Best & Worst Mil Aviation Film and Why
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Strategic Air Command (that B-47 film...) made a big impression on me, and I had to wait many years for it to pop up on TV a year or two back. Battle of Britain, Dam Buster and Reach for the Sky will always top the list of classics, with First of the Few not far behind. Also The Right Stuff for showing that wonderful golden age of test flying at Edwards.
For the worst film, I find Top Gun to be almost unwatchable (Hollywood trash). Most disappointing was Hells Angels (the original Howard Hughes one). I'd been wanting to see it for years, then bought the DVD and sat down to watch it with my wife. After 15 minutes of dire dialogue, and nothing much happening, we just looked at each other and pressed the eject button... I must try again some time (without the missus)
For the worst film, I find Top Gun to be almost unwatchable (Hollywood trash). Most disappointing was Hells Angels (the original Howard Hughes one). I'd been wanting to see it for years, then bought the DVD and sat down to watch it with my wife. After 15 minutes of dire dialogue, and nothing much happening, we just looked at each other and pressed the eject button... I must try again some time (without the missus)
The original Memphis Belle was virtually a USAAF documentry as it had all the military introductions to it. It had one shot of HM King George IV and Queen Elizabeth meeting the crew.
Another film of the series was one of Thunderbolts operating in Italy on ground attack. A scene you would not see nowadays was one of a a pilots remains being pulled out of his burning wreckage by means of a long rope.
Another film of the series was one of Thunderbolts operating in Italy on ground attack. A scene you would not see nowadays was one of a a pilots remains being pulled out of his burning wreckage by means of a long rope.
Over 1000 posts and I bought this Personal Title to try and tell my mother the embarrassing news that I am a closet Jazz fan.
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So no-one else likes Flight of the Intruder then? 
te beyond belief
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Without a doubt the most appalling film ever involving aircraft was Topgun
The best ? probably Dam Busters, but I would like to see the original Hells Angels before committing myself.
The best ? probably Dam Busters, but I would like to see the original Hells Angels before committing myself.
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Aces High
I've watched this one many times. Some wonderful flying sequences set to stirring music, and very, very sad.
It's Journey's End rewritten to be about the RFC rather than set in the trenches.
But my favourite would have to be The Dambusters. When I was about 10 I saw the film, then got a copy of the book which I learnt almost by heart and used to annoy my family by reciting chunks of it. I can still remember most of it now.
It's Journey's End rewritten to be about the RFC rather than set in the trenches.
But my favourite would have to be The Dambusters. When I was about 10 I saw the film, then got a copy of the book which I learnt almost by heart and used to annoy my family by reciting chunks of it. I can still remember most of it now.
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So no-one else likes Flight of the Intruder then?
For the worst? I've seen some real turkeys here on HBO and Star Movies - so bad, even the names are instantly forgettable...
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Rigger
Agree about Empire of the Sun.
Ice Cold in Alex is one of my favourite war movies and is the only feature film I have seen with a flying Beaufighter. The sonorous sound of those twin Hercules is something else!
Agree about Empire of the Sun.
Ice Cold in Alex is one of my favourite war movies and is the only feature film I have seen with a flying Beaufighter. The sonorous sound of those twin Hercules is something else!
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This one will date you!
Contender for the worst I've seen
Who can remember Richard O'Sullivan (The 'man about the house' actor)as a Harrier pilot who gets 'a bit stressed' because, among other things, the batty is a bit short with him over breakfast, so stressed in fact that he winds up ejecting and throwing his nice shiny Harrier on the ground
Needless to say this was a late 70s 'in house' version!
Regards
Xraf
Contender for the worst I've seen
Who can remember Richard O'Sullivan (The 'man about the house' actor)as a Harrier pilot who gets 'a bit stressed' because, among other things, the batty is a bit short with him over breakfast, so stressed in fact that he winds up ejecting and throwing his nice shiny Harrier on the ground
Needless to say this was a late 70s 'in house' version!
Regards
Xraf
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If the thread is expanded to worst professionally prepared films then you must watch, Rescue 90 - J+++s acting - epic!
Also the disorientation film shown to us at Linton, late 60s, with the classic and memorable phrase from a F100 driver, "Git on the gages Frank!" - followed by CRUNCH/Splat.
12 O'Clock high. We were forced to watch it at OCTU but only in two to three minute scenes.
Airwolf -AAARGH.
But the flying scenes in B o B and Apocalypse Now - muy bueno!
Also the disorientation film shown to us at Linton, late 60s, with the classic and memorable phrase from a F100 driver, "Git on the gages Frank!" - followed by CRUNCH/Splat.
12 O'Clock high. We were forced to watch it at OCTU but only in two to three minute scenes.
Airwolf -AAARGH.
But the flying scenes in B o B and Apocalypse Now - muy bueno!
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barnstormer1968
(Thread drift alert)
Harrier Squadron (or was it Holocaust Squadron in the begining?) in the Warlord comic - there's a blast from the past!!! Hob Hogget and his band of multinational Harrier mates fighting off an invasion of the UK by EASTPAC(?) (didn't actually call them Russians). Chillingly realistic storyline for a young impressionable mind! Someone needs to reprint those as a full collection...
(back on thread)
Best: Top Gun/Dambusters
Alright so its naff as hell but Top Gun is exhilarating - and a great advert for joining up. Dambusters - British, daring, technical achievement (the raid, not the special effects...) - need I say more?
Worst: That Fighter Pilot IMAX thing
OK - so it had officially backing and the photography is generally excellent but the Star Wars insides of the AWACS and 3D computer graphics on the displays??? Eh? Then there is the CGI cockpit HUD that is superimposed on some of the low-level stuff. And the A-10 tank attack where there are obviously pyros rigged to give lots of nice flame...
Jeez - if a A-10 guns strafe needs 'pepping up' on a supposedly realistic Red Flag documentry something has gone wrong somewhere...
(Thread drift alert)
Harrier Squadron (or was it Holocaust Squadron in the begining?) in the Warlord comic - there's a blast from the past!!! Hob Hogget and his band of multinational Harrier mates fighting off an invasion of the UK by EASTPAC(?) (didn't actually call them Russians). Chillingly realistic storyline for a young impressionable mind! Someone needs to reprint those as a full collection...
(back on thread)
Best: Top Gun/Dambusters
Alright so its naff as hell but Top Gun is exhilarating - and a great advert for joining up. Dambusters - British, daring, technical achievement (the raid, not the special effects...) - need I say more?
Worst: That Fighter Pilot IMAX thing
OK - so it had officially backing and the photography is generally excellent but the Star Wars insides of the AWACS and 3D computer graphics on the displays??? Eh? Then there is the CGI cockpit HUD that is superimposed on some of the low-level stuff. And the A-10 tank attack where there are obviously pyros rigged to give lots of nice flame...
Jeez - if a A-10 guns strafe needs 'pepping up' on a supposedly realistic Red Flag documentry something has gone wrong somewhere...
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RETDPI
"High Flight" c.1957 -Cranwell as it should have been. My old Flight commanders boots star in a marching sequence.
I was in a scene in High Flight along with lots of others from the MQ patch, including my brother and 2 of my sisters. As I recall we had to run across a patch of grass screaming as if being chassed by some flying machine.
Crap film though.
'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'
"High Flight" c.1957 -Cranwell as it should have been. My old Flight commanders boots star in a marching sequence.
I was in a scene in High Flight along with lots of others from the MQ patch, including my brother and 2 of my sisters. As I recall we had to run across a patch of grass screaming as if being chassed by some flying machine.
Crap film though.
'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'
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Worst film? The Spielberg amazing stories film where the B-17 crew can't get the landing gear down when trying to land. So the Ball turret gunner who will get creamed as he can't get out, draws a picture of the landing gear and as if by magic a cartoon rendition of the B-17 landing gear appears and they land safely. bile inducing rubbish.
Oh and Wings of the Apache, was dross as well.
The ride of the Valkyries scene in Apocolypse Now must have done it for some of you air beater types surely?
Oh and Wings of the Apache, was dross as well.
The ride of the Valkyries scene in Apocolypse Now must have done it for some of you air beater types surely?
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xraf - not trying to be pendantic, but Richard O'Sullivan didn't eject from his Harrier, he was so distracted by everything (late wake-up call, slow service in the mess so no breakfast, helmet going u/s) that he entered the runway without clearance forcing an F4 to overshoot.
What's really sad is that after all these years I can still remember it so clearly.....
More dross - can't remember the title, but an ITV series with a 40-something Nigel Havers playing a 20 year fighter pilot in the BoB who gets badly burnt - spiralling to earth in flames screaming 'What do I do, what do I do?' And no one's yet mentioned 'Strike Force' (I think that was the title), about a 'special' F3 sqn - ' Some people say we shouldn't exist. Bull****! That's us - NATO's police force!'
What's really sad is that after all these years I can still remember it so clearly.....
More dross - can't remember the title, but an ITV series with a 40-something Nigel Havers playing a 20 year fighter pilot in the BoB who gets badly burnt - spiralling to earth in flames screaming 'What do I do, what do I do?' And no one's yet mentioned 'Strike Force' (I think that was the title), about a 'special' F3 sqn - ' Some people say we shouldn't exist. Bull****! That's us - NATO's police force!'
Yes, Him
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Flight of the Intruder had the misfortune to premier in Washington at the same time the F-117s started on downtown Baghdad in GW1. As the word went round, the cinema emptied as the mainly-military audience went to watch CNN.