Thunderbirds Are Go, the Andersons' first of two Thunderbirds movies, is a real treat for any Project SWORD fan simply because the star of the film is Zero-X. WOTAN recently gave me the DVD version, which I watched this week. With its brilliant effects, fantastic imagery and superb musical score, here are a few other things I noticed about the film.
The Zero-X appears in a Newspaper in the movie [top], which is an artist's impression. Comparing it with Derek Medding's original concept painting [bottom; looked on by Sylvia Anderson] its clear that they are the same. It does feel only right that a film about Zero-X should include it's origin like this and it was a nice touch by the Director David Lane. I wonder what happened to the painting?
When the MEV is trundling round Mars and fighting rock snakes it deploys a machine gun from it's roof [bottom]. As soon as I saw it I thought of the Action Man machine gun I had as a kid [top]. Comparing the two there are some similarities but they're not the same. Presumably the movie gun was made by the prop department.
Finally, we have the rocket pockets of Thunderbird 3 [top] and the Zero-X escape pod [bottom]. I'm sure I've read somewhere that these are parts from an old vacuum cleaner but I can't find any reference to it. Does any one else know about this?
WOTAN's DVD includes a film commentary by Sylvia Anderson and David Lane, which I'm going to listen to next. Maybe they'll shed some more light on Thunderbirds Are Go. If you haven't watched this movie yet then I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
Isn't the grapple gun fired from TB2 to attach a cable to Zero-X so Alan can get aboard, a modified Johnny Seven OMA?
ReplyDeleteThere is also the possibility that the tool Alan uses in close up to try to fix Zero X became Pertwee's sonic screwdriver.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post!
ReplyDelete"Thunderbirds Are Go" is one of my favourite films.
I can still remember going to see it at the local Odeon (or "the pictures" as we used to call it back then) as a kid. Of course, I have seen it many times since then.
Those rock snakes with their sliding eyelids were/are scary!
My favourite scene in the film though is after they have taken off and are leaving Earth's atmosphere and you get that view through the MEV's big window as the sky changes slowly from blue to black and the stars emerge out of the darkness. Love that sight!
Just love the opening with the Zero-X assembly and take off. Meddings magic.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great film. I'd love to see it at the pictures again [I called it that too Ed!]. Reckon the owners would go for it again?
ReplyDeleteThe Johnny Seven and Sonic Screwdriver clues were fab guys, Thanks for that. More on this to follow!