«There's a Lot You Can do with a Submarine»
Welcome to my review. This particular version of the movie Assault on a Queen(VHS) is ample yet rare so if you see it cheap grab it before somebody else does to sell it on eBay. I take it you don't jump over tall buildings in a single bound or lay down with lions but if you do then this movie will still impress you I'm sure. Take the world famous Steamship HMS Queen Mary and chances are you've never seen her. Or for that matter noticed her even in photographs. But she's real and big for her age and at the time of this movie well dressed and rich... to staggering proportions. Not at all what would come to mind for the most of us.
Frank Sinatra... my favourite male actor of all time plays an American, well, and in so doing gives this film some character that although appreciated is not without even support by the rest of the cast. He's a deep sea diver the kind you used to read about a lot in the sixties when everybody wanted a piece of eight, that's gold for the uninformed. So, he ends up with a group of treasure hunters and while he's down on the bottom of the sea... finds a German submarine. It doesn't escape his notice but gets a distant appreciation by the former World War Two leftenant. To cut out a lot of paragraphs extolling the mature presentation of the film I'll say the story is paced for everybody.
Put two and two together and you can see what a bunch of treasure hunters could do with U-boat right? Rob the Queen Mary naturally.
This movie is still after all is said and done a tragedy to me and although it's from 1966 in the last Century it's still my favourite and is well worth any price to finally have it at home in my meager collection.
[Thursday, January 24, 2008]
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«assault on a queen»
a fascinating what if story for those interested in uboats and classic ocean liners in modern times.
[Wednesday, March 21, 2007]
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«Jack Finney's Assault on a Queen with Ellington's Jazz!»
This novel and subsequent 1960's film is without a doubt, a very interesting, highly improbable, but very entertaining idea concerning a group of individuals looking to make a big score for various selfish reasons. Initially looking for a sunken gold catch from an old wreck, a hired diver (Frank Sinatra) discovers and inspects a German U-Boat, unreported and in apparent good conditon found on the ocean floor. The plot turns in the film as the adventurers decide to go for the U-Boat and see if it can be used to heist gold that is currently afloat by Robbing the Queen Mary on the high seas and using the sub as a weapon. The film is handled in a laid back manner. Sinatra plays a down and out semi-alcoholic adventurer, tired of war and all the rules. The film has atmosphere. There is a terrific Jazz score by none other than Duke Ellington. The underwater scenes are good and you are left with an overall good impression of an entertaining film. It is now almost forgotten among the Sinatra films but is actually one of his better acting performances as his personality works well with the character requirements. The book of course is different, as all films tend to lean to mandatory romance requirements and dramatic character confrontations and this includes the usual formula that British films seem to be able to do without. Recommended for an evening view, if you can find a copy.
[Thursday, October 26, 2006]
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