Movie List - What do you think they missed?

[gmcjetpilot]

Originally Posted by Rick6a

Anyone recall a TV movie starring Rod Taylor who was on a cross country trek in California with his troubled and reluctant family in a....(Piper?) Forced down (naturally), stranded and injured somewhere in the desert the family catharsis begins. To stay put is to endure certain death so his emotionally troubled son eventually takes charge of the situation and gets the airplane flying again. With injured dad and family on board, he soon finds himself lost and confused. Way off presumed course, the non-pilot eventually accepts the welcoming embrace of the U.S. Navy and lands the plane on an aircraft carrier, thereby saving the day for family, the network and brain dead viewers everywhere. Title and year anyone?

Yes I do remember it very clearly. I could not think of the name until you filled in the blank with the main actor name, Rod Taylor, so I could look it up. It was a Navion I recall. Kind of Swiss Family Robertson meets Flight of the Phoenix. Here is the name:

Family Flight (1972) (TV) - Plot: During a flight from San Diego to Florida, family Carlyle is surprised by a weather front in the Rocky Mountains. They have to do an emergency landing in a Mexican desert, with their plane severely damaged. Latent tensions in the family interfere with the efforts to solve their desperate situation. (This is the plot description off the web not mine. Rocky Mountains? Forced landing in Mexico? San Diego to Florida.... Hummm)

I remember it was good for the day. I was real young when I saw it but still remember it after 35 years! That was back before the World Wide Web, cable TV by good bit, when TV's still had knobs on them, click click click.

Rod Taylor starred in several aviation related films, I think which may have already been covered, but here are two:

A Gathering of Eagles (1963) - Plot: Air Force Colonel who has just been re-assigned as a cold war B-52 commander.... Stared Rock Hudson.

Fate Is the Hunter (1964) - Plot: A man refuses to believe that pilot error caused a fatal crash, and persists in looking for another reason. (Very roughly based on the great Ernest K Gann book of same name). Also had Glenn Ford and the movie was nominated for an Oscars. I saw it. It is good, not great.

[frankh]

Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright

The Battle of Britain.

Sure, the plot was a stinker, and the acting was weak (despite some big names), but the flying scenes are incredible..

I'd be willing to pay for a DVD of the flying scenes that weren't used from some of these flicks... E.G. Battle of Britain, Top Gun, and Strategic Air Command.

I think the plot of the Battle of Britain was pretty much close to historical events. Even the minor Nazi pilots who were introduced by name appear to be correct.

OK yeah I agree Suzzanna York should have been killed off BEFORE the start of the film...terrible, but the roles played by Trevor Howard (Air Vice marshall Parks) who travelled around HIS airfields in his staff car..i.e his personal Hurricane....And Sir Hugh Dowding (who lived with his Sister, they called him "Stuffy") played by,...argh, can't remember...But they were right on the money of the original characters form my reading of the time.

Anyway, just one Ex pat Brits opinion.

Frank

[sirlegin]

It's a good thing the plot was a "stinker" or else alot of us would be speaking German right now.

[Kyle Boatright]

Originally Posted by frankh

I think the plot of the Battle of Britain was pretty much close to historical events. Even the minor Nazi pilots who were introduced by name appear to be correct.

OK yeah I agree Suzzanna York should have been killed off BEFORE the start of the film...terrible, but the roles played by Trevor Howard (Air Vice marshall Parks) who travelled around HIS airfields in his staff car..i.e his personal Hurricane....And Sir Hugh Dowding (who lived with his Sister, they called him "Stuffy") played by,...argh, can't remember...But they were right on the money of the original characters form my reading of the time.

Anyway, just one Ex pat Brits opinion.

Frank

I don't question the historical accuracy, but the sub-plots outside the battle and or battle strategy were terrible. Were any of the characters interesting? Susannah York, her husband, the Spit pilot whose family was killed in the bomb shelter, or even the Me109 ace? Naah, no character development and there was no reason to like or dislike any of the characters. Good movies rely on having characters who are interesting on a personal level.

And this is coming from a guy who has two copies of the movie on DVD (the original DVD release and the "behind the scenes" release too), has the soundtrack CD in the player in his car (and on the MP3 player in the RV-6), and <somewhere> has a copy of the ~10 page handout they gave out at the movie premier.

I like the movie, but the flying scenes and the fairly accurate historical representation of the facts are the saving graces. The plot and characters were rotten.

[Mark Burns]

Just wanted to bump this back to the top with the weekend coming up.

While not about flying, it parallels what we are doing in a lot of ways.

I liked it.

It will be good for your wives to see this too. Trust me.

Mark

[frankh]

Originally Posted by gmcjetpilot

Shucks, got most of the good ones, but...............



Apollo 13 (1995) Tom Hanks, Not much non-ballistic "flying" below
264,000 feet but awesome, go USA. (No offense to international members,
but not many countries have gone to the moon, wait, no country has landed
man on the moon except the USA. )


[:

None taken and an incredible acheivement, but it did ..er get some help from overseas..as did the Russians for that matter...

[frankh]

Always....My almost fav movie....Yeah OK little rich Dreyfus "forgot" to feather the props when both his engines quit, Our hero Ted asked for a "sectional AND a WAC chart for Dome mountain"...Gimme a break

Not to mention what the FAA would have been doing with Holly Hunter's license...But it was still a great flick...

I've been in love with "Rachael" ever since I seen it...

Don't tell the Wife!

Frank

[frankh]

Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright

I don't question the historical accuracy, but the sub-plots outside the battle and or battle strategy were terrible. Were any of the characters interesting? Susannah York, her husband, the Spit pilot whose family was killed in the bomb shelter, or even the Me109 ace? Naah, no character development and there was no reason to like or dislike any of the characters. Good movies rely on having characters who are interesting on a personal level.

And this is coming from a guy who has two copies of the movie on DVD (the original DVD release and the "behind the scenes" release too), has the soundtrack CD in the player in his car (and on the MP3 player in the RV-6), and <somewhere> has a copy of the ~10 page handout they gave out at the movie premier.

I like the movie, but the flying scenes and the fairly accurate historical representation of the facts are the saving graces. The plot and characters were rotten.

You mean you didn't like Suzzanna "Oh Collin!" York trying look like she was mad when the Seargeant yelled at her?...

Ya OK...your right I can't argue with a single point you made!

Cheers

Frank...."'Einkels, Nah..Missishmitts, nah! Einkels"...Those kids sound loike me!

[frankh]

And if you wan't a really good laugh, turn on the subtitles...The obviously American subtitler could'nt understand the English accents and gets half the words wrong..Its hilarious...Well it is if you understand proper English and therefore actualy know what the words are...

I only did this after my beautiful American Wife kept asking me to translate!

Frank..."Give 'em a boody shovel!"

[MikeJ 7A]

Originally Posted by Mark Burns

While not about flying, it parallels what we are doing in a lot of ways.
I liked it.
It will be good for your wives to see this too. Trust me.

Hey Mark, my wife loved this film (as did I).
Thanks!
Mike