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»	COMBATSIM.COM ARCHIVE FORUM » Archives » EAW Archive 5 » OT : Battle of Britain movie on DVD?

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Topic: OT : Battle of Britain movie on DVD?

Robin Mun-Gavin
Member
Member # 1474

posted 10-29-2000 07:35 AM

Has anyone seen this movie in DVD format? I'm talking about that fantastic 1969 movie starring such people as Michael Caine, Curt Jurgens, Sir Laurence Olivier etc.

Posts: 68 | From: Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

sagginb
Member
Member # 4189

posted 10-29-2000 08:41 AM

BOB_1969 not on DVD yet...at least you can get it on VHS.

"The glass is half full...not half empty!"

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SAG...

Posts: 523 | From: Maine,US | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

Sporko
Member
Member # 1938

posted 10-29-2000 09:54 AM

Well, I rented this movie a few weeks ago and I'm afraid I must now speak blasphemy.

I thought the movie stunk. The story was lousy. The actors talents were completely wasted (Olivier's script: look dour and mutter "we need more pilots". Repeat). The editing was ridiculous. The directing was on par with a high school play (maybe that's a bit harsh). Even for the late 60's the special effects were poor (I got tired of seeing the same plane explode over and over again).

The only good thing was seeing the actual vintage planes. Too bad after the first half they just start repeating the few flight sequences.

Anyway, that's one thumb down from me. See you next time at Sporko's Movie House.

Posts: 384 | From: Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Hertston
Member
Member # 7363

posted 10-29-2000 10:15 AM

Forced to agree with Sporko..... I must have just about every war movie made in the last forty years somewhere on VHS, but I made a point of never buying or taping this one.

Other than the actual flying scenes it's just painful...

Posts: 246 | From: Torpoint, Cornwall, UK | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Li'lJugs
Member
Member # 5015

posted 10-29-2000 12:42 PM

"Piece of Cake" is on DVD, I've ordered it from Amazon. I haven't seen it yet, but I read the book and that was great! The movie, I believe, was produced by the BBC, so you know it's got to be good. I read on this board, I think, that they used Spits instead of the Hurri's in the book, but am not sure.

Posts: 1495 | From: State of Confusion | Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged

Alatriste
Member
Member # 4922

posted 10-30-2000 12:26 AM

I liked very much 'Battle of Britain'. Of course the special effects were outdated, but I found it really enjoyable. It was many years ago, and may be today I wouldn´t think the same. I am waiting for a DVD version, too, and it´s a pity the anniversary passes whithout it.

LJ, I did see and like the series (it´s up to the usual high BBC standard), and I'm sure the planes were Spitfires. I didn't even know the original novel had Hurricanes.

Posts: 380 | From: Madrid(Spain) | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

Bandit Blaster
Member
Member # 7546

posted 10-30-2000 04:53 AM

From what I can remember 'a piece of cake' was a very good TV mini series. And yes they did use Spits.

Did you know we can't actually buy the DVD in the UK, not even from the BBC !!

Posts: 32 | From: Berkshire UK | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

BirdShot
Member
Member # 5993

posted 10-30-2000 06:22 AM

A sidenote about the BOB movie:

My father was stationed at Alconbury flying RF-4Cs at the tiem the movie was being filmed in the UK and was returning to base one day. He and his GIB were suprised to have an ME-109 make a pass at them. It turned to make another pass but my father didn't want to play so he advanced the throttles and left the Emil in JP exhaust.

Posts: 212 | From: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

BalDaddy_123uk
Member
Member # 7541

posted 10-30-2000 06:43 AM

Robin, next best thing, a chap in our squadron called Tosh has edited some footage of BoB onto CD, I've been copying for the rest of the squad, send me your address & I'll send you a copy with 123UK compliments
BD over & far out...
John_Susan_C@hotmail.com

Posts: 107 | From: Upton Snodsbury England | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Gen Savage
Member
Member # 585

posted 10-30-2000 08:21 AM

I quite like the BoB movie. It gives a good overview of the battle. Trouble is, it's hard to keep an audience interested in a historical epic in which the characters do little but fly planes. With their helmets and masks on, you can scarcely recognize anybody. I didn't know Michael Caine had been shot down til they shwowed the reaction of his dog! I think this was why they stuck in the boring subplot of Christopher Plummer and Susannah York (in which 99% of their dialogue consisited of-Plummer:"Did you get that transfer?" York: "Oh, Colin!"- ad nauseaum).

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'Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier.'
-Samuel Johnson

Posts: 1642 | From: Houston, Tx USA | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

Sporko
Member
Member # 1938

posted 10-30-2000 07:18 PM

Haha, Gen Savage, I thought the exact same thing about Caine and his dog. You are right about the masks too. Sometimes it was hard to tell if you were seeing a Brit or a German!

The movie TopGun could have faced the same difficulty but luckily the jet pilots all have there names written on the front of their helmets. That isn't just some guy behind a black face shield...that's Maverick!

Posts: 384 | From: Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Li'lJugs
Member
Member # 5015

posted 10-30-2000 07:27 PM

Read the book "Piece of Cake", maybe watch the movie by the same name, and you will be happy.

Reading can be fun, you know.

Posts: 1495 | From: State of Confusion | Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged

Forward Observer
Member
Member # 5366

posted 10-30-2000 11:28 PM

IMHO, one simple thing would have improved
the BOB movie 500%, and that would have
been to have had a narrator. Someone like
Richard Burton. Unless you are familiar with
the history and background, as most prop
flight simmers are, there isn't much of
a plot, and the end everybody is
just setting around waiting for the Luftwaffe planes that don't come. This needs
some explanation or at least an insprirational spoken epilogue. The movie
ZULU with Burton as narrator at the start
and the end comes to mind. You could even
go back now to add narration and re-release
the movie for the BOB anniversary. Use Sean
Connery. He's got a great voice. My 2 cents.

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Artillery adds dignity to
what would otherwise be a vulger brawl!

Posts: 197 | From: Cabot. Ar, US | Registered: Jul 2000 | IP: Logged

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