Ice Station Zebra (1968)

[Scott]

ICE STATION ZEBRA (1968) - Good film directed by John Sturges about the cold war. A satellite capsule of some type falls in the Artic and both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. are trying to retrieve it. The Americans come by submarine through the ice and the Russians send paratroopers escorted by Mig fighters. Some good action and suspense. Stars Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, and James Brown in what a fine film with some dry spots. AMC showed it yesterday.

[onionhead]

Patrick McGoohan coming down a darkened hallway only to get-WHACK!-popped in the noodle with a pipe wrench.  Never saw it coming.  A fine espionage flick, Alistair McLean at his best.

[peter johnson]

This was Howard "The Duck" Hughes' favorite film.
When he was in the midst of his deepest insanity, living with his kleenex in a darkened apartment, growning his fingernails to 8 inches, etc., he would have his staff run this film for him several times a night.
Make a great double-bill with "The Aviator"!!
I really like the obvious little dolls on toy parachutes coming down for the Russians, & the confrontation in the obvious studio "Arctic Wilderness".
peter johnson/denny crane

[Yaddo 42]

Used to love to catch this one after the football games on TNT on Sunday night, along with other assorted macho classics.

Not great, but always enjoyable. I got a kick out of so many people standing around during the climax in the Arctic air with their heads uncovered or partially covered, wonder how many frostbitten faces and noses would result.

Although the "torpedo tube open to the sea/plunge to the depths" scene seems to go on way too long and hurts the pacing of the film. And the "we'll go too deep for our hull integrity and be crushed" action is such an overdone cliche of submarine flicks. Since I like McGoohan I enjoyed his "Get me there!" speech after that.

I read the book after seeing the film, I went through a big Alistair McLean phase during high school. Also fun, but slightly more grounded in reality. The elements and thickness of the ice figure into things more.

[trekgeezer]

Pretty good film, but it is so obvious that the whole damned thing was filmed indoors.

[Scott]

Yea, those opening moments with the blizzard are fun. The arrival of the Mig fighters and the parachutes were something out of a Japanese monster film.

[Mr. Hockstatter]

That's always been a favorite film of mine.  I love espionage movies, and that one did a good job of keeping me guessing about what was going on.  Rock Hudson gave a great performance as well.

I'm reading Tom Clancy's book The Cardinal of the Kremlin (for the third time).  Another great espionage story.

[Conrad]

IIRC, in the book the intrepid sub commander more closely resembled Mr Borgnine in appearance, rather than Rock.  It was also interesting to see the Russian paratroopers using Danish Madsen SMG's!

[lester1/2jr]

awesome title

[Neville]

Pretty good. I love some of the scenes, specially during the first half of the movie. John Sturges made a great job of the sub journey, it's never boring. However, the film is too damned long, and the "let's go to the surface and have some action" ending is quite dire.

Read several MacLean's novels as well. Overrated author, if you ask me. Manages to design attractive sceanrios for action and spionage, but characters are mediocre and he lacks much for being a respectable storyteller. I'll never forgive him for making me read hundreds of pages of "Guns of Navarone"... and then describing the titular guns in a couple of tired lines.

[The Burgomaster]

I am anxiously awaiting the upcoming DVD release so that I can add it to my collection.  I'm not sure of the exact release date, but I know it's coming soon.