Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

[spacegrrrl]

For the next movie to discuss let's talk about the Blue Max!

Spacegrrrl

[Coyote Chris]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

I think this is a good film, but not a great film. George Peppard was actually a real pilot...I heard he did some flying in the film but dont know that. No CGI....just airplanes....despite all the technical errors documented in IMDB (the Germans used British Enfields?)
This is a good film from a very good book although it puts the main charactor in better light than the book does....many of our forum users may have not seen this old film (1966) and I would recommend they rent it. It got some nominations and an award and it worth seeing. Just dont expect "12 Oclock High"

[Big_Jim]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

Given a choice of Top Gun or The Blue Max, I'll take Blue Max any and every time.

[KAHNZILLA]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

Greatest movie of all time, well I think so any way. The guy that does WWI stuff in New Zealand and did the "RING" movies needs to make "Enemy Ace" from the old DC Comic strip. Thanks, KC

[KAHNZILLA]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

Oh yeah, The movie I recomended is Dark Blue World not Wild Blue Younder or what ever I said. Thanks, KC

[grampi]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

The Blue Max was a very good movie, I just hated the ending. Another good aviation movie of that era was The Great Waldo Pepper with Robert Redford.

[Airpirate]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

I really liked the Blue Max, some great flying and the look at what it may have been like to be flying and fighting at that time.

Okay, I'll state the obvious, it's worth a watch just to see Ursula "Undress" she gives me that funny feeling like you get when you push -G

[hattend]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

I was 12 when I saw this movie in the theater.

All I remember about it is Ursula Andress.

Why is that?

Don Hatten
Go Bear!

[Reever]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

I remember seeing George Peppard interviewed on a local channel in Sacramento. He commented on how "beautiful" the aircraft were. One of my all time favorites.

[spacegrrrl]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

Finally got time to rewatch the movie.

Well, enjoyable I suppose. A lot I found annoying however.

The Germans pretty much had every accent known to man. If you aren't trying to make everyone sound German don't bother with anyone. Mixing American, British and affected semi-German is just annoying.

I also really hate seeing no real attempt beyond the SE-5 replica to have recreated any of the other Allied fighters. Where was my Nieports, Spads et al?

Also why not a D-8 instead of the plane they chose for the monoplane?

Since most of the aircraft were Stampes and Tigermoths I could hardly keep track of what was what in the air combat scenes. Also German WWI fighters dropping bombs, never happened.

I find radial engines in aircraft that are supposed to rotary again and annoying distraction.

I also found the pilots always flying with their Blue Max medal while in combat seemed unlikely.

So summary, not a horrible movie but lots that could have been easily improved.

I'd love to see a similar movie made now with more correct aircraft and a better story (we'll get around to "Flyboys" as part of the weekly movie and I can really rant about a WWI movie made horribly wrong!)

So 7 out of 10.

Spacegrrrl

[Skyracer]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

Rule #1: Don't watch the movie twice if you are going to nit pick the details.

Remember, the movie was made in, for, and by Hollywood; the whole idea being to MAKE MONEY. If every (or any) movie had to be technically perfect, there wouldn't be very many movies, they would all be terminally boring, and there wouldn't be any about aviation.

Rule #2: Don't watch The Aviator (either version) and refer to Rule #1 before watching any others.

[spacegrrrl]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

Rule #1: Don't watch the movie twice if you are going to nit pick the details.

Remember, the movie was made in, for, and by Hollywood; the whole idea being to MAKE MONEY. If every (or any) movie had to be technically perfect, there wouldn't be very many movies, they would all be terminally boring, and there wouldn't be any about aviation.

Rule #2: Don't watch The Aviator (either version) and refer to Rule #1 before watching any others.

By either version of the Aviator, do you mean the two totally different movies by the same name or was there a second aviation focused Howard Hughes biopic?

Just to go on the record, Howard Hughes is a hero of mine.

I enjoyed the Blue Max and don't regret having purchased it on DVD. I just would like to see new WWI aviation movie made with a better attempt at historical accuracy. For example a good treatment of Rickenbacker or Frank Luke could be amazing!

Spacegrrrl

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

Rule #1: Don't watch the movie twice if you are going to nit pick the details.

Remember, the movie was made in, for, and by Hollywood; the whole idea being to MAKE MONEY. If every (or any) movie had to be technically perfect, there wouldn't be very many movies, they would all be terminally boring, and there wouldn't be any about aviation.

Rule #2: Don't watch The Aviator (either version) and refer to Rule #1 before watching any others.

Geez... and I know the acting wasn't the front line best.. I sure wish our venerable air race fanatics would have thought of things along these lines before opening their mouths... or moving their fingers... since I never really heard anyone *say* anything bad about.... Thunder Over Reno.....

Here we had a group of actual race pilots, and, classic airplane restorers... a few of whom were principals in the process (read, they bankrolled it with their limited airplane restorer funds) involved... doing the flying (probably the best cinematography involving airplanes ever shot).. so the plot was sticky, the acting... although, showing some promise in a few scenes.. (very few) basically was not the best...

YET... we had us an air race movie!!

What did we fans do??

We frothed at the mouth to be the first to shoot it down because.... it was not accurate??

Or, was it just a big desire to show the world how air race worthy we were, because we knew enough "real deal" to be able to shoot this one down?

I will forever remain embittered due to the treatment by the "true air race fans" who simply fell over themselves to give this hard fought movie a bad rap....

Particularly... the group sitting at a certain table during the "premier" event at GSR who groaned loudly when my name and this website's name rolled by in the credits...

You know who you are..

OK.. rant over.. but geez... guys.. if anyone else ever (won't happen) steps up to the plate to make us an air race movie.. I'll stay a mile or two away from the production.. just give THEM a break...

Deal??

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

Well said Wayne. If the viewers want the real thing they should go to the Reno Air Races & film the whole thing & then sit at home & talk about how bad it was due to bad acting, clothes they wore, the color of the plane,how they flew, & of course the weather. Hollywood is just that "Hollywood".

[Skyracer]

Re: Movie night week 3 - "The Blue Max"

By either version of the Aviator, do you mean the two totally different movies by the same name or was there a second aviation focused Howard Hughes biopic?

Just to go on the record, Howard Hughes is a hero of mine.

I enjoyed the Blue Max and don't regret having purchased it on DVD. I just would like to see new WWI aviation movie made with a better attempt at historical accuracy. For example a good treatment of Rickenbacker or Frank Luke could be amazing!

Spacegrrrl

It's the two different movies of the same name.

I figured out long ago that Hollywood is producing entertainment for all, not documentaries for me. Keeping it in that perspective, I truly enjoy the entertainment value of a good movie (and some not so good), but I choose not to let the technical inaccuracies get in the way of my enjoyment. I agree, Hollywood could do a better job on the technical side, but would the average moviegoer know the difference and would it payoff at the boxoffice?

Keep up the reviews (I think this is great) and try to keep it all in perspective; enjoy the moviies for their entertainment value and the story they tell.

I still say TOR was enjoyable and had (has) great potential.