SURVEY0011a: Hot-Air Balloons in the Movies
Submitted by dgeiser13 on Sat, 05/26/2001 - 10:41
Tags:
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
- Around the World in Eighty Days (1956)
- Before Night Falls (2000)
- Joe Dirt (2001)
- Rat Race (2001)
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
This list is way too subtle for me, Dan.
LOL! I have no idea what exactly you mean by that...but it's making me laugh anyway. :-)
One of us is missing something here. Tell me, is your list supposed to consist of a single black dot? Because that's how it appears on my browser: just one black dot, nothing more.
Currently, yes, the list consists of a single dot. The dot is just a place holder because you can't create an empty list.
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, may I suggest?
Thanks, Bertie! I have added your suggestion...
ooh ooh! i got one! the recent comedy, rat race, involves a hot-air balloon... and come to think of it, this flick might qualify for your films with incredible casts list--maybe?
thanks, taryn! duly noted :-)
The Flight of the Eagle (1982)
Seen in America as "The Flight of the Eagle," this is one of the two most extraordinary movies of Man's relationship to "space (area)." Where "Das Boot" best captured a world of confined spaces, this movie dramatically arrests the viewer in an terrifying environment of "too much space." Beginning as a beautiful period-piece, this story follows our three adventurers as they pitch and win the argument, to be the first humans to reach the North Pole. As an accomplished balloonist, Max Von Sydow as the real life Swedish Engineer, S. A. Andrée, meets and collects two hardy companions and embarks the `great adventure' via what else ? …a balloon! The film brilliantly captures the three travelers' descent from excitement into stark realization that `blueprints' do not always describe reality. The remainder of the film which runs about 3 hours, is an incredible story of how intellect, will always be limited against the harsh reality of God. Tremendous performances by Von Sydow and company, and significantly inter-cut with actual photos from the expedition, this movie won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. One of the most psychologically-terrifying, emotional films (and a true story), this is a must see for fans of great film-making.
Mysterious Island. 1961 version featuring great Ray Harryhausen special effects. Confederate prison escapees hijack observation balloon and are blown off course
The Great Race. Silly stuff, a family movie. Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood. HAB and fantasy airship.
Escape From Alcatraz. True story. Stars Clint Eastwood
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) Wacky stuff, starring Terry-Thomas.
Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962 version). Good heavens--this one stars Fabian, Red Buttons, Barbara Eden. Read about it on IMDB
Police Academy 4 - Citizens on Patrol (1987)
Black Sunday (1976) Terrorist movie starring Goodyear's Mayflower, N1A (the Columbia also appears). Oh, and Bruce Dern, Robert Shaw...
The Island at the Top of the World (1974-Disney). Features a Lebaudy style airship. The ship is central to the movie and is in many of the scenes. Positive family entertainment.
Night Crossing. 1981. Disney, but PG. True story of two families escape from communist East Germany using home-made hot air balloon. John Hurt , Jane Alexander , Glynnis O'Connor, Beau Bridges. Out of print, read about it on the Internet Movie Database.
Those Fantastic Flying Fools (1967). Based on a Jules Vern story. Out of print, read about it on the Internet Movie Database.
It Could Happen to You (1994).The balloon in the final scene is a TBW AX-8 flown by Gary Cerveny of Malibu, CA. Stars Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda. Also in DVD
The World Is Not Enough (1999) Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, opens with balloon scene. Also in DVD
Superman 2 (1981) Christopher Reeve.
Drive Me Crazy (1999) Melissa Joan Hart. Also in DVD
The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) Rock 'n' roll adventure travelogue that takes the boys around the world in a hot air balloon race (animated)
Airships--For an extended list of movies featuring airships, see the Airship website Feature Film page
Zeppelin. WWII story with Michael York and Elke Sommer.
The Assassination Bureau (1968), Diana Rigg & Oliver Reed, climactic fight in Zeppelin framework
Hindenburg (1975), George C. Scott & Anne Bancroft.
Hindenburg (2001). not out yet, we'll have a link here when it is.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Harrison Ford & Sean Connery escape via airship.
The Rocketeer (1991), basic superheroing with airship--climaxing on the LZ130 "Luxemburg."
Waterworld (1995), Kevin Costner
Flight of the Eagle (Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd, 1982)--The story of the 1897 Andrée polar expedition, starring Max Von Sydow. Out of print, read about it on the Internet Movie Database.
This Man's Navy (1945), with Wallace & Noah Beery. Out of print, read about it on the Internet Movie Database. Best movie about Navy blimps.
For Kids
Barney's Great Adventure: The Movie. Barney the big purple dinosaurs, is a big fave with the under-5 set. The action includes a massive hot air balloon launch.
Whew.
Ahhh, Indiana Jones in the famous "No ticket" scene so hilariously referred to in Dogma. This is quite a list, Infomaniac. I'm assuming (perhaps wrongly) that you have an interest in aircraft since you are also a pilot.