard it as the most underrated film by the general movie-going audience in motion picture history, along with four other films close behind. "The President's Analyst" has always held a very high position on my list of 100 favorite movies, holding the #15 position for the past 12 years. I remember being dismayed and shocked when many of my friends said they didn't consider it very good, ranking it with James Coburn's "Our Man Flint" B-movies. I was absolutely flabbergasted that anyone would categorize this film with those ridiculous spy-action-thriller children flicks. I hate those movies. I remember thinking, "am I the only person on earth who understands and appreciates this beautiful film?" Then I started reading the reviews of well known critics and accomplished film makers, acclaiming it as a cold-war era classic political satire, highly underrated. I remember feeling much better, relieved and vindicated. I personally loved this film from the first time I saw it in 1971, to present; it hasn't lost any of its luster to me. I don't know if anyone could have done a better job playing Dr. Sydney Schaefer than James Coburn. In fact the whole casting was genius as far as I'm concerned. This film attests Coburn's remarkable Oscar-winning spectrum as an actor. I further agree with critics that this film was far "ahead of its time". I consider it a modern turning point in movie satire and comedy style. It somehow applies a light-hearted ambiance to very grim but important modern political subjects, and not only gets away with it, but creates a whole new beautiful style. It mixes everyday people of all walks with heavy big-government international drama. Character development, dialog, acting, editing, screenplay, soundtrack, camera work.. everything is excellent, making a very entertaining and beautiful movie.

Simply one of the funniest movies ever made......I just watched my DVD of this and I'm amazed at all the new stuff I pick up and a lot of stuff nobody did or ever would.OK....it's a satire, but some of it is too clever for it's own good. For example, the head of the FBR is named "Henry Lux". Fine. "Lux" is also the name of a brand of vacuum cleaner. Another brand of vacuum is a "Hoover". Um, who was director of the FBI when this was made? J. Edgar Hoover. Accident? I don't think so but you can't watch this and not be paranoid.I have a sick fantasy. No, not the ones involving Ms. Delaney and whipped cream. This involves a high tech room where this movie can be shown on all four walls plus the ceiling and floor, a sound system that can crank up to 130 decibels, and locking Dick Cheney in it for 24 hours. Somehow I don't think YouTube would post that video......

Enjoyed this great comedy film starring James Coburn, (Dr. Sydney Schaefer) who is a very successful analyst in New York City and he is contacted by government agencies to inform him that he has been hired to become the analyst for the President of the United States. Dr. Sydney enjoys his position dealing with the President but after a few months he becomes completely worn down mentally by all the problems the President has to deal with everyday. Sydney eventually packs his bags and winds up with a group of flower people during the 1960's and becomes a love person who enjoys the freedom of free love with very young gals. Foreign Governments become interested in Dr. Sydney because of all the secrets the President has told him during his analyst meetings and he is hunted down by all kinds of government agencies who want to capture him and some want to kill him. There is plenty of laughs and this is really a gem of a great film.

Along with Stanley Donen's 'Bedazzled', Theodore J.Flicker's 'The President's Analyst' is my favourite motion picture of the '60's. It is so insane as to defy description. James Coburn produced and starred in it, hot on the heels of his two 'Derek Flint' spy spoofs. He plays 'Dr.Sidney Schaefer', a psychiatrist given the important job of analyst to the President of the United States. At first, he regards it as an honour, but then senses that he is being followed everywhere by intelligence agents. He talks in his sleep, and his girlfriend Nan ( Joan Delaney ) is no longer allowed to go to bed with him as the knowledge in his head had made him into a prime security risk. When Schaefer's nerve breaks, he goes into hiding, and is hotly pursued not only by his own side, but agents of other world powers too.Coburn is marvellous in the title role, and is ably supported by Godfrey Cambridge, Severn Darden, Joan Delaney, and William Daniels. In one of my favourite scenes, Schaefer takes refuge with the Quantrill family. The father, an avowed liberal, is just as mad about guns ( he keeps them in his car and every room in the house ) as his so-called right-wing neighbours, the Bullocks, the mother is a karate expert, while son Bing listens to conversations using homemade bugging devices. Throwing in his lot with a gang of hippies, the doctor makes love to one in a corn field while spies murder each other attempting to murder him. In a brilliant climax ( which has to be seen to be believed ), Schaefer is taken to the headquarters of T.P.C. ( The Phone Company ). Its chairman, Arlington Hewes ( the wonderful Pat Harrington Jr. ) wants Schaefer to influence the President into throwing the weight of public opinion behind the Cerebral Communicator - a device that does everything a normal phone can do, except that it is inserted into the brain. Depersonalisation in other words.If your jaw does not drop about fifty times ( or maybe more ) during the course of this picture, you must be unshakable. Like Tony Richardson's 'The Loved One', the picture sets out to ridicule all and sundry - from the Cold War to '60's pop music to the Hippie Movement to American politics to spy movies - and succeeds brilliantly. Why it was not nominated for an Oscar for 'Best Picture' is beyond me. Oh, and there's a cool soundtrack by Lalo Schrifrin to boot!The reputations of many '60's pictures have been destroyed by crass remakes, let us hope this one does not go down the same road.