The Red Baron – a New Film

Great clip from Wings there low ‘n’ slow. I used to love that series and wish I’d taped it when it repeated in the 1990’s. Was that the full size replica in all those shots or were some shots of models? Only I recall reading the replica was filmed only in the USA but it looked very English/French to me.

I was thinking about the series only the other day, and how it had tainted my opinion of that actor Michael Cochrane who played Gaylion for life. Every time he pops up on TV I think “Oh that awful pompous pilot from Wings again”

Hi Dave, yep thats the flying rep that was filmed by the BBC at Bealton Virginia. They basicaly filmed lots of stock shots and then cut them in as required.
You can see more of her return to airworthiness at

www.biggles-biplane.com 🙂

Great clip from Wings there low ‘n’ slow. I used to love that series and wish I’d taped it when it repeated in the 1990’s. Was that the full size replica in all those shots or were some shots of models? Only I recall reading the replica was filmed only in the USA but it looked very English/French to me.

I was thinking about the series only the other day, and how it had tainted my opinion of that actor Michael Cochrane who played Gaylion for life. Every time he pops up on TV I think “Oh that awful pompous pilot from Wings again”

I’d like to see a film in which the heroes fly BE2Cs and have to spot for artillery. Those guys were heroes alright…

As Blue Max says…..so would we! 😉

In the meantime…… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ISBHeXl3dE

I was surprised to note in the opening commentary on that news report, ‘For the first time in 60 years, a German war movie about a German war hero’.
Memories are obviously short, isn’t ‘Das Boot’ about the same thing, about Nazis too, well in theory anyway, and as I said before, made in the correct language too.

They are forgetting “Stern von Afrika” too.
That said, most German war movies are pretty gritty and depressing affairs. Lets just say that they wouldn´t have made “Kellys Heroes”.

The Blue Max was based quite closely on a novel (by an American author) in which nobody comes out well, although motivations are explored in a lot more detail (as you’d expect). Interestingly, in the novel Stachel deliberately shoots down the RE8 that has surrendered when in the film, it is self-defence. He is also complicit in Fabian’s death (Stachel goes after an SE5 that Fabian has already damaged, leaving Fabian to tackle two unharmed SE5s). Also, Stachel is an alcoholic and much of his behaviour is attributable to this – in the novel, he is on the path to redemption when circumstances pull him down again. On the last page he meets Hermann Goering! The CO is portrayed as more of a prig and his wife is not so wholesome as in the film.

As I said, nobody really comes out well. The Germans all have their various flaws, the British are portrayed as stupidly foolhardy and not too skilled. A squadron of American SPADs is encountered late in the book, and gets a bit more respect however… I thought the film was pretty good in the context of the novel and had some of the best flying sequences – better than we are likely to get these days with all the reliance on CGI.

I’d like to see a film in which the heroes fly BE2Cs and have to spot for artillery. Those guys were heroes alright…

If you get someone to make it i know where there is a BE2 rep thats available;)

On a WW1 theme, non of the major characters in ‘The Blue Max’ were likeable, apart from the CO and the various erks, that really was a typical Hollywood portrayal of events on a big scale, long may it dissapear.
Can anyone think of any others.

The Blue Max was based quite closely on a novel (by an American author) in which nobody comes out well, although motivations are explored in a lot more detail (as you’d expect). Interestingly, in the novel Stachel deliberately shoots down the RE8 that has surrendered when in the film, it is self-defence. He is also complicit in Fabian’s death (Stachel goes after an SE5 that Fabian has already damaged, leaving Fabian to tackle two unharmed SE5s). Also, Stachel is an alcoholic and much of his behaviour is attributable to this – in the novel, he is on the path to redemption when circumstances pull him down again. On the last page he meets Hermann Goering! The CO is portrayed as more of a prig and his wife is not so wholesome as in the film.

As I said, nobody really comes out well. The Germans all have their various flaws, the British are portrayed as stupidly foolhardy and not too skilled. A squadron of American SPADs is encountered late in the book, and gets a bit more respect however… I thought the film was pretty good in the context of the novel and had some of the best flying sequences – better than we are likely to get these days with all the reliance on CGI.

I’d like to see a film in which the heroes fly BE2Cs and have to spot for artillery. Those guys were heroes alright…

I was surprised to note in the opening commentary on that news report, ‘For the first time in 60 years, a German war movie about a German war hero’.
Memories are obviously short, isn’t ‘Das Boot’ about the same thing, about Nazis too, well in theory anyway, and as I said before, made in the correct language too.

How many films can you think of showing German aviators as ‘reasonable’ people by any film makers.
Probably the best one was ‘The One That Got Away’, British made when the war was fresh on everyones minds, yet dealing with Von Werra, known to be a bit of an arrogant so and so, in a sympathetic way when most films of that period tended to treat such characters as arrogant Nazi stormtroopers.
Going on to ‘The Longest Day’, the 2 Luftwaffe pilots ordered to strafe the beaches were portrayed as vulnerable characters, not happy with their lot, and allowed to speak in German, quite rightly so.
In ‘Battle of Britain’, I’m not sure about their portrayal, the bomber crews were shown as being vulnerable and frightened, the fighter pilots as a bit arrogant, maybe this was the case, I’m sure as an advisor, Galland put his tuppenceworth in, though I gather it wasn’t always accepted.
On a WW1 theme, non of the major characters in ‘The Blue Max’ were likeable, apart from the CO and the various erks, that really was a typical Hollywood portrayal of events on a big scale, long may it dissapear.
Can anyone think of any others.

Who’s playing the part of Snoopy?:D

Tom Cruise! :diablo:

Seriously, I’m rather intrigued to see this. Hopefully it’ll get a half-decent release in UK cinemas – Flyboys and Dark Blue World disappeared far too quickly for my liking…. 🙁

They always dub English films in Germany.

Any major release will have German speaking voice-over (artists i think they are called).
Has been an expirence to hear John Wayne speak German, and they actually used the same actor throughout Waynes career.

Watching German TV in the 70’s and seeing big John Wayne, in a cowboy film, say ‘Wie Gehts’? is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. 😀

Ken

Who’s playing the part of Snoopy?:D

Premiered last night – news report with some clips

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7320000/newsid_7323700/7323798.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

They always dub English films in Germany.

Any major release will have German speaking voice-over (artists i think they are called).
Has been an expirence to hear John Wayne speak German, and they actually used the same actor throughout Waynes career.

If you compare the two trailers, and the German version is far superior, it would seem that the film was made in English, then dubbed in German, a pity.
Compare this to ‘Das Boot’, the version dubbed in English isn’t worth watching, it lacks expression and just doesn’t work.
It also makes the use of German actors, speaking in English, have to produce the not so phoney, to them, accent that we have had to endure in war films over the past 60 years.
A pity it wasn’t made in the ‘Longest Day’/’Bridge too Far’/’BoB’ mould, Germans speak German, Englanders speak in English, that formula doesn’t seem to have affected the success of ‘Das Boot’ does it.
Apart from the usual over the top CGI, it looks good to me, the period town scenes look terrific, and the whole thing looks beautifully filmed, if it’s about the man and his personal life, and has to put bums on seats, it ain’t going to be an aviation enthusiasts dream is it, but then thats what films are all about and always have been, give it a chance, as someone previously stated, we don’t have to suffer Val Kilmer or Ben Affleck do we, mind you, I must admit that Kilmer has a bit of a resemblance to the great man, do you not think.

About time they released a Richthofen film.

Unfortunatly its not aimed at aviation enthusiasts, so there is little hope for any historical/technical accuracy.

Downside:

Fake German accents.

Super agile WWI aircraft.

Upside:

If a success, then (along with Jacksons Dambusters) we might see a revival of the aviation film genre. There are still plenty of untold stories.

Hmm….

Why in God’s name do WW1 biplanes/triplanes have to move like they’re out of a video game?! 😡

Apart from that, it doesn’t look all that bad – in a similar vein to Flyboys, perhaps.

That’ll be the new ‘improved’ CGI then :rolleyes:

Hmm….

Why in God’s name do WW1 biplanes/triplanes have to move like they’re out of a video game?! 😡

Apart from that, it doesn’t look all that bad – in a similar vein to Flyboys, perhaps.

Finally updated the websites with the trailer – check out the difference between the German and English trailers!

http://www.redbaron-themovie.com/index_de.html

http://www.redbaron-themovie.com/index_en.html

Certainly never come across the dropping a wreath at the funeral for a pilot – any truth in that?

Think i’ve discovered where the choice of music for the second trailer came from, judging by the content of the original music video

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VO_MYxRYdoE

Changed my mind about the film now as watching it again, it looks as if it’ll be pants unless by some miracle they change the agility of the aircraft. Not quite sure why Brown is wearing yellow sunglasses either

That looked quite intriguing…..

Sorry for going OT, but I recently saw Flyboys and, although I wasn’t expecting much, I wasn’t disappointed, either.

FOKKER PORN! :diablo:

Looks fantastic, never heard of the film though and neither has IMDB – anyone know anything of ‘American knight’?

American Knight was i belive the working title of what became “Flyboys”;)