Overall I like the film a lot. I'm very fond of the score despite it's borrowings which Conti frequently did back then. I also liked his "Escape to Victory" score for the same reasons.
They took a lot of dramatic license with the characters who were real people. I get that in movies. The one they were really way off on was Gus Grissom. Fred Ward portrayed him as a sort of two fisted whining oaf. Grissom was none of that. He was not only an astronaut he was a scientist and a no nonsense person. Extremely intelligent and demanding when it came to staying on program and getting it right. Grissom deserved better here. I think they did a much better job with Ed Harris straight laced portrayal of John Glenn. Senator John Glenn's popularity soared once again because of this film. I like the film, but the way Grissom was portrayed in it always bothered me.
Now here we agree my old friend. Loved the music, effects, cast, comedy and drama. I know some have issues with the film, and there are some, but overall I thoroughgoingly enjoyed it. Even Siskel and Ebert agreed from time to time.
Now here we agree my old friend. Loved the music, effects, cast, comedy and drama. I know some have issues with the film, and there are some, but overall I thoroughgoingly enjoyed it. Even Siskel and Ebert agreed from time to time.
I'm glad you like it too buddy, I really respect your opinion!BTW, do you own the Blu-ray? It's a great transfer with great special features. But the special features are on dvd however.
Now here we agree my old friend. Loved the music, effects, cast, comedy and drama. I know some have issues with the film, and there are some, but overall I thoroughgoingly enjoyed it. Even Siskel and Ebert agreed from time to time.
I'm glad you like it too buddy, I really respect your opinion!BTW, do you own the Blu-ray? It's a great transfer with great special features. But the special features are on dvd however.
Unfortunately my Blu-Ray purchasing has to take a back seat to my score purchasing. I'm slowly getting caught up on Blu-Rays I like to own. I really NEED to get this one!
I have vivid memories of seeing this in the theater. The auditorium was full and the audience really seemed into it. (Only slightly bewildered at times.) I walked out believing this was going to be a huge hit. Sadly I found out it was a financial flop.
The first time I saw it was on television in 1996, I loved it so much I bought the Laserdisc, remember them? And the score is probably my second favorite ever, the first being NORTH AND SOUTH. The film won Oscars for sound, sound effects editing, film editing and score. The real Chuck Yeager was an advisor, and had a cameo as the bartender in the film. Sam Shepard lived in Minnesota, not far from me.
It was the first DVD I ever bought. I love the film and even Conti's score isn't so bad.
The autobiographies of Gordo Cooper and Scott Carpenter are interesting, if not bizarre reads. I don't know if being an astronaut leads to more eccentric behavior, or if such a personality is a prerequisite of becoming one!
I also remember barely any FSMers replying to Scott Carpenter's death. If he had played an X-Wing fighter pilot in the background or something, these same FSMers would be rocking back and forth while mourning their "dead" childhood.
I also remember barely any FSMers replying to Scott Carpenter's death. If he had played an X-Wing fighter pilot in the background or something, these same FSMers would be rocking back and forth while mourning their "dead" childhood.
You do realize most astronauts and people in the aerospace industries are huge Star Wars fans.
I also remember barely any FSMers replying to Scott Carpenter's death. If he had played an X-Wing fighter pilot in the background or something, these same FSMers would be rocking back and forth while mourning their "dead" childhood.
You do realize most astronauts and people in the aerospace industries are huge Star Wars fans.
That's news to me, because my interest in the space program diminishes right around the time the Empire built the second Death Star.
Overall I like the film a lot. I'm very fond of the score despite it's borrowings which Conti frequently did back then. I also liked his "Escape to Victory" score for the same reasons.
Maybe this should go into the "confessions" thread, but I've never seen the film. Anzi's comments intrigue me, though, so perhaps I should seek it out.
Overall I like the film a lot. I'm very fond of the score despite it's borrowings which Conti frequently did back then. I also liked his "Escape to Victory" score for the same reasons.
Maybe this should go into the "confessions" thread, but I've never seen the film. Anzi's comments intrigue me, though, so perhaps I should seek it out.
Warning: Sylvester Stallone plays the team goalkeeper and better still, Michael Caine is their manager!
Overall I like the film a lot. I'm very fond of the score despite it's borrowings which Conti frequently did back then. I also liked his "Escape to Victory" score for the same reasons.
Maybe this should go into the "confessions" thread, but I've never seen the film. Anzi's comments intrigue me, though, so perhaps I should seek it out.
Warning: Sylvester Stallone plays the team goalkeeper and better still, Michael Caine is their manager!
I mean, I've never seen The Right Stuff.
Of course I've seen Escape (to Victory). I try to see ALL the films that involve Shostakovich's music and most of the Russian ones are hard to track down.
Back to the film, I think it left a few people a bit confused at times.
The first 30 minutes or so revolve around a cowboy and his girl riding horses and drinking in a dusty old bar. I was one of those confused. I thought this was about the space program?!
Then we have the scene were Yeager finds the X1 in the middle of the dessert with it's engines burning, and seemingly no one else around. It was so surreal. Was this really happening or a dream sequence? (No, it was real.)
Then you have the sequence in Australia where the campfire flames fly up into the night sky and suddenly we cut to John Glenn seeing "firefly's" dancing around his ship. Pretty surreal again!
Later on we have a long naked dance sequence near the end of the film that really drags on. I remember my sister-in-law leaning over and asking me, "What does this have to do with spaceships?" LOL
BTW, do you own the Blu-ray? It's a great transfer with great special features. But the special features are on dvd however. 
