Regulus 1 Posted 22 May , 2006 Share Posted 22 May , 2006 Finally a new WW I aviation movie, on the Lafayette squadron A little preview can be seen here : http://www.webmasterphoto.com/flyboys_small.wmv With a little luck more people will be interested in the subject, even if it's a bit 'Hollywoodian'. Best from Johan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 23 May , 2006 Share Posted 23 May , 2006 Checked out the above link - definitely Hollywoodian; did I see our hero running along the top of a burning Zeppelin? (The Germans didn't use airships in daylight over the Western front after the first month of the war). The Nieuports were definitely CGI. And of course they had to have the token black airman. I've no objection to black aviators or indeed black people; the Tuskegee airmen did a great job in WW2. But is there any basis in reality for this in WW1 (apart from the Indian RAF ace, Roy Lal)? Never mind, its the best we are going to get; if they only made a film to satisfy WW1 enthusiasts they would never make any money so the film wouldn't get made at all. I shall try and see it if I can find anyone to go with - I doubt my wife will want to see it (who is the lead actor, I may be able to persuade her if its someone even handsomer than me?). Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 May , 2006 Share Posted 23 May , 2006 Finally, finally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 May , 2006 Share Posted 23 May , 2006 ...my leather jacket gets the right recognition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Smith Posted 23 May , 2006 Share Posted 23 May , 2006 Checked out the above link - definitely Hollywoodian; did I see our hero running along the top of a burning Zeppelin? (The Germans didn't use airships in daylight over the Western front after the first month of the war). The Nieuports were definitely CGI. You're half right. Although many of the aircraft in the movie are indeed computer generated, much of the footage is is of replica Nieuports in flight. I believed they shipped 3 or 4 of them over to the UK for the production of the movie. And of course they had to have the token black airman. I've no objection to black aviators or indeed black people; the Tuskegee airmen did a great job in WW2. But is there any basis in reality for this in WW1 (apart from the Indian RAF ace, Roy Lal)? Absolutely! A gentleman by the name of Eugene Bullard served with the Lafayette Flying Corps during the war. He was the first black US airman. I believe that he had two victories to his credit. after the war he stayed in Paris and opened a nightclub which became very successful. During the second war he aided the French resistance, and following the war it was he that relit the eternal flame in Paris. (who is the lead actor, I may be able to persuade her if its someone even handsomer than me?). A young fellow by the name of James Franco plays the lead. The only thing I have see him in to date was the two Spider-Man movies - he plays Peter Parker's best friend. cheers Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Smith Posted 23 May , 2006 Share Posted 23 May , 2006 Finally a new WW I aviation movie, on the Lafayette squadron A little preview can be seen here : http://www.webmasterphoto.com/flyboys_small.wmv With a little luck more people will be interested in the subject, even if it's a bit 'Hollywoodian'. Best from Johan You can bet it will be "Hollywoodized", but I agree with you that if it generates interest in the history then thats okay. russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 23 May , 2006 Share Posted 23 May , 2006 Johan Thanks for the link, the movie looks 'interesting'. I suspect that we'll have to make up our minds not to nit-pick when watching it - and not loudly announce to the rest of the audience in the theatre that the Escadrille Lafayette phased out its Nieuport 17s in June 1917, and that the [inevitably red] Fokker Dr.I didn't appear at the Front until at least four months later, etc. However, if it prompts some people to start trying to find out more about what really happened in the skies over the trenches, then the mistakes can be forgiven. Cheers Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulus 1 Posted 23 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2006 Gentlemen, Most of the planes are the real stuff indeed as mentioned. One of the other leading roles is Jean Reno. You can not yet view the trailer on the movie website, but I also have a larger version of about 32 MB. If anyone knows where I can put it on the net, so you'll get a better idea. As far as I kow, it's not the hero running on top of the Zeppelin. Best from Johan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted 23 May , 2006 Share Posted 23 May , 2006 I think I'll wait until it comes out on DVD. It looks OK. You know, it really gets me how "Hollywood" does things to suit themselves. I mean honestly what is wrong with a little historical accuracy for once? OK, sure if it gets people interested in WWI aviation history that's great, but do we want to get them interested with historical inaccuracies? I know it's only a movie, but if you're going to plug it with the "Based On A True Story" tag, at least be accurate. Geez, sound a little crabby don't I? Must be because I'm turning 31 yrs old this week. Cheers, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowNslow Posted 23 May , 2006 Share Posted 23 May , 2006 Don't care about the 'fromagey' plot - just love those Nieuports! Happy days at Halton last summer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulus 1 Posted 23 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2006 http://flyboysthemovie.com/flyboys_cannes_2.mov The 32 MB high res. version can be downloaded on the link above ! I'm going to see it and sit down, relax and enjoy this movie. I's the best thing I've seen since some movies from the 1920's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Hederer Posted 24 May , 2006 Share Posted 24 May , 2006 Hmm, I noticed the chateau shown in the trailer seems to be the same one used in Kubrick's "Paths of Glory,"wonder if that's so. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 24 May , 2006 Share Posted 24 May , 2006 I'm not sure of the exact sequence of events, but when the Americans joined the war, Eugene Bullard was denied entry to the American flying forces due being black when the Lafayette Flying Corps was all but absorbed into the American Air Force. He returned to the French Infantry in early 1918. He had already fought at Verdun, being injured there, and also won the Croix de Guerre. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 24 May , 2006 Share Posted 24 May , 2006 I imagine this is why he settled in France post-war. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 25 May , 2006 Share Posted 25 May , 2006 Excellent...'Pearl Harbour' in the first show. Rgds Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Smith Posted 25 May , 2006 Share Posted 25 May , 2006 Excellent...'Pearl Harbour' in the first show. Rgds Tim Yikes! Couldn't be THAT bad. Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted 26 May , 2006 Share Posted 26 May , 2006 Love the photo - must have been great on the set! I'm hoping that Peter Jackson's remake of the Blue Max comes to fruition, then we might get a dose of accuracy with the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vervos Posted 5 June , 2006 Share Posted 5 June , 2006 Just viewed the clip. Usual nauseating Hollywood b.s. Pity funding couldn't be raised to make the definitive First War Aviation film, with all the collective expertise on this forum. Cheers Vervos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulus 1 Posted 5 June , 2006 Author Share Posted 5 June , 2006 The guy running on top of the Zep is not the hero, it is the top gunner BTW. Mr Jackson is planning a WW I aviation movie, but it will not be The Blue Max remake... Can't say more about it at this point, sorry. A movie with the collective expertise of this and other forums is not a movie gentlemen, it is called a documentary. Unfortunately for us making movies is all about economics. It may be great to make a movie as accurate as possible, but if you have to work with a budget of over 60 million USD it is supposed to make some earnings for the people who made it. Personally I'm already happy we have a WW I aviation movie coming out with decent replica's. And if all we do is complain and not going to see it because it isn't the real stuff, I think we'll have to wait another 40 years for such a movie, and personally I'm not willing to do so. I'm getting older... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 6 June , 2006 Share Posted 6 June , 2006 I will certainly try and see it, despite my wingeing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Doug Maxwell Posted 10 July , 2006 Share Posted 10 July , 2006 Hey everyone. Some pondering on the Flyboys Movie Trailer... I'm thinking that the swarm of all red Fokker DR1s might change eventually. Lots of times, with computer effects, what you see in the trailer is a little different than when you see it a few months later in the movie theater. Often they're still tweaking and changing things in Post Production, but they use whatever looks nice at the time the trailer is assembled. Once all the info is in the computer and you know where all the planes are going, a plane can be swapped for another or the colors changed. Or... (theory #2) If what we see in the trailer is indeed the final product, I'll still be able to live with it. It's better than no film at all. Since most people going to the theater don't know a Camel from an Albatross (plane-wise, that is), the film's producers might be worried that the audience will be too confused with the combat scenes, since the action seems rather fast paced with a lot of edits and camera moves. Think about the original Star Wars film... There's a good reason why the X-Wing fighter looks nothing like the TIE Fighter... the reason is instant recognition. X = Good guys. H = Bad guys. Thus, the name instant recognition can be applied with the Flyboys Trailer. Two wings = French and Brits, etc. Three wings = Germans. I am sure I'm being Captain Obvious with everyone, but I thought I'd share my thoughts anyway. Have a great day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 10 July , 2006 Share Posted 10 July , 2006 Doug Welcome to the forum! Hopefully, as you say, better than no film at all. If the producer and the writers care about the subject, then this should be the case: but they have to compromise to get bums on seats otherwise such movies would never get made. But with something like Pearl Harbor, you just get a SFX -driven thriller that happens to be set in WW2. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark parker Posted 18 July , 2006 Share Posted 18 July , 2006 Hi I'm new here but have been going through some negatives sent to my Grandmother by her brother Walter Preston RFC and have a photo that I think is a Niewport. I'll see if I can post it; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 18 July , 2006 Share Posted 18 July , 2006 mnp Welcome to the Forum! Many thanks for posting that excellent photograph of a Nieuport 20 two-seater (a Nieuport 12 with a 110hp Le Rhône engine). A154 was used by No 1 Sqn RFC from 24 June 1916 until 4 January 1917, when it was transferred to No 46 Sqn. By 5 July it was at Gosport as a trainer. If you have any other photographs like this, please don't hesitate to share them. Cheers Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark parker Posted 18 July , 2006 Share Posted 18 July , 2006 Thanks for the info Garath, there are a few photos, I'd like to find out a bit more about My Dad's uncle I have a letter he wrote to my Grandmother in 1916. 'AN ACCOUNT OF OUR TRIP AFTER LEAVING EGYPT' which details him being a machine gunner in the AIF (Australian) and the actions he was engaged in in France (Pozieres)and Belgium (hill 60) etc, and then him refering to 'the RFC business' they must have been looking for volunteers. The letter ends with him going to England after being accepted by the RFC. I haven't got much history of him in the RFC though he was awarded a DFC, and there are quite a few photos, theres an album of 100 negatives, quite a few of these are of planes. And there are other negatives which I'm trying to locate which are bigger with some good clear photos of Fe2b pushers. This photo I think is of his plane but it looks more like its him in it than the man at the wing, caption says BE2E. This one says RE7; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now