The Aviator

[Sergei]

The Aviator Soars....

Check out this first review. I have been looking forward to this movie for a long time.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,139451,00.html

 

[Kentucky Blues]

I must see this when it comes out.....

 

[Bobbi B.]

...I'm just not sure any man can look as devastatingly handsome as Hughes did when he was young. There have been some really fine-looking actors but Howard Hughes was the real deal. Some of the photos from his Congrssional testimony about the Spuce Goose look more like stills from a film than photojournalism. That man lived as though his life was a movie!

Sigh. They don't make 'em like they used to. And looking at how he turned out, I suppose they never did.

But I've got to see that film!

 

[ITG]

Yippee! It opens on my birthday...I think I'll treat myself to an early afternoon showing of the Aviator. I'm sure it'll draw plenty of numbers at the box office.

Speaking of DiCapprio, when I was at the QM, I got a California Shake for breakfast. They have these signed pics of famous people on their walls. I asked if Dick Van Dyke has been in before. She goes, "Who?" I said, "He was in Mary Poppins and the Dick Van Dyke Show." She just shook her head in confusion (OH MY!). So, I asked who she knew that had come in before to which she replied "Leonardo DiCapprio."

 

[up196]

Just got back from seeing the Aviator. Excellent movie. Leonardo DiCaprio's resemblence to Howard Hughes is chilling, especially as the older Hughes during the hearings. I highly recommed it . . . Tom

 

[Bobbi B.]

Splendid movie -- and chilling at the same time.

DiCaprio's face is wider than Hughes'. In profile, he utterly is Howard Hughes. In other shots, he's "merely" stunningly close.

Costuming, sets (the Coconut Grove!) and casting (Hepburn indeed) are far above the usual Hollywood level.

Even if you're ho-hum about airplanes and Hughes' eccentric career, this is a film worth seeing. And if you do happen to dote on fast airplanes, astonishing interiors, high-living and good-lookin', eccentric people, the movie is a must!

Bobbi

 

[ITG]

There was also a scene filmed on board the Queen Mary in the Observation Bar. AFter Hughes completes the filming of "Hell's Angels", the crew is having there wrap party in the QM's Observation Bar.

Cate Blanchett was amazing as Kathryn Hepburn. Jude Law (though briefly on camera) played a convincing Erol Flynn in regards to his looks (I've not seen Flynn in a movie so I can't commit on any resemblance to his voice or mannerisms).

I didn't realize what a germ nut Hughes was but it rubbed off on me. After the 3 hour movie and a rather large Sprite, I headed to the ladies room and waited in line. When I went in, I saw the seat lid was up (in a ladies bathroom!) and it stunk...needless to say, so I 180-ed it and darted out of the bathroom...no way no how was I gonna go in there (and I couldn't just wait for another one because the lady that came out would be offended...if I didn't offend her already by just darting outta there). Anyway, I was feeling Hughes' germaphobia right then thanks to the movie. So yes, the movie had a strong impact on me.

 

[Wild Root]

Aviator.

Well, Matt Deckard and I saw the Aviator yesterday the 25. I felt it was a good film and worth the long wait. The clothes, cars, set design and music were great! The story they told was rather close to the true life of Howard Hues. Some of the camera shots were really good in the first opening shots. I am a very picky man when it comes to period films and biographies of famous people. As for young Leonardo playing Hues, I think he did a good job, but I still feel that there are actors that look more like hues then Leonardo.

The film had a good feel to it and their pick of actresses to portray famous Hollywood elite were well picked! For any one that has not seen this film, I would recommend it highly!

The story of Howard is a sad one. He was an odd man but one hell of an aircraft designer! If it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t be a Spruce Goose witch I might add still holds the record as being the largest airplane known to man!

Root.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Less verminophobia on my part and more the tics were what stuck in my head.

Used to repeat things to get it right when I was a youngin and that film sort of stirred up thoughts in my head.
Repeat things to get it right
repeat things to get it right
repeat things to get it right
repeat thing...

see the film guys and gals --you'll enjoy.

You could tell the suits for the most part many of the suits were modern custom jobs, though the some of the fabrics used, I think were vintage. The shirts and ties Dicaprio wore were vintage from what I could see.
Blanchet's acting was dead on!

repeat things to get it right

 

[ITG]

You mean the Spruce Goose is larger than current Airline aircraft? No way! (not disputing, just surprised).

 

[Wild Root]

Yes, it is the larges plane still today! Take a look and compare the size of this one of a kind plane!

 

[Matt Deckard]

It's the Hercules, THE HERCULES!

Kevin, see if you can unite this thread with the original THE AVIATOR thread.

 

[Wild Root]

Yes Matt, the given name of the HK-1 was Hercules. The name Spruce Goose was a name the press gave it when mocking Mr. Hughes.

Take a look at the number of aircraft sitting under the right wing of this flying boat. They even have an SR-71 Black Bird! Looks like a toy under that wing!

Root.

 

[ITG]

Wow, looks like a monster plane...it didn't seem as big in the movie but that was not the real thing (CGI I'm guessing). Wow! And to think that after all these years someone hasn't been able to make something bigger that will fly. Hughes was ahead of his time for sure.

 

[The Wingnut]

Even standing next to it, it just doesn't register how HUGE the thing is. That plane is a MONSTER. EIGHT P&W R-4360s. 48 sparkplugs per engine...do the math! Then consider just how much money was pumped into keeping it flight ready for 40 years in its custom-built hangar before it was moved to the Dome in Long Beach, then shrink-wrapped and shipped to Evergreen in Oregon by barge.

Evergreen keeps it in its climate-controlled building with no plans whatsoever to put the beast into the sky(understandably). A hole has been cut in the side for access to the cargo deck, and inside, a lexan box has been built from which you can view the guts. No access is available to the flight deck...this takes a minimum donation of $5000 and a lifetime membership with the museum! Photographs of the interior are prohibited, and photos of the flight deck require a franchise license!

The H-4 sits in a huge trough in the floor with massive support girders under it. The entire building was purpose-built simply to house the H-4, and the remaining available floor space is enough for an impressive collection that includes a DC-3, a B-17, a P-38, the Ford Trimotor seen in the pictures above, a Beech Staggerwing, an F4U Corsair, an F6F Hellcat, a BF-109, and numerous other planes, equipment, autos, and the like. There are maintenence spaces, a gift shop, a small museum, an open-air theater with a big screen TV, an assembly area for museum meetings...all under the wings of the H-4, with plenty of space to move around.

I went well-dressed, in my best suit and hat, with hopes of gaining access to the flight deck and taking some photos. You can imagine my disappointment...

 

[Wild Root]

Any one remembers that part in Tucker with Jeff Bridges when they talk to Howard Hughes? He was eating pistachios and I think the guy they got to play Hughes was PERFECT! Yes, you didn’t get a very good look at him, but that’s how Howard was. I wish they could have gotten that same actor for the part of Hughes. But, that movie was made in 1989 and this is 2004. So, he would be past the age of Hughes at the point in 1947. Darn!

Oh well.

Root.

 

[Hamsterjeep]

Well,
I just saw the Aviator this rainy afternoon, and I can only say that the movie was not as good as I expected. It ran about 2hrs and 45 min, which is a little on the long side, and the flying scenes were NOT as I had hoped. Many of the sequences were computer generated, kind of like the flying in the epic "Pearl Harbor" movie a few years back- but I guess that's what we can expect in this computer age. All the more reason for me to appreciate the older things, from the 30's and 40's- and even the 50's.
The portrayal of HH by Leonardo DeCaprio was good, and the mental deterioration of HH was well acted. The costumes and sets were great, and made the movie worth seeing. The story line was accurate to history and will give a younger generation insight to an amazing yet eccentric person in recent history. Alan Alda gave an excellent performance as Senator Brewster, and another actor I like was Brent Spiner ("Data" of STNG) whose name I saw in the ending credits, yet I missed him in the movie. I guess that's what makes a great actor, when he's so into character that you don't know it's him at all- where as movie giants like John Wayne will always be John Wayne no matter what character he plays.
Kate Beckinsale was gorgeous as Ava Gardner, Gwen Stefani was the perfect Jean Harlow, and Cate Blanchett did a so-so Kate Hepburn.
All in all, I won't see it again in the theater, but I'll probably buy the W I D E S C R E E N DVD when it comes out in about 6 to 8 months.

 

[Wild Root]

(Many of the sequences were computer generated)


Well, I'm glad you found it some what enjoyable. I would like to address the computer poo pooers here. Now as you all know, I'm a big nut when it comes to useing the "Real thing" in the movies. I have always loved to see them use real planes, cars, trains or what ever in period movies. Now, I do understand this day and age as well as far as film making goes. How possible would it be to use Hughes's H-1B racer famous test plane he broke the record with??? It's now displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. They wouldn't let that thing go for one shot in any movie for a second! I know there is one replica that is flying around to air shows and I believe it Was at the EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. - (May 2, 2003)

And about using the real Spruce Goose? Ah, out of the question! The thing is so rare and so big it would cost way too much to use.

They would have used the real thing if they could! The fact is that they need to computer generate some things to use it in the movies now because the movies they decide to make have things that don't exist any more. The film Pearl Harbor had to CG all those Japanese planes because well, most of them are no longer around to use or they’re hanging in museums. The 1970's film “Tora, Tora, Tora,� used painted up AT-6's as Zeros, Sal’s and Betty’s.

Yes, I agree that they could have done a more convincing job on some of the shots of the racer and such, but it's an art they are getting better at all the time. Soon, they will be making movies with CG stuff and we wouldn't even tell the dif.

Sad that we have to use Computers to make up for the lack of historical items to use in these films, but it keeps cost down and not to forget lousing a rare item in the process! In the filming of the Memphis Belle, they lost a B-17! The crew got out safe, but the plane, an irreplaceable original B-17 was lost!

Any way, that's my opinion on the whole CG thing.

Take it for what it's worth.

Root.

 

[Hamsterjeep]

For your info...

I personally saw the Hughes racer replica at the Reno Air Races in 2002, and unfortunately a year later it was destroyed in a crash while flying home from the EAA Airadventure in Oshkosh 2003.
http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/brief.asp?ev_id=20030815X01342&key=1
It was the most beautiful, graceful airplane I have ever seen.
Here is the website of the people who built the replica:
http://www.wrightools.com/hughes/
I would post my personal photo's, but I can't seem to figure out the way to do attachments on this forum

 

[Bobbi B.]

Brett Spiner played the fellow who ran Consolidated; his distinctive voice and recognizable nose gave him away to me, but only barely.

And I still think Blanchett did an adequate job of Hepburn -- a C for the voice (but give her credit for trying, it's not an easy one) but an A for mannerism and movement and a B+ for looks. (I have to admit, the golfing scene where she talks and talks and talks and talks hit more than a little close to home. Put me in that kind of situation and you'll get the same endless chatter).

As Wild Root points out, CGI gives us scenes that no model could ever achieve and no motion picture could afford to do with the real hardware. It's easy to pan it but the alternative is to not have those scenes at all. It's art, not life. The H-4 "Hercules" will never fly again except in software.

ITG, the germ phobia got me, too. About 2/3 of the way into the film, the person next to me sneezed in the general direction of my soda; I never touched it again until the film was over, and then only with a paper napkin between my hand and the cup. ...Poor Howard probably spared me a cold.

Hughes' neuroses as portrayed in the film do demonstrate something we may overlook: such quirks are often normal tendencies taken to wild extremes. Who hasn't repeated a phone number, trying to memorize it? Who hasn't flinched away from a stranger's coughing fit, or passed up a food selection that looked a bit "off" on a buffet? But if such things loom so large they take you over, it's time to get some help.

The other thing Hughes' story should remind us is that "crazy" and "stupid" aren't the same thing at all.

BB