Gray Lady Down
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Movie Reviews of Gray Lady Down
Movie Review: Showcasing the Past and Future....DSRV Intelligence Story
Summary: 4 Stars
Isn't it ironic that amongst the poor acting one really cool aspect of the film came about for future generations to witness. I am referring to the experimental DSRV in the film and how it would become famous not for saving trapped submariners but as an intelligence gathering vehicle during the height of the cold war. Could anyone (civilians) have known or understood the nature of this revolutionary vehicle in the 1960's and early 1970's (launched in 1971 as The Avalon) and what it's true purpose was after it's mission declassification in the late 1990's.
Actually the film is historical in a sense that this vehicle the "The Mystic" was actually a intelligence gathering device used by the US Navy that plyed the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans "tapping" into undersea cables laid by the former Soviet Union's Northern Baltic Naval fleet. The vehicle's purpose was cloaked and sold as a "rescue vehicle" however knowing personally several former US Navy submariner's their accounts are that no vehicle can or would be able to do what was envisioned as the movie portrays since most subs navigate waters far to deep to prepare for and or perform rescue missions without further loss of life possibilities, accounting from angles and degrees of list and other logistical and environmental spatial difficulties.
Historically this vehicle was born as a result of the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion losses and was a perfect cover for the CIA to clandestinely gather intel on Soviet Northern Fleet communications intercepts. The whole premise of the vehicle in actuallity was to "literally wiretap" without the Soviets knowing and this coupled with the SOSUS listenting posts gave US Commanders advance knowledge of all Sub traffic comms to and from Moscow in the 70's and 80's. Cool stuff, a vehicle that has since been exposed as a high priced/tech sluth, and justified as an experimental rescue vehicle that had a "universal collar" to boot, this sure as heck wasn't able to save the crew of The Kursk whose hatch was not configured to accept such a device anyway.
Overall could you imagine the look on the US Navy's media relations people when this was dreamed up! I thought this might be some cool intel for fun to highlight the movies underlying message and promotion or should I say deception, no-one survives submarine sinkings, water pressure and great depths make rescue nearly impossible, this vehicle's potential operating depths include 0-5000ft deep however most US subs built since 1960 can only operate at depths up to 1400-1900 feet max with potential implosion risks where water pressure applies itself at over 25,000 pounds per sq inch, so rescue even at these depths could be remote and that's even a stretch considering the stricken vehicle would have to be listing no more that 14-29 degrees upright for proper seal to be achieved.
Overall at last review the US Navy operated (2) vehicles one on each coast based in Norfolk and San Diego and available to be flown anywhere in the world within a modified C-5 Galaxy cargo plane. In summary as the US fleet reduces size over the next twenty years this vehicle's mission has changed to more peaceful multilateral functionality with other countries testing new technologies on underwater retrieval and rescue methodology. Now you know the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would say. Watch the movie for the unveiling of this vehicle to the world and you now will have a greater appreciation for it.
Movie Review: a solid "disaster" thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
The misfortunes keep piling up, as the Neptune, a nuclear submarine that has collided with a Norwegian cargo ship, sinks to the bottom of the waters near Cape Cod. There are many interesting character studies, as the increasing stress brings out the dark side, and also the heroic aspects of the personalities cooped up and running out of air, as well as those above, attempting to rescue the stranded sub. Two underwater vehicles are used in the rescue, a two-man experimental Snark, and a DSRV (Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle). There are many taut, exciting scenes in the process, and the pacing by director David Greene keeps the action flowing.
Charlton Heston delivers a strong performance as Captain Blanchard, with moments of anguish he dare not show his crew. David Carradine and Ned Beatty, who operate the Snark, add a lot to the film as they try to find the "Gray Lady Down" on the murky ocean floor.
Other notable performances come from Stacy Keach, Ronny Cox, and William Jordan, and Christopher Reeve has a bit part, that if you blink you'll miss.
Great score by Jerry Fielding, and cinematography by Stevan Larner, filmed in part on the USS Cayuga and USS Pigeon.
Despite its many tragedies, ultimately it's a feel-good film, that celebrates American strength and ingenuity, and makes for good, solid family viewing.
Total running time is 111 minutes.
Movie Review: Heston
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the few decent movies around in these 'modern' days with next to no vulgar language, or nudity!Movie Review: Chuck Heston and the Silent Service
Summary: 3 Stars
A grizzled submarine captain (Heston) making his last run as commander of the U.S.S. Neptune is thrust into crisis mode when his nuclear submarine collides with a Norweigen freighter that sends this gray lady down 1450 feet below the surface. The only hope for the crew of the Neptune is an eccentric inventor (David Carradine) who attempts to navigate his Snark to the Neptune's blocked escape hatch. But time is running out.
A modest thriller that respects its genre and delivers on its premise, but does not distinguish itself. If you are a fan of Heston and underwater adventure films, and you prefer miniatures and (admittedly crude) stock footage to computer generated effects, this should hold your interest. It does feel like something from 1950's television rather than 1970's cinema and offers little in the way of surprise, but it's competent. Not surpisingly, it was helmed by a television director named David Greene ("Roots" "Rich Man, Poor Man") who doesn't quite have the feel for this material. It's no Das Boot, but it's pretty good.
Movie Review: [Three-and-a-half out of Four stars] Fine performances by Carradine, Heston, Beatty and look for Christopher Reeves (unbilled)
Summary: 3 Stars
Very well made movie with all cast in their
primes. A Norwegian Freighter hists Amer-I-
can nuclear sub and it sinks to depth or
1,400 ft. Carradine gives up ghost for sub
at end. Great supporting cast with many
Hawai'i Five-0 vets aboard.