It speaks to the sad state of the world that the themes of Catch-22 are as relevant today as they were when Joseph Heller wrote the book in the early '60s.
So, unfortunately, it's a pretty fitting time for another adaptation. The upcoming six-episode Hulu series comes from director/producer George Clooney, who also plays the war and parade loving Lieutenant Scheisskopf.
Christopher Abbott plays our protagonist Yossarian, a young pilot who is terrified risking his life to carry out insane bombing missions. Colonel Cathcart, played by Kyle Chandler, keeps sending Yossarian out on more and more of these psychotic missions in response to pressure from the bureaucratic military. Then there's Hugh Laurie as Major de Coverley, who spends most of his time just playing horseshoes.
It's a pretty fitting time for us to remember that the enemy isn't some opposing force, but rather the crippling incompetency of the machine that dictates our lives.
Matt Miller is a Brooklyn-based culture/lifestyle writer and music critic whose work has appeared in Esquire, Forbes, The Denver Post, and documentaries.
