What are we reading?

[BanzaiCat]

I honestly can't remember if I've read the original book. If I have, then I guess, um, yep?  >:D

I remember seeing the cover of it, and I have a vague recollection of 'reading' it. It is, however, possible that all I read was a novelization of the film. Caidin's actual novel might be better.

Gasp

[Crossroads]

^ So, kind of like Martin Caidin's The Final Countdown then?

Ha, now there's a memory, I remember going to the movies when it came out, never to think about it again, too much. Was a decent movie, at the time, for a kid at least. Kudos for the Nimitz crew, at least they were not to go pussyfooting around, at least their intention was not to. And behaved like military throughout. 

Enough spoilers regarding the Back to Normandy book, though  ;)

[JasonPratt]

Seeing the film a couple dozen times does not equal having read the book.  ::)


In a total coincidence by the way, the History Buff guy did a video on Tora, Tora, Tora (sort of as a protest against being constantly asked to do Pearl Harbor), and ended the video fangasming about the dogfight from FinalCount. There are actually some good stories about how film crews in that time just weren't prepared to deal with filming on a working carrier; how the Zeroes nearly did get fatally soft-killed by the F-14s, etc.

[mirth]

Seeing the film a couple dozen times does not equal having read the book.  ::)

No one is missing much if they didn't read the book.

[BanzaiCat]

Today, they'd CGI a dogfight between an F-14 and an A6M2 to death. Back then, though, without said technology it was a fantastic display of piloting and skill, making the movie a helluva lot better than some CGI nonsense could provide.

[Gusington]

How's your lawn doing?

[BanzaiCat]

How's your lawn doing?

Dunno, I'm nowhere near it right now.  :D

[JasonPratt]

I am ashamed to say it took me until now to realize there's still a cat in your avatar, BC!  :hug:

Today, they'd CGI a dogfight between an F-14 and an A6M2 to death. Back then, though, without said technology it was a fantastic display of piloting and skill, making the movie a helluva lot better than some CGI nonsense could provide.

Whereas in this film, the only special effect for the dogfighting sequence was the scream of the wife of one of the stunt pilots when she first saw the footage of her husband in (mock) combat -- which then got mixed into the shriek of the F-14 engines at a key moment.  :o

When one of the stunt pilots can talk about, not only his helmet (with radio connections) but his wristwatch being blown out of the open canopy by the backblast from one of the stunts...

[Gusington]

I am thinking of starting The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Is it really wacky and out there or is it sorta grounded dark fantasy? Seeing the trailers for the upcoming movie got me interested.

[BanzaiCat]

Never read it, but I've wanted to, in a sado-masochistic way. I say that because I actually read through all of "The Stand" and it kind of turned me off from SK. Not that I was a huge fan of his in the first place; he has a few very awesome stories (The Mist is one of my favorites). Then he does 1500-page masturbatory fantasies like The Stand that makes you think "hey, this will get good again, right?" but never does.

[Gusington]

I liked The Stand (book).

[BanzaiCat]

I liked The Stand (book).

I liked the start of it a lot. But it went downhill slowly but surely - for me anyway. Isn't it just?

[Gusington]

I've been yelled at for enjoying The Shining (book) too. Finally got a copy of Salem's Lot that I will be reading this fall.

[Barthheart]

I've been yelled at for enjoying The Shining (book) too. Finally got a copy of Salem's Lot that I will be reading this fall.

Both of those are far better books than The Stand... but I liked The Stand too.

The Dark Tower stuff I've read off and on, never in sequence, and never the whole series. Some of it is interesting, some not.

[Gusington]

Have you read the 1st Dark Tower? Is it worth reading?