Pearl Harbor

Plot: Pearl Harbor tells the story of two friends Rafe and Danny from Tennessee. They become fighter pilots and eventually fall for the same woman. These events are on a prelude to the attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II.

News:

24 May, 2001

The latest edition of Deadpool's column features an advance review of the movie. You can find it here.

The premiere of the movie was held on the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Monday. The film was followed by the introduction of a number of survivors of the assault on Pearl Harbor, which the movie was based on.

It would appear that the version of the movie headed overseas is not quite the same movie being shown here in the US. For instance In the U.S., there is a line "a few less dirty Japs," but in Japan the line will be "a few less Japs." It was also reported that a voice over speech by Kate Beckinsale at teh end of the movie had been cut. Disney insists that the speech was only mildly altered to be clearer for international audiences.

It's unclear how the movie will be received in Japan. There is an expectation that the popular Affleck will draw large audiences of young Japanese. However most of them have little knowledge of the events depicted in the movie and may be shocked by what they see. "The young, female students I teach know nothing about the Pearl Harbor attack, but they're dying to see the film, just because they love Ben Affleck, says film critic and lecturer Daisuke Onitsuka.

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21 February, 2001

The third and presumably final version of the poster for this movie can now be seen thanks to the boys over at CHUD. In keeping with the first two posters, it fits neatly with them to form a much larger picture. Overall this is pretty damn cool. By the way, if you want to check out some nice hi-res scans of the first two posters then head to Cinecon.

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7 February, 2001

More and more, Ebay is proving to be a wonderful resource for getting an early look at posters. For instance, check out this second poster for Pearl Harbor that popped up there today. Interestingly, if you lay the first two posters for this movie side by side, you can see that they match up. It makes me think we may be seeing one more poster before all is said and done.

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23 January, 2001

We've got a pair of interesting photos for your perusal. The first shows director Michael Bay on the set for one of the ships that rolls over during the battle. The second shot shows Ben Affleck heading somewhere in an awful hurry.

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28 November, 2000

The poster has appeared for the movie. It's a nice simple one that should make the movie's topic crystal clear.

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25 September, 2000

Principle filming has completed after 90 days. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said "It's coming in right on schedule and on budget."

19 September, 2000

The September issue of the French magazine Studio had a couple of photos from the set of the movie. These would appear to have been taken between takes. One is of Josh Hartnett and the other is of Kate Beckinsale.

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7 August, 2000

Dark Horizons posted a report today on the status of filming and future plans.

Benton (I think that's his name) went on to say that sometime in late September, I believe the 25th, the carrier Constellation will be employed in the filming of the movie. He said they again will load the B-25 on it in San Diego, and sail about 80-100 miles off the coast of California to film the 25 launching from a moving carrier. If you own a boat in the San Diego area, or own an airplane, I would make every possible effort to go out and watch the filming- definitely an event. He said that would be the most closed and tightly run set of the entire movie, but I have a feeling that there is no way they could keep a plane or a boat from getting in close and watching it take off a carrier that is under steam. Also, he said that in September they will begin shooting some scenes around London using British Spitfires and German Me-109's ro recreate the Battle of Britain. If you readers in the UK get a chance, you should see if you can find out where and when to watch the filming- I don't believe they've actually recreated the air battle in this form since the 1969 movie with Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier, Trevor Howard, Christopher Plummer, Robert Shaw and Michael Bates. It should prove to be a spectacle from the ground.

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31 July, 2000

The San Antonio Express ran an article on Thursday about the filming taking place on the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Lexington. The Lexington is serving double duty in the production, standing in for both a Japanese aircraft carrier and the USS Hornet from which a surprise bombing raid was launched at Tokyo following the assault on Pearl Harbor.

200 extras dressed in Japanese uniforms were on the carrier's deck for the first day of filming at this location. Also on deck were seven restored Japanese Zero fighter planes. Nearby were piles of dummies, presumably to represent drowning victims.

Some local veterans have understandably expressed displeasure at seeing the carrier being used to represent a Japanese ship. Museum officials are quick to point out that this is not the first time the Lexington has been used this way. It also doesn't hurt that the production is spending a lot of money in the area.

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28 July, 2000

Tomas Arana (Gladiator) has been added to the cast.

Dark Horizons received a report on the filming going in Corpus Christi at the USS Lexington Museum.

They had a picture in the newspaper yesterday of the USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi with a crane pulling the static displays off of the flight deck. They said that they were to begin filming the scenes this week on the deck of the aircraft carrier, in which it will stand in as both a Japanese and an American carrier. A few weeks ago, they announced a call for extras of Asian-Americans who were willing to shave their heads to play Japanese sailors. At the same time, a number of WW II veterans protested the use of the USS Lexington (which was pivotal in the Pacific Theater) posing as a Japanese aircraft carrier. I think that maybe the use of the carrier as both a Japanese and an American carrier might be to help ease the concerns of these veterans, as it had never been reported that the Lexington would be playing itself in the movie before (there were no American carriers in Pearl Harbor during the bombing).

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29 June, 2000

The teaser trailer premiered yesterday in front of The Patriot. Z.com managed to get a couple versions of it to check out online as well as the one-sheet for the movie.

• RealVideo (Streaming)
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2 June, 2000

Even though filming has been going on for a month, casting continues. Jon Voight (Varsity Blues) has signed up to play U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

1 May, 2000

Add three new names to the cast list. Colm Feore (The Insider), Catherine Kellner (Six Degrees of Separation) and Jennifer Garner (Felicity) have all signed on for roles in the movie.

Do you want to be in the movie? Open casting calls are going to be held in the next few days. Details can be found here.

20 April, 2000

The plan to use the decommissioned U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington, as a double for a Japanes carrier is coming under fire from veterans. The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association is not pleased with the decision to use the ship. Harry Ogg, 77, said, "I think it's a disservice to the many men who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, Corregidor and other battles. You can't have a Japanese war flag flying on a US warship."

Garlen Eslick, also 77, who served on the USS Oklahoma feels very much the same. "I would not oppose it being used as a Japanese carrier if all else failed, but I wouldn't like to see them do it. I still carry a lot of animosity."

Sandi McNorton, spokeswoman for the USS Lexington museum, said it shouldn't be a big deal as the ship was already used as Japanese carrier in the 1976 movie Midway. "The controversy is overstated," he said. "We believe it is an excellent movie and it makes sense for us to be a part of it."

Ogg doesn't agree saying "It's a money thing. They forget how many people have lost their lives. Too many people died at Pearl Harbour."

18 April, 2000

According to a Reuters report, a Japanese dive bomber being used in the filming clipped a palm tree and crashed on a runway at Ford Island. The plane had been taking part in a shot for the movie. The woman piloting the plane was rushed to a local hospital following the crash. Her condition wasn't immiediately known. The plane landed upside down after hitting the tree.

Later reports indicate the pilot was actually a man. Injuries included a broken wrist and a fractured rib.

17 April, 2000

Shooting continues in Hawaii and even more footage of it is being caught on film by someone other than the film makers. This video taken by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin shows a huge explosion meant to mark the finale of the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor.

• 13 MB MOV

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10 April, 2000

6 April, 2000

Filming has just started but we've already got a detailed account of the early going.

You know, we've seen guys dress up in space suits and walk on the moon, we've seen people ride horses while shooting reloaders, we've seen people jump off buildings (with strings of course), we've seen people do daring car chases, we've seen people do motocycle stunts, we've seen the boat stunts, man, we've seen alot of daring stunts this decade at our local cineplex. But, there is something else that we have yet to see the last five years--tail to tail formation flying in vintage World War II aluminum cans that still sport technology that was invented almost 65 years ago. What do you do when the air is rough, a steady 35-45knots with gusts up to 65mph that seem to suck your tin plane into aerial 'potholes' while at the same time, you dodge the sterns and tops of battleships and cruisers---all for Michael Bay?

During the filming of TORA TORA TORA, 25 military extras were burned and a movie pilot never pulled up from a dive.

They did not say this would be easy.

The following is a journalistic account of the current Pearl Harbor film production and is written by an aerial pilot who is flying one of the Japanese planes in the film:

DUD BOMB: April 3 2000

I don't have much time over here. We are leaving the hotel for the airport @ 07:30 and getting back about 20:30, and then, go get something to eat. Get to bed about 23:00.

Wx cleared today and we started filming. Spent most of the day waiting though. Ended up flying about 10 miles offshore, into the setting sun (simulating sunrise), behind the B-25 camera ship. We had the Kates and Vals in the formation. The wind is still blowing about 25 knots (thankfully down the runway) and it is rougher than Hell with all the mountains around here. It did get smoother offshore, though.

We all went down to the beach this afternoon to watch the first test drop of the torpedo. Well, it didn't go too well. They (Kate and B-25) had problems getting lined up on the target and made about 4 passes. It takes a long time to get around for another try. Anyway, when the Kate did finally let it go, he was too high (about 150 ft) and the torpedo began to turn sideways just before impact with the water. It just disintegrated in a spray of pieces. Supposed to try again tomorrow.

Shooting schedule calls for us to make very low (50 ft) strafing passes over the bow of the Missouri tomorrow. Over the two front turrets, really. Simulating 1941 battleships.

I didn't get many pictures today. And then, I had a problem with one of the floppies. Nothing recorded. I have 3 attached. The dummies are in the rear of the Kates and Vals. Rear gunners."

POTHOLE: April 4, 2000

We were scheduled to do some low passes over the bow (forward turrets) of the battleship Missouri this morning (she is on display alongside the Arizona Memorial). I guess the schedule was changed 'cause that didn't happen. About 10:00, the 3 Zero's took off and did some filming over on the Northeast corner of Ford Island. Something about a woman hanging clothes on her clothes line. We didn't go over to watch, but could see most of the action from a distance. Then, after about 8 passes over the clothes line, the Zeros changed their target and 'blew something up' behind some buildings. All I could really see was their approach (directly over my head) and then the smoke.

We (Kates and Vals) were called to brief about noon. The shot was to be our formation flying over a kid's baseball diamond and one of the Jap rear gunners waving at the kids. This is in full costume (actually they wanted us at the brief in costume) and the flight was 3 Vals and 3 Kates. A stunt man was anchored into the rear of Storrie's Kate (no seat back there, he was standing). We took off, formed up and started filming. Our downwind to the approach brought us directly over the Missouri, the Arizona and the Nevada. On the downwind, I could relax a bit and do some "sightseeing" (I was #2 Val). You can really see the underwater outline of the Arizona and she is really still leaking oil. Fairly large slick. The boat taking visitors out to the Memorial was going back and forth and every time I looked, most of the visitors were spellbound, looking at us. Must have been a shock to most of them.

Anyway, the air was VERY rough. Wind was blowing a steady 35 to 45 knots and gusts up to 60. The mountains churn the air and it was pretty bad (as rough as I have ever had in formation). Actually saw something I had never seen. We were on a 'crosswind' turn and Val Lead flew into 'hole' in the air at about 600 feet. I was 'relaxed', on his right wing, back about 30 feet and we were at about 100 knots. Gene was #3 and back about 100 feet, in trail with Lead. I saw Lead's ailerons flap and, he just fell out of the sky. Just dropped. Not diving, just falling. WOW; never saw that before. He lost about 400 feet. I then thought about Gene and glanced back to see him diving, trying to stay in formation. I thought, 'Not a good idea, Gene', but he didn 't know what was going on. Well, Lead bottomed out at about 200 feet and I pulled power to stay in position while he climbed back up. He keyed the mike and said, 'Damn!'

The shot was a difficult (dodging the trees and a hangar)one and, coupled with some other problems with Kate Lead (like turning on the low pass, into the formation, and pushing me over the kids heads at about 20 feet; the director and safety folks got a little upset about that), we ended up making many, many passes. We ended up flying about 1 ˝ hours. Lot of work. The film crew hadn't had eaten and, about 2pm, they broke for lunch and we landed. Debrief wasn't pretty.

Well, that was it for us today. The P40s and Zeros did some passes with lots of smoke and machine guns (ground and air) after the film crew returned from lunch, and filming was finished.

We stopped for dinner on the way back to the Hilton and actually got home early (about 6PM). I don't know what is on the schedule for tomorrow but brief is at 9.

More later.....

Nick Medrano

5 April, 2000

Apparently Michael Bay has been running some of his actors through basic training to get them ready for filming. Ben Affleck talked about it with the BBC. "We thought it was going to be an actory kind of boot camp, where they teach you to salute. It was more like the first 20 minutes of Full Metal Jacket!"

4 April, 2000

William Lee Scott (Gone in 60 Seconds) has joined the cast as one of five fighter pilots. Leland Orser has also joined the cast. He will play Major Jackson. His character is a wounded intelligence officer.

3 April, 2000

Filming began Sunday in Hawaii. The production officially kicked into high gear with a ceremony laying a wreath at the Arizona Memorial. The cast and crew were on hand along with Hawaian governor Ben Cayetan and Admiral Thomas Fargo, commander of the U.S. Pacific fleet. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said, "It is something we have to pass on to future generations. It's a seminal film in my career, to get this."

Ben Affleck, visiting the memorial for the first time said, "It was a very moving, very humbling and profound experience for me. It was an added reminder that you owe a great debt to the men and women who died in the attack."

P-40 Warhawks flew overhead during the ceremony in the missing man formation. Included in the ceremony were five survivors of the attack. One of them, Ralph Lindenmeyer, said, "Even though we have a speakers bureau this will reach far more people. The legacy of Dec. 7 is being pushed forward by this film."

2 April, 2000

William Lee Scott (October Sky) and Matt Davis (Tigerland) have joined the cast.

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