Favorite Nautical Movies

[AlaskaProf]

The old one didn't...and was one of my favorites of all time...more for the history of the event than the actual movie.

By "old one", I hope you are speaking of the one by John Ford and his Navy photo unit in which case I heartily agree. The 1976 one not so much. Haven't seen the 2019 version

 

[Sababa]

I am really surprised The Perfect Storm is not getting more love. We have a bunch of guys from Massachusetts here, it had some big name actors, the book was very widely acclaimed.....

Maybe I am biased for personal reasons......but the movie ( and the book ) was very impactful for me.

I've had many a beer in The Crow's Nest, and when George Clooney gives his soliloquy about the joys of being a swordfisherman as he sails by the Eastern Point Lighthouse, it is one of my favorite scenes in all of Hollywood. I do not know the right words for it, but that harbor has machismo, a presence. Gloucester, Massachusetts is a very proud port and a lot of very good men have sailed from there. It has a very rich maritime history.

One scene in that movie that haunts me is when Murph takes a hook through his hand and goes over the side with the longline. That came very close to happening to me when I was long lining for halibut near Kodiak as a green hand back in the old derby days. The outgoing line had snagged some coiled and baited tubs and was taking a huge tangled mess over the side. I lunged in with my knife to cut it free, and the senior deckhand, who called himself—I’m not making this up—“Barnacle Bill” grabbed me by the collar and yanked me back, saying that if I caught a hook they wouldn’t see me again until they pulled my body in with the set. He was a mean son of a bitch in general but I’m grateful that he saved me from my own stupidity.

Speaking of stupid, in the movie the others dive over the side to perform a miraculous open water rescue in the dark. I preferred the book.

 

[psneeld]

By "old one", I hope you are speaking of the one by John Ford and his Navy photo unit in which case I heartily agree. The 1976 one not so much. Haven't seen the 2019 version

I admit you got me. I thought the 1976 Midway movie was made long before Tora Tora Tora. But I don't remember many of the Tora screen effects in the Midway movie and if there didn't look out of place to me.

The newest version.... yeah looked a lot of cut and paste to me.

Many of the older films did use stock footage like that carrier landing where the plane breaks in half and just about or does run into the carrier island. I have lost count how many times I have seen that.

 

[psneeld]

One scene in that movie that haunts me is when Murph takes a hook through his hand and goes over the side with the longline. That came very close to happening to me when I was long lining for halibut near Kodiak as a green hand back in the old derby days. The outgoing line had snagged some coiled and baited tubs and was taking a huge tangled mess over the side. I lunged in with my knife to cut it free, and the senior deckhand, who called himself—I’m not making this up—“Barnacle Bill” grabbed me by the collar and yanked me back, saying that if I caught a hook they wouldn’t see me again until they pulled my body in with the set. He was a mean son of a bitch in general but I’m grateful that he saved me from my own stupidity.

Speaking of stupid, in the movie the others dive over the side to perform a miraculous open water rescue in the dark. I preferred the book.

A good friend of mine helo MEDEVACED a commercial fisherman who got bumped off his boat into the water when a sportfish collided with them and then hooked the fisherman. Believe it or not ....but in the guy in the jaw by a big offshore bait hook. The sportie stopped and pulled the guy aboard but the guy was bleeding bad and they were afraid of removing the hook (considering the whole mess I can see the MEDEVAC request).

 

[leeman]

I'm obviously referring to the 1976 movie. That's the only one I know.

 

[OBXSkipper]

I'm surprised that I've seen most all those movies, some of the very old 20's and 30's movies have some real very unique sailing fishing boats, love seeing the late 1800 vessels were still out fishing The Banks . Very just an all around goofy plot dated movie Captain Ron got my vote. My memory isn't what it used to be and best part of that is I can watch all the aforementioned movies all over again. The Finest Hours , Perfect Storm and The Guardian are all good on the water movies that were way too real for many.

 

[backinblue]

Speaking of stupid, in the movie the others dive over the side to perform a miraculous open water rescue in the dark. I preferred the book.

Just curious about the stupid comment. Was this for the sake of an exciting movie but never really occured? It's been a long time since I watched, but I think one of the resuce swimmers was never found?

 

[psneeld]

As I alluded to back in post #11, the Perfect Storm had some really good stuff in it but emphasized or "hollywooded" a few things that anyone with a bit of sea time or storm experience definitely winced at watching. I felt the book was more balanced....wish I could explain that better.

For me it was like watching the "Guardian" about USCG rescue swimmers. Loved the scenery of Kodiak Island (saw the same scenery from my office) and that it was filmed on scene... and really proud to see some of the guys I worked with in some scenes of maintenance crews working on real helos.....

But there was enough "hollywooding" in the movie that disappointed me in the sense that it didn't really capture reality. I guess it's like watching a "reality" TV show and knowing it is entertainment much more than reality.

I would have to watch "The Finest Hours" again but to me that was much less "hollywooded" and yet still portrayed how people can do incredibly brave/impossible things without superhero like actions or abilities. The result is still the same...sometime the story tells itself if you set it up right and script it right without the "hollywood" theatrics and special effects.

 

[backinblue]

When reading a book much of the scene is how the reader imagines it.

 

[Sababa]

Just curious about the stupid comment. Was this for the sake of an exciting movie but never really occured? It's been a long time since I watched, but I think one of the resuce swimmers was never found?

I’m not talking about the rescue swimmers. There is a scene before the storm hits where one of the fishermen goes over the side with a long line leader in the dead of night. Two of the other fishermen strip off their oilskins and dive in after him to rescue him in the dark. Nobody in real life would ever do that. It would mean three dead fishermen instead if one.

 

[backinblue]

I’m not talking about the rescue swimmers. There is a scene before the storm hits where one of the fishermen goes over the side with a long line leader in the dead of night. Two of the other fishermen strip off their oilskins and dive in after him to rescue him in the dark. Nobody in real life would ever do that. It would mean three dead fishermen instead if one.

Thanks, that makes more sense.

 

[Comodave]

It sorta sounds funny about complaining about “hollywooding” in an entertainment movie…. Isn’t that what movies are supposed to be, entertaining. My wife says she is tired of me complaining about outboard boats sounding like inboard engines, etc. Oh well.

 

[psneeld]

It's not funny when people get the wrong impression what really goes on.

Sure most people can only imagine what goes on when reading a book, it shouldn't be that Hollywood makes things pretty unreal when the do wind up creating them.

Some movies are touted for their realism (even when showing things that many people never experience) and others get laughed at.

Someone before made the comparison about the Poseidon Adventure.... just some moves go a bit too far. The Perfect Storm book was written about real life....it didn't start out with the main topic being "adventure".

Some movies just ring a personal alarm bell and The Perfect Storm rings mine..... it's something best not discussed in detail. I am sure we all know someone who has to bite their tongue hard during particular movies that attempt to show real life events that have a bit too much director artistry.

 

[Mako]

… I was long lining for halibut near Kodiak as a green hand back in the old derby days.

@Sababa, wondering if back then, when heading out to sea, would you lean against the rail, wistfully staring off into the horizon, and say things like “oh, how I love fishing” and such?

Or perhaps like the rest of the world, was it more like “oh sht, another day going to work when I could be at home with my girl. Oh, I hope I don’t puke all over the place or fall overboard”

Yep, Hollywood

 

[backinblue]

Dave does make a good point though. Movies are meant to be entertaining to the masses, not the handful of people who have real life experiences that can't help see the flaws. I'm sure there are pilots who cringe at some Top Gun scenes, but it's still an entertaining movie to most. Unless the goal is a strict documentary or a true historical account, I'm ok with that.

 

[Comodave]

How about the James Bond movie with Roger Moore and the boat chase scenes. I think it is called Live and Let Die.

 

[psneeld]

Dave does make a good point though. Movies are meant to be entertaining to the masses, not the handful of people who have real life experiences that can't help see the flaws. I'm sure there are pilots who cringe at some Top Gun scenes, but it's still an entertaining movie to most. Unless the goal is a strict documentary or a true historical account, I'm ok with that.

The book iis advertised as a well researched, factual account of what happened during the storm.

The movie, not so much except on the part of some of the actors.

So calling it "hollywooding" is a pretty accurate desciption if it doesnt give the same impression as a well researched book that the movie is based on. Documentaries can be entertaining too.

Look at reality shows, some try to portray realism and some not even close....and all but brag about it.

 

[twistedtree]

I am really surprised The Perfect Storm is not getting more love. We have a bunch of guys from Massachusetts here, it had some big name actors, the book was very widely acclaimed.....

Maybe I am biased for personal reasons......but the movie ( and the book ) was very impactful for me.

I've had many a beer in The Crow's Nest, and when George Clooney gives his soliloquy about the joys of being a swordfisherman as he sails by the Eastern Point Lighthouse, it is one of my favorite scenes in all of Hollywood. I do not know the right words for it, but that harbor has machismo, a presence. Gloucester, Massachusetts is a very proud port and a lot of very good men have sailed from there. It has a very rich maritime history.

I certainly share all the sentiments having lived there for a large portion of my life. Until a few weeks ago the hailing port on my boat was Gloucester, MA.


The book was outstanding. Well written, and really captured "Gloucester". But the movie was a real disappointment. Poor writing, marginal acting, blah, blah, blah. I still love it because of what it's about, but I think it's otherwise pretty lame as a movie.

 

[twistedtree]

Speaking of stupid, in the movie the others dive over the side to perform a miraculous open water rescue in the dark. I preferred the book.

The first time I saw the movie was in the little theater on Main street in Gloucester (now long gone) when it first came out. Everyone was laughing throughout half the movie, especially that scene. NOBODY would be going in the water after that guy. NOBODY. Like you said, bring him in when you haul the set, if he's still there....

 

[backinblue]

The book iis advertised as a well researched, factual account of what happened during the storm.

The movie, not so much except on the part of some of the actors.

So calling it "hollywooding" is a pretty accurate desciption if it doesnt give the same impression as a well researched book that the movie is based on. Documentaries can be entertaining too.

Look at reality shows, some try to portray realism and some not even close....and all but brag about it.

I don't disagree, but any movie that says something like "based on actual events" gives them pretty free reign to do pretty much whatever they want.

 

[psneeld]

I don't disagree, but any movie that says something like "based on actual events" gives them pretty free reign to do pretty much whatever they want.

I only claimed the movie (actually both in my post) had a bit too much "hollywooding" in it.

I said it was hard to explain, and the movies had some good things in them, and gave an example of a movie "based on a true story" that I felt like told a heroic story but didn't need to "hollywood" it too much.

I never said they couldn't do what they wanted as if it was illegal or immoral, but as others posted too.... it lost some of it's appeal at least to some.

 

[backinblue]

I only claimed the movie (actually both in my post) had a bit too much "hollywooding" in it.

I said it was hard to explain, and the movies had some good things in them, and gave an example of a movie "based on a true story" that I felt like told a heroic story but didn't need to "hollywood" it too much.

I never said they couldn't do what they wanted as if it was illegal or immoral, but as others posted too.... it lost some of it's appeal at least to some.

All valid points. But again, they are trying to appeal to the millions of viewers who have never been on a boat, not the 1 or 2 experts that have lived it.

I watched the movie "true spirit" which is an amazing story based on real events, but for obvious reasons contained a lot of CGI that cheapend the experience for me, so I get it. Especially at the end where the sailboat gets knocked down by a huge wave in a storm. Not that it didn't happen, but the scene showed the fully intact sailboat upright under about 50ft of water for quite some time before it finally popped up like a cork mostly unscathed.

A much better and true documentary and at least equally amazing story is Hell or High Seas.

 

[psneeld]

Appealing isn't always about sensationalism...... and sometimes the "misinformation" sensationalism teaches the public....

Hollywood doesn't seem to grasp and portray the difference between fiction and non-fiction.

OK....out on this topic at least.

 

[Sababa]

@Sababa, wondering if back then, when heading out to sea, would you lean against the rail, wistfully staring off into the horizon, and say things like “oh, how I love fishing” and such?

Or perhaps like the rest of the world, was it more like “oh sht, another day going to work when I could be at home with my girl. Oh, I hope I don’t puke all over the place or fall overboard”

Yep, Hollywood

Very much the latter. That was my one and only commercial fishing trip. Up for 72 hours in twenty-plus foot seas doing dangerous work while barfing my guts out. I collected my check the moment we hit the dock, hightailed it back to Juneau, and waited tables for the rest of the summer.

 

[Mako]

Apparently George Clooney doesn't agree with you. Ha!

 

[Comodave]

I met George Clooney when he was in Casa Grande, AZ filming Three Kings. Seemed like a pretty nice guy.

 

[CharlieO.]

I thought Linda Greenlaw's book about the storm was a pretty good read. I know---not a movie.

 

[lwarden]

I thought Linda Greenlaw's book about the storm was a pretty good read. I know---not a movie.

Agreed. Her other books are worth a read as well.

 

[Comodave]

I thought Linda Greenlaw's book about the storm was a pretty good read. I know---not a movie.

She is on Deadliest Catch this season trying crabbing.

 

[backinblue]

She is on Deadliest Catch this season trying crabbing.

BTW, that a good example of a fake reality show. I still enjoy it, but it's not exactly what it claims to be. It's scripted and heavily edited to make it more enjoyable to watch.