"THe Blue Max"

ww1 ace · 17 August 2005, 08:16 AM

I saw some of "The Blue Max" on AMC yesterday morning. It's in ok movie in my opinion. That was pretty stupid of the General to send up Stachel after Herr Hauptmen said that it was a flying deathtrap just because of Ursula!

Bruno Stachel · 17 August 2005, 08:41 AM

He didn't send Stachel up just because of Ursula. At least not entirely. He preferred to see Stachel die a hero than to embarrass the "officer corps" with the scandal over his kill claims that belonged to Willi.

ww1 ace · 17 August 2005, 09:38 AM

Yeah, that's what I meant. Thanks for correcting me Bruno.

I would like to see the full movie though. I was flipping through my channels when I thought I saw a DRI Triplane. So I switched back, "I knew I saw a DRI Triplane!"

Colin A Owers · 17 August 2005, 03:29 PM

The movie is available on DVD. They did NOT include any extras such as the feature on the making of the movie - I know it exists as I saw it many, many year ago.

Colin A Owers

Aerowallah · 17 August 2005, 04:20 PM

Don't forget Jack Hunter didn't kill off Stachel in the book the Blue Max. He takes him thru WW2 and two more novels and is an all-round darker and more interesting character than Hollywood could stand....

17 August 2005, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerowallah

Don't forget Jack Hunter didn't kill off Stachel in the book the Blue Max. He takes him thru WW2 and two more novels and is an all-round darker and more interesting character than Hollywood could stand....

Very true, mein Freund! Well said!

ww1 ace... DEFINITELY see the movie in its entirety! And, by all means, if you get the opportunity... read the book!

"Prost!"

Bruno Stachel · 17 August 2005, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerowallah

Don't forget Jack Hunter didn't kill off Stachel in the book the Blue Max. He takes him thru WW2 and two more novels and is an all-round darker and more interesting character than Hollywood could stand....

I agree also. I finally got around to reading The Blue Max and

The Blood Order last fall and winter. It was interesting to see Stachel's search for inner peace or redemption. And a bit surprised to see how much the film digressed from the book. I suppose I would be disappointed to sell the rights to a story, only to see it basically thrown out the window. (I'm guessing that's what happened.) That being said, I still enjoy seeing the film. Great aerial sequences and interesting plot. (I'm easily entertained.)

When I was a youngster, I only wanted to see the flying scenes. Until a couple of years ago, I handn't seen the movie in years. I finally got the DVD and watched it with my middle-aged mind. I got kick out of the class strife Bruno goes through, trying to fit in with the other pilots. A square peg trying to fit in the with round ones. He ultimately gets chewed up and spat out by the machine.

It would have been nice if the DVD would have included some out-takes or maybe a segment about the production of the film. The only extras I recall are the movie trailers in 2 or 3 different languages. But it is letter-boxed, so I'm not complaining. I'm glad it happened.

You should have seen how ticked off I was when I tried to watch the DVD the first time. About half way through, the picture began freezing and scrambling. I don't know what the technical term for this is; but I had terms the moderators wouldn't appreciate me repeating here.

I bought the DVD at a book store, and remembered that there was only one left. I had a hard time sleeping, hoping that another propeller head hadn't come and taken it before I could get back to exchange for it! But I was lucky.

ww1 ace, you did see DRI. Either one of two lozenge covered examples or one made to look likes MVR's.

Aerowallah · 17 August 2005, 08:40 PM

P.S. I know someone who is close to Jack who is still living large in Florida. He HATED his experience on the set. He was told from Day One as tech advisor to shut up and let the film guys put the visuals over. The liberties taken with uniforms and aircraft etc. enfuriated him and he, 30 years later, cannot take anyone bringing up the subject of the film. Mentioning the "Blue Max" to him ist streng verboten!

I have a letter from Jack in which he explains that Stachel, whose name means "prick" or "thorn" auf deutsch, was based on a scrupulously correct though ruthless SS officer he interrogated at war's end when Jack worked in Army intelligence. The tragedy for Jack was that Hollywood softened Stachel who, in the book, shot that RE8 down over his base so no one could deny him confirmation again.

"The RE8 incident marks Stachel's transformation from a frustrated victim of an oppressive society into one of that society's most ruthless and lethal pillars."

My main beef with the film is that Ursula never properly got all her kit off...

Yet the film was restricted when it was released (probably for violence) and I couldn't get in to see it!
Rgds