9.18.2012

thunderbird 6


the year: 1968


the plot: The International Rescue team is faced with one of its toughest challenges yet, as the revolutionary lighter-than-air craft Skyship One is hijacked while on her maiden voyage around the world. Against backdrops including the Statue of Liberty and the Sphinx, Lady Penelope, Parker, Alan and Tin-Tin fight the hijackers from on-board, while the rest of the team tries to stop the airship crashing into a missile silo.


don't miss: the Wistle Stop Inn.  Miniatures with miniatures.  Boy, it must have been fun working on this movie!


did you know: the "Ball Room" set on Sky Ship 1 included over 600 painted ping pong balls. The set caught fire under the hot studio lights and had to be completely rebuilt.


listen for: "Now, let's have a rundown on the International Rescue craft. So far, there are five. Thunderbird 1: sleek, first and fast. Thunderbird 2: giant transporter. Carries all the rescue gear to the danger zone. Thunderbird 3: designed for space rescue. Thunderbird 4: capable of withstanding the pressure of the depths. Thunderbird 5: space monitor. Capable of receiving or intercepting distress calls from any part of the world. And I'm telling you, Brains, in no uncertain terms, that we now need a Thunderbird 6.



extra bonus points: if you know why it's funny when Virgil says, "I've got a tiger in my tank."


I stumbled across this one Saturday morning in the not too distant past, and it was so strangely bizarre...well, I just couldn't turn away.  By the time it was over, I was a fan.  How have I missed this?!?   I guess there was a tv show and at least one other full-length movie.  Miss Penelope's pink car is pretty impressive. 

5 comments:

Erika said...

Wow, that looks quite...different.
Was Virgil voiced by the guy who did the Exxon commercials?

Aubree Legler said...

i just showed the kids the preview, and jessica asked, " What's blowing up, Mommy? Everything?" :)

Millie Motts said...

Aubree, I thought the same thing! I mean, the special effects were pretty good for the 60s, but I have a feeling if you took out all the "action", it would probably be more of a tv-show length.

Erika, no, but extra bonus points - that was the Exxon slogan in the 60s.

Scott said...

Anything with a Thunderbird has got to be good.

I'm pretty sure this was the inspiration for (the much less appropriate) Team America.

Aubree Legler said...

So we noticed last night that this movie was free on amazon prime. So we watched it. And really missed watching it with all of you. It was the perfect group movie fodder. Sigh....