Red Tails
Red Tails
Not exactly a film to threaten the reputation of Eisenstein or Bergman, but BBC2 is showing Red Tails this evening at 23.50, and at least it's about flying, even though most of it is CGI flying.
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To give you a flavour, I liked the bit where they sank a German destroyer, which obligingly exploded after a couple of 0.5in bursts, on the way home from an escort mission. Sadly, no aircraft footage, all CGI.
Last edited by ShotOne; 13th Nov 2016 at 12:08.
Consider it a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen who overcame a lot of prejudice and ill treatment in order to serve their Country during War time....only to return to a Country that failed to show its gratitude but in far too many cases did just the opposite.
I have been privileged to meet several of them over the Years and admire them for their service and sacrifice despite all of the hurtles put in their path.
The film is at least entertaining even if only remotely based upon fact.
At least they are not given credit for stealing a Submarine for an Enigma Machine!
I have been privileged to meet several of them over the Years and admire them for their service and sacrifice despite all of the hurtles put in their path.
The film is at least entertaining even if only remotely based upon fact.
At least they are not given credit for stealing a Submarine for an Enigma Machine!
I'd agree wholly with SASless. I started to watch the fillum but turned off in the first few minutes when the pilot in the cgi (Mustang?) escorting the cgi Fortresses said, "Germans, let's go get them" in best Commando Comic fashion. I turned on a little later at the point where these inexperienced-in-dogfighting heroes in their P-40s took on a squadron of Bf-109s with predictable results and then went on to shoot up an enemy airfield, which I remember reading by a WWII veteran pilot as near suicide.
The American really don't do humble realism very well.
Hats of to the real red tails, I salute them and their endeavours.
The American really don't do humble realism very well.
Hats of to the real red tails, I salute them and their endeavours.
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At North Weald the Hangar 11 Collection's P-51D Mustang is a Red Tails veeran, and was repainted as 'Tall-In-The-Saddle' earlier this year.
On 4 October we welcomed a very special visitor – Colonel George Hardy – who flew as part of the 332nd Fighter Group, the Tuskegee Airmen and whose wartime mount was the same P51D Mustang 'Tall-In-The-Saddle'. He even supplied original photographs so that the scheme was 100% accurate.
George is a real gentleman, very friendly and easy to talk to. He described his combat missions over Germany, escorting B-24 Liberators even as far as Berlin from Italy with the 15th Air Force. He also served in the Korean War as a co-pilot on B-29 bombers, and commanded a unit of Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar gunships in the Vietnam War conducting nighttime missions in search of transport on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
He is now 91 years old, although you would never know it and lives in Florida. He was in the UK for a week and was been re-acquainted with his Mustang several times. Peter Teichman flew him to Lakenheath that afternoon, where he was guest of honour of modern day fighter pilots with the USAF. Getting into the back of a Mustang is not easy for someone of his advanced years, so he returned by road.
On 4 October we welcomed a very special visitor – Colonel George Hardy – who flew as part of the 332nd Fighter Group, the Tuskegee Airmen and whose wartime mount was the same P51D Mustang 'Tall-In-The-Saddle'. He even supplied original photographs so that the scheme was 100% accurate.
George is a real gentleman, very friendly and easy to talk to. He described his combat missions over Germany, escorting B-24 Liberators even as far as Berlin from Italy with the 15th Air Force. He also served in the Korean War as a co-pilot on B-29 bombers, and commanded a unit of Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar gunships in the Vietnam War conducting nighttime missions in search of transport on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
He is now 91 years old, although you would never know it and lives in Florida. He was in the UK for a week and was been re-acquainted with his Mustang several times. Peter Teichman flew him to Lakenheath that afternoon, where he was guest of honour of modern day fighter pilots with the USAF. Getting into the back of a Mustang is not easy for someone of his advanced years, so he returned by road.
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SASless
The film is at least entertaining even if only remotely based upon fact.
A much better and more factual movie is "The Tuskegee Airmen", a made for TV movie from about 2000. It stars Lawrence Fishburn and is available on DVD from the usual sources. A must for aviation movie collectors.
The film is at least entertaining even if only remotely based upon fact.
A much better and more factual movie is "The Tuskegee Airmen", a made for TV movie from about 2000. It stars Lawrence Fishburn and is available on DVD from the usual sources. A must for aviation movie collectors.
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Polecat
That film is very, very good.
Historically accurate, politically incorrect and chock full of action (no CGI there)
Highly recommended.
Full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaGPsrqfGjA
Arc
That film is very, very good.
Historically accurate, politically incorrect and chock full of action (no CGI there)
Highly recommended.
Full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaGPsrqfGjA
Arc
Re U577 - David Balme did a winter lecture at the Yacht Club one Wednesday evening, and with permission showed a clip from U577, then the bit added at his request, making clear the film was a work of fiction, based on the exploits of Sub Lt Balme and HMS Bulldog. I was at Bletchley Pk a few days back and mentioned David, and all the staff knew of him, but even more enthusiastic about Maj Hugh Skillen, Historian of BP, and many years ago my French master.
Wander 00
I loved the remark about the actual capture of the Enigma .IIRC something like.
"Shoot all around the ship, but avoid hitting it"
"I shouldn't think that will be too difficult, Sir"
I loved the remark about the actual capture of the Enigma .IIRC something like.
"Shoot all around the ship, but avoid hitting it"
"I shouldn't think that will be too difficult, Sir"
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Historically accurate, politically incorrect
I saw little "politics" in it, just a slew of rehashed modern angst-ridden revisionist claptrap and lousy CGI backed up with a load of silly, childish acting Blacks loyally playing to death the ludicrous, outmoded and I thought culturally unacceptable "plantation n!gger" in a P51!!! I was astonished anything so insulting could be shown.
Absolutely sickening from a cultural point of view, and reprehensible from a historical one.
The Tuskeegee airmen were a fully trained combat unit just like any other - not a bunch of cotton-picking servile ignoramuses.
There was little correct in this horrible, skewed, bigoted travesty of a film..
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I saw little "politics" in it, just a slew of rehashed modern angst-ridden revisionist claptrap and lousy CGI backed up with a load of silly, childish acting Blacks loyally playing to death the ludicrous, outmoded and I thought culturally unacceptable "plantation n!gger" in a P51!!! I was astonished anything so insulting could be shown.
That is a pretty good description of "Red Tails".
Still preferred the original "The Tuskegee Airmen" and agree with Arclite's description of it.
That is a pretty good description of "Red Tails".
Still preferred the original "The Tuskegee Airmen" and agree with Arclite's description of it.
Red Tails:
Well, that's in Tuskegee Airman as well.
To give you a flavour, I liked the bit where they sank a German destroyer, which obligingly exploded after a couple of 0.5in bursts, on the way home from an escort mission.
That film is very, very good.
Historically accurate, politically incorrect and chock full of action (no CGI there)
Highly recommended.
Historically accurate, politically incorrect and chock full of action (no CGI there)
Highly recommended.
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Seeing Col Hardy in the back of that P51 is simply fantastic. What better way to honour a wartime flier than by giving him a ride in his old plane. Great stuff. the film is, however, mildly entertaining tosh though I understand the sentiment attached to Tuskegee Airmen (especially in the brave new world since Trumpton) - shame we can't spend a bit of money on similar films here in the UK - Ginger Lacey? Sailor Malan? plenty of subjects..... Just for the sake of a flying film! Dambusters 2 anyone? Oh! Hang on...
How about a remake of "Reach For The Sky"with DogsBody's real character in the script?
