Best & Worst Mil Aviation Film and Why
As I mentioned in post #25. Strategic Air Command the film made way back in 1954/55 is hard to beat, it's my favourite, if only for its the sheer visual impact; the colour, clouds, and air-to-air photography is stunning.
As a bonus it’s something to see a flight deck that has no computer, digital display, or high tech flight control system.
Air-to-air sequences later in the film after “Dutch” Holland (James Stewart) converts to B-47’s are equally spectacular.
The dreamy music / love theme used to accompany the aerial sequences is “The World is Mine” by long established Hollywood composer Victor Young (one of his last compositions – he died in 1956, a year after the film’s release).
Some shots:
Six turning, four burning!
B-47 Sequences to follow.
As a bonus it’s something to see a flight deck that has no computer, digital display, or high tech flight control system.
Air-to-air sequences later in the film after “Dutch” Holland (James Stewart) converts to B-47’s are equally spectacular.
The dreamy music / love theme used to accompany the aerial sequences is “The World is Mine” by long established Hollywood composer Victor Young (one of his last compositions – he died in 1956, a year after the film’s release).
Some shots:
Six turning, four burning!
B-47 Sequences to follow.
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I Think...
Apollo 13 was very well made
The right stuff was a great study with groovy music
Disney's Flight of The Navigator made me smile, a good family film
Pearl Harbour was a hollywood farce
Ipreferred the Flight of The Intruder book, the film didn't fulfill the book's potential
The right stuff was a great study with groovy music
Disney's Flight of The Navigator made me smile, a good family film
Pearl Harbour was a hollywood farce
Ipreferred the Flight of The Intruder book, the film didn't fulfill the book's potential
Regarding 'High Flight' - the low flying Vampire and Pissed-on Provost shots were unbelievable!
In one shot, some Vampire driver actually goes onto the grass trying to get a 'good' shot for the photog!
Oh dear, I'm thinking about the little lass in Dr FOD again....there's something very appealing (well, two actually) about the '70s 'nothing under a flimsy cheescloth blouse' look..
In one shot, some Vampire driver actually goes onto the grass trying to get a 'good' shot for the photog!
Oh dear, I'm thinking about the little lass in Dr FOD again....there's something very appealing (well, two actually) about the '70s 'nothing under a flimsy cheescloth blouse' look..
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Can't believe that no one has mentioned "A winter flight" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088407/ Sean Bean, Gary Olsen and a very young Reece Dinsdale as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller. To quote the IMDB site "There is alcohol abuse,violence,sex and birdwatching. People who have been in the RAF tell me it is very realistic picture of the RAF in the 1980s." The scene in the "Pigs" bar still makes me want to wretch.
Some good films already mentioned. May I add a film titled "Fail Safe"? It was about a B58 crew who, due to a computer error, received the authentication codes to go and turn Moscow into dust. As a gesture to the Russians , the US president (played very well by Henry Fonda), turned New York into an open space. It was a very sobering and thought provoking film.
The worst film?.....got to be Pearl Harbour.
The worst film?.....got to be Pearl Harbour.
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got to mention PLATOON, who can forget the immortal lines WE GOT ZIPS IN THE WIRE, EXPEND YOUR REMAINING ORDNANCE IN MY POD!!!.surely the only example of requested friendly fire!!!.crap shot of an F5 as well.
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Forgot to mention
A true classic public information film:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/f...e_streaked.htm
Ahhhhhhh, nostalgia
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/f...e_streaked.htm
Ahhhhhhh, nostalgia
Memphis Belle in Aeroplane Magazine
A propos my posting yesterday regarding Memphis Belle, my copy of Aeroplane magazine arrived this morning, complete with a 48 minute DVD of much of the unused footage shot by William Wyler’s team during the aircraft’s final mission to Willhelmshaven. The colour quality and the fact that it was shot in combat conditions rather than in front of blue screen or via CGI puts this freebie near the top of my list. Well worth the price of a copy of the magazine.
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Speilburg's "Always". I believe it is a remake of a war film but this is about water bombers in the late 80's. The opening shot of guys fishing in a boat as the Catalina (PBY) "lands" and scoops up water comming straight at them is one of my favorite aviation shots of all time.
(Yes, seaplanes do "land" on water.)
"Empire of the Sun" Ok, not realy an aviation movie but the slomo shot of the Mustang pilot waving at the boy brings tears to my eyes every time. Absolute magic.
Battle of the River Plate. Outstanding, ok only aeroplane is a "Sea Tiger" on a midships catapult, pretending to be a Shagbat.
Of course there is always "Midway", loved it.
Lastly don't forget "A Matter of Life and Death". Possibly the best movie ever made (about an RAF pilot, any way.) Still stong and relavant today.
PS, almost forgot, "Hunt for the Red October". Pity it was not true to the book and have "Two-seat Sea Harriers" and one of our flat tops but it did have interior shots of one of my company's F27s pretending to be something more warlike!
(Yes, seaplanes do "land" on water.)
"Empire of the Sun" Ok, not realy an aviation movie but the slomo shot of the Mustang pilot waving at the boy brings tears to my eyes every time. Absolute magic.
Battle of the River Plate. Outstanding, ok only aeroplane is a "Sea Tiger" on a midships catapult, pretending to be a Shagbat.
Of course there is always "Midway", loved it.
Lastly don't forget "A Matter of Life and Death". Possibly the best movie ever made (about an RAF pilot, any way.) Still stong and relavant today.
PS, almost forgot, "Hunt for the Red October". Pity it was not true to the book and have "Two-seat Sea Harriers" and one of our flat tops but it did have interior shots of one of my company's F27s pretending to be something more warlike!
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Classic dialogue
Well, going back to T.G, surely the epic line from 'Iceman'
" I've got bogeys all over me ! "
didn't help the recruiting image...had the cinema audience rolling around when I saw it.
" I've got bogeys all over me ! "
didn't help the recruiting image...had the cinema audience rolling around when I saw it.
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Top Gun
It was a good film to watch on a huge screen with the latest surround sound ear blasting system, but Quentin Tarrantino saw the film in a different light to me:
From the Film Sleep With Me
Sid: You want subversion on a massive level. You know what one of the greatest
scripts ever written in the history of Hollywood is? Top Gun.
Duane: Oh, come on.
Sid: Top Gun is great. What is Top Gun? You think it's a story about a bunch of fighter pilots.
Duane: It's about a bunch of guys waving their dicks around.
Sid: It is a story about a man's struggle with his own homosexuality. It is! That is what Top Gun is about, man. You've got Maverick, all right? He's on the edge, man. He's right on the line, all right? And you've got Iceman, and all his crew. They're gay, they represent the gay man, all right? And they're' saying, go, go the gay way, go the gay way. He could go both ways.
Duane: What about Kelly McGillis?
Sid: Kelly McGillis, she's heterosexuality. She's saying: no, no, no, no, no, no, go the normal way, play by the rules, go the normal way. They're saying no, go the gay way, be the gay way, go for the gay way, all right? That is what's going on throughout that whole movie... He goes to her house, all right? It looks like they're going to have, you know, they're just kind of sitting back, he's takin' a shower and everything. They don't have . He gets on the motorcycle, drives away. She's like, "What the , what the is going on here?" Next scene, next scene you see her, she's in the elevator, she is dressed like a guy. She's got the cap on, she's got the aviator glasses, she's wearing the same jacket that the Iceman wears. She is, okay, this is how I gotta get this guy, this guy's going towards the gay way, I gotta bring him back, I gotta bring him back from the gay way, so I'm do that through subterfuge, I'm gonna dress like a man. All right? That is how she approaches it.... the REAL ending of the movie is when they fight the MIGs at the end, all right? Because he has passed over into the gay way. They are this gay fighting force, all right? And they're beating the Russians, the gays are beating the Russians. And it's over, and they land, and Iceman's been trying to get Maverick the entire time, and finally, he's got him, all right? And what is the last line that they have together? They're all hugging and kissing and happy with each other, and Ice comes up to Maverick, and he says, "Man, you can ride my tail, anytime!" And what does Maverick say? "You can ride mine!"
Mr. Tarrantino 
I still think there's some great flying scenes.
I wonder how many US Navy chaps claim it was them flying?
From the Film Sleep With Me
Sid: You want subversion on a massive level. You know what one of the greatest
scripts ever written in the history of Hollywood is? Top Gun.Duane: Oh, come on.
Sid: Top Gun is
great. What is Top Gun? You think it's a story about a bunch of fighter pilots.Duane: It's about a bunch of guys waving their dicks around.
Sid: It is a story about a man's struggle with his own homosexuality. It is! That is what Top Gun is about, man. You've got Maverick, all right? He's on the edge, man. He's right on the
line, all right? And you've got Iceman, and all his crew. They're gay, they represent the gay man, all right? And they're' saying, go, go the gay way, go the gay way. He could go both ways.Duane: What about Kelly McGillis?
Sid: Kelly McGillis, she's heterosexuality. She's saying: no, no, no, no, no, no, go the normal way, play by the rules, go the normal way. They're saying no, go the gay way, be the gay way, go for the gay way, all right? That is what's going on throughout that whole movie... He goes to her house, all right? It looks like they're going to have
, you know, they're just kind of sitting back, he's takin' a shower and everything. They don't have . He gets on the motorcycle, drives away. She's like, "What the , what the is going on here?" Next scene, next scene you see her, she's in the elevator, she is dressed like a guy. She's got the cap on, she's got the aviator glasses, she's wearing the same jacket that the Iceman wears. She is, okay, this is how I gotta get this guy, this guy's going towards the gay way, I gotta bring him back, I gotta bring him back from the gay way, so I'm do that through subterfuge, I'm gonna dress like a man. All right? That is how she approaches it.... the REAL ending of the movie is when they fight the MIGs at the end, all right? Because he has passed over into the gay way. They are this gay fighting force, all right? And they're beating the Russians, the gays are beating the Russians. And it's over, and they land, and Iceman's been trying to get Maverick the entire time, and finally, he's got him, all right? And what is the last line that they have together? They're all hugging and kissing and happy with each other, and Ice comes up to Maverick, and he says, "Man, you can ride my tail, anytime!" And what does Maverick say? "You can ride mine!" Mr. Tarrantino I still think there's some great flying scenes.
I wonder how many US Navy chaps claim it was them flying?
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Went to the Paris Air Show late 90s as part of a VIP trip (!); British Aerospace had rigged up mini cinema to show a promo film about Eurofighter, Nimrod MR4A etc.
Appalling film, although the Earthquake-orama effect when the Eurofighter took off was pretty cool.
However, the blonde who starred as a flying officer in the film was absolutely sensational. And as a bonus she was on duty at the cinema,showing ust to our seats etc.
I still havea nosebleed more than 10 years later when I think about it......
Appalling film, although the Earthquake-orama effect when the Eurofighter took off was pretty cool.
However, the blonde who starred as a flying officer in the film was absolutely sensational. And as a bonus she was on duty at the cinema,showing ust to our seats etc.
I still havea nosebleed more than 10 years later when I think about it......
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thawes
superb screen shots from SAC, more please.
alcohol abuse,violence,sex and birdwatching doesn't have quite the same ring to it as RUM, SODOMY and the LASH, no wonder RN think they are superior to the RAF
superb screen shots from SAC, more please.
"A winter flight" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088407/ Sean Bean, Gary Olsen and a very young Reece Dinsdale as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller. To quote the IMDB site "There is alcohol abuse,violence,sex and birdwatching.
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Vulcan 607
Steamchicken,
I take it that's a wish, not some upcoming gen', about a film of 'Vulcan 607' ?
I'm halfway through it & enjoying it very much; would all writers please take note, even non-pilots want DETAIL about engineering, systems & what the thing's actually like to fly, right down to the smells !
We all like to take the 'P' out of Top Gun, photographers like me point out how the filtration changes from scene to scene - but the fact is it was an epic piece of co-operation by the US Navy, who I imagine got their investment handsomely repaid in recruitment etc.
Compare that to the bloody pitiful efforts we Brit's have managed, like 'Warship' and the ghastly 'Squadron' - I remember a GR3 putting warning Matra rockets either side of a target car in a single salvo - " Good Shooting Sir !"
I don't really buy into this gay thing, seems to me a little industry has grown up discussing this, in the same way students seem to get grants studying whether beer, chocolate & ice cream are nice to consume.
That's not a veiled inference of any kind either, I strictly bat for the conventional team though try to say ' Good Luck' to others as long as they don't harm anyone - God one can't say anything nowadays...
If Ridley Scot can make Aliens etc, and we can manage expensive bolleaux like 007, ( BTW my monicker refers to Dick Dastardly's car, I cringed when I thought people reckoned me a 007 fantasist ) surely there's an epic film waiting to be made about the Falklands - and we're mature enough now to see both sides' views, the Argentines made some fantastic efforts too - trailer launched Exocet for a start...
I take it that's a wish, not some upcoming gen', about a film of 'Vulcan 607' ?
I'm halfway through it & enjoying it very much; would all writers please take note, even non-pilots want DETAIL about engineering, systems & what the thing's actually like to fly, right down to the smells !
We all like to take the 'P' out of Top Gun, photographers like me point out how the filtration changes from scene to scene - but the fact is it was an epic piece of co-operation by the US Navy, who I imagine got their investment handsomely repaid in recruitment etc.
Compare that to the bloody pitiful efforts we Brit's have managed, like 'Warship' and the ghastly 'Squadron' - I remember a GR3 putting warning Matra rockets either side of a target car in a single salvo - " Good Shooting Sir !"
I don't really buy into this gay thing, seems to me a little industry has grown up discussing this, in the same way students seem to get grants studying whether beer, chocolate & ice cream are nice to consume.
That's not a veiled inference of any kind either, I strictly bat for the conventional team though try to say ' Good Luck' to others as long as they don't harm anyone - God one can't say anything nowadays...
If Ridley Scot can make Aliens etc, and we can manage expensive bolleaux like 007, ( BTW my monicker refers to Dick Dastardly's car, I cringed when I thought people reckoned me a 007 fantasist ) surely there's an epic film waiting to be made about the Falklands - and we're mature enough now to see both sides' views, the Argentines made some fantastic efforts too - trailer launched Exocet for a start...
superb screen shots from SAC, more please.
Oddly SAC doesn't seem to have been released on DVD. At the time I believe, VistaVision was trumpeted as a sort of HiFi optical system. Given the stunning visuals and if any original studio negative prints of the film are in good condition, SAC is the sort of film crying out for conversion and release on DVD.
