Saturday, January 04, 2014

Saturday Man Movie

In 1980's The Final Countdown, we have the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) transported back in time to December 7th, 1941. She has a full complement of strike aircraft and enough firepower to change the course of history. She what does the Captain do?

This one stars real World War Two vets Kirk Douglas and Charles Durning (as well as a rather forgettable Martin Sheen). And F-14 Tomcats. It stars lots of F-14 Tomcats. They even mix it up with Japanese Zeroes in some of the coolest movie footage you'll find. Much of it was actually filmed on board the real Nimitz, including a real emergency landing of an A-7 Corsair II that the film crew just happened to be in place to catch, and which they worked into the movie.



5 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:12 AM

    It was a darned good movie. Now that I am older, I realize the ability of the F-14 pilots trying to stay in the same frame as the Zeros...basically flying at stall speeds and doing a lot of recovery. Amazing!

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  2. Anonymous9:51 AM

    Good stuff!
    BUT, it was previously done (in a microcosm, I grant you) when a guy with a Thompson was transported via The Time Tunnel to the Trojan War!
    in 1966(?)
    Ah, those 'if only' moments!

    gfa

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  3. I got to see that one free, courtesy of the US Navy while I was in the Delayed Entry Program. Got to see The Big Red One the same way. (that would be a good candidate for a SMM).

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  4. What gunfreezone said, plus...They weren't actual Zeros capable of 330 mph. They were T-6 Texans with a max speed of 208.

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  5. I can watch that movie over and over, especially the Tomcat/carrier footage!

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