"It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it works out for them"
May 06, 2020, 09:26 AM
Prefontaine
We just had a thread on this not long ago. Great film. A6's, E2'a, Prowlers. The F14 squadron was the Jolly Rogers.
What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone
May 06, 2020, 10:07 AM
83v45magna
One of my favorites. There is a gratuitous crew scene where it is blatantly obvious that the crew were allowed to have speaking parts because they are freakin' awful. You probably know it. The last lines are: 'Whatever happens, you'll be told', 'when?', 'As soon as the skippers' ready'. I love it. I love that they let them have it.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. -Ecclesiastes 9:11
May 06, 2020, 10:38 AM
corsair
Before Top Gun, there was this..
If you don't get fired-up after Douglas' speech and the ship goes to GQ...you've got zero pulse.
May 06, 2020, 11:02 AM
Modern Day Savage
This was the last multi-page thread on the movie, and with good info and comments, should probably be the thread to resurrect if the topic is going to be discussed.
I've got some behind the scenes info and tidbits I'll be adding to the the thread, when I can find the time to upload the pics and write it up.
The scenes in sick bay actually made use of the ships marines detachment as well as their CO. Crew members that were used in the filming signed waivers & received TFC logo swag for their support.
quote:
Originally posted by 83v45magna: One of my favorites. There is a gratuitous crew scene where it is blatantly obvious that the crew were allowed to have speaking parts because they are freakin' awful. You probably know it. The last lines are: 'Whatever happens, you'll be told', 'when?', 'As soon as the skippers' ready'. I love it. I love that they let them have it.
______________________________________________ Life is short. It’s shorter with the wrong gun…
May 07, 2020, 06:34 AM
46and2
It holds up well.
May 07, 2020, 03:58 PM
iron chef
quote:
Originally posted by corsair: Before Top Gun, there was this..
If you don't get fired-up after Douglas' speech and the ship goes to GQ...you've got zero pulse.
Someone was thoughtful enough to edit together and upload these clips.
General Quarters!!!
May 07, 2020, 04:50 PM
ensigmatic
I'm gonna have to watch that again.
"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
May 07, 2020, 09:22 PM
SparkyWho
Great movie! There's a fiction series by John Birmingham that is very similar and also very good...if you can get past the contemporary US navy flag ship being named after Hillary Clinton.
May 09, 2020, 11:33 AM
goose5
I'm sorry to report that I could not get past that.
Fixed it for ya...cut n paste was disabled by scripting used by that website. Disable scripting in your browser and...
HOW LOW DID HE GO? F-14 PILOTS WHO HELPED FILMING “THE FINAL COUNTDOWN” ON HOW LOW THE TOMCAT PULLED OUT DURING THE ZERO DOGFIGHT SCENE
written by Dario Leone Sep 2 2020
The Final Countdown featured a unique dogfight which saw two A6M Zeros flying against two F-14 Tomcats. Noteworthy, as explained by the then Jolly Rogers aircrews in the documentary featurette that accompanies The Final Countdown DVD, this “dissimilar engagement” was the first time that “the match-up of fighters with totally different speeds, totally different environments and weaponry had ever been done in film.”
In one scene where an F-14 “thumps” a Zero by flying under and streaking upward in front of the slower aircraft, the resultant “jet blast” of turbulent air was so intense that the yokes of both of the Zeros in the scene were violently wrenched out of the pilots’ hands and caused both aircraft to momentarily tumble out of control. The lead pilot’s headset, along with his watch, were ripped off and out of the open canopy of his Zero, resulting in a few anxious moments as the F-14 pilots were unable to establish contact.
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I remember watching this in theaters. Being a sci-fi nerd at the time I thought the whole time travel premise was awfully hokey...and typical BAD Hollywood. Really? Timing the "return" just before attacking the Japanese attack force? How convenient. I also didn't care much for Kirk Douglas' performance; no Spartacus here.
Over the decades I've sort of softened my 'tude towards the film. Except for the time travel episode...still hokey after all these years.
-MG
October 19, 2020, 08:58 AM
Hound Dog
I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!
The plot device is sort of lame, in that 'destiny/fate/whatever' (???) would not allow the Nimitz to prevent the attack. Still, it was classic 80s greatness. I'm gonna have to watch this again.
I grew up reading Martin Caidin books (his WWII stuff), but I was surprised to find out he wrote the novelization of this movie. Back in the 80s I read it, though I can't really remember much about it. He wrote a bunch of sci-fi, including "Cyborg" which became the Six Million Dollar Man tv show. . .
Fear God and Dread Nought Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
October 20, 2020, 04:12 PM
Expert308
One of my favorite movies of all time. I watch it whenever it comes on.
October 20, 2020, 04:57 PM
Dawes
I saw this movie at the theatre back in 1980. I noticed that the TV/cable/PC versions have a bit of dialog deleted from the original version. When the helicopter brings the captured Japanese pilot on board the Nimitz, Captain Yelland mutters "Jap bastard".
