Films in Focus

Hobby Master Concludes, “It Does Feel the Need for Speed”

With Top Gun: Maverick continuing to break box office records, it was perhaps a matter of time before one model maker ponied up the big bucks to secure the coveted Top Gun license. Earlier today, we learned that Hobby Master plans on producing a 50th Anniversary F/A-18F Hornet strike fighter. Its likely other Top Gun inspired aircraft will eventually be offered, from F-14 Tomcats to so-called fifth generation fighters (a.k.a. Su-57 Felon fighters), although we could be jumping the “Top Gun” by putting out such rumors. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Its not clear if the pilot figure will resemble Tom Cruise since he seems to be reluctant to agree to having his face adorn any kind of figure but the simple work-around is to put a seated pilot figure in the cockpit with his visor lowered over his face and the “Maverick” call sign splashed across the top of his helmet.

Anyway, we have listed this item on our web site and have begun accepting pre-orders. Keep in mind Hobby Master will likely be producing a thousand copies or more of this particular model to recoup their tidy investment. Still, this model will likely become a centerpiece for many a collector who, like Hobby Master, continue to “feel the need for speed.” 😛

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Forces of Valor Super Sizes its Cobra

Forces of Valor’s 1:48 scale ROC (Taiwanese) Bell AH-1W Super Cobra Attack Helicopter Equipped with M261 19-Tube Rocket and M260 7-Tube Launcher – “528”, 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade Attack Battalion, Hsinchu Air Force Base Open Day, April 2008

There is no question that Forces of Valor’s stable of 1:72 scale Chinooks have done incredibly well at retail, with their MH-47G taking center stage and the lion’s share of the spotlight. We therefore had hoped that the manufacturer would choose it as the basis for its larger 1:48 scale range of helicopters to kick things off in 2021. Instead, the manufacturer chose the AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter, a chopper the previous owner of the line released a dozen or more years ago. No matter, images of the first Cobra were released today, all based upon a Taiwanese (ROC) attack helicopter that will come in three different configurations and markings. For now, we’ve included the standard isometric image for comparison purposes and hope to have close-up shots for each helo as soon as the manufacturer posts it to their web site.

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New Top Gun 2 Trailer Released

We’re still six months away from the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the runaway hit, Top Gun, which was released over three decades ago. Besides the F/A-18 Hornet and F-14 Tomcat shown in the first trailer, several additional aircraft types are shown in its follow-on clip, among them a P-51 Mustang and what could be the SR-72 Aurora. We’ll leave it up to you to decide so sit back and enjoy!

Remember that Mattel now has the license to produce anything Top Gun-related and we hope to be able to discuss some of the gear, replicas and other merchandise at the upcoming Toy Fair in February.

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Films in Focus: Apple Flies High with Spielberg and Hanks

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are heading back to the 1940s for their third World War 2-inspired limited series. Originally earmarked as an HBO special project that followed in the wake of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, Masters of the Air got the green light by the soon-to-debut Apple Plus streaming service after it became evident that HBO was either unwilling or unable to pony up the $250 million required to fund the project. For Apple, $250 million is but a drop in the bucket as it attempts to launch a new streaming service aimed at competing with the likes of Netflix, CBS All Access et al.

Originally known as The Mighty Eighth, Masters of the Air is based upon the book of the same name that was written by Donald L. Miller, which traces the exploits of the USAAF 8th Air Force and its daylight bombing campaign over Nazi-occupied Europe during WWII. Its not clear when the cable show is expected to air or how many episodes will be made to cover the tale.

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Films in Focus: El Alamein

There haven’t been all that many films produced of late that have attempted to portray some of the huge armored conflicts of the Second World War. For one reason or another, film makers typically stick to small scale engagements to depict a battle largely because there aren’t all that many vehicles from World War II still in working condition. That said, it will be interesting to see how film maker David Ayers attempts to portray the pivotal battle of El Alamein in which the Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel, went toe-to-toe with Bernard Montgomery to wrest control of the all-important town of El Alamein away from the British 8th Army.

The film’s release is still a ways off — likely set for a 2021 showing — so there’s plenty of time to figure out how he plans to address the battle from a logistical standpoint. No big name stars have yet to sign on to the project and no mention was made of the size of the budget at his disposal, so it will be some time before a film trailer provides clues as to how he plans to depict the battle.

For more information on the film, head on over to this link.

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Films in Focus: Lancaster Skies

There seems to be no shortage of WWII-based films coming to the silver screen, some revisiting famous battles, campaigns and even weapons of the savage conflict. Lancaster Skies is just such a film, focusing on the British bomber campaign in World War II while deftly paying homage to the British war films of the 1940s and 1950s.

The plot is familiar: Angry and bereaved by the death of his younger brother, Flight Lieutenant Douglas Miller, a broken, solitary, spitfire ace, who survived The Battle of Britain, transfers to Bomber Command, determined to take the war to the skies over Germany. On arriving at his new posting, he is given the unenviable task of replacing the much loved Skipper of an experienced Lancaster Bomber crew, who was killed in action just days before. Struggling to bond with his new crew, and obsessed with his mission to wage war at any cost, Douglas must find a way to gain their trust, and overcome his inner demons, in order to become the leader they so desperately need.

Look for Lancaster Skies to vault onto the big screen this coming February.

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Films in Focus: 1917

Not much is known about the plot to the upcoming feature film, 1917, just that it takes place, unsurprisingly, in 1917, which is the year the United States officially entered World War I. That said, it stars George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, with Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch. An amazing cast that should do for World War I what Saving Private Ryan did for the Second World War.

It is scheduled to be released on December 25th, 2019, by Universal Pictures. Perhaps you can decide what the story is all about based upon the accompanying trailer.

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Films in Focus: Top Gun: Maverick Trailer

With a year to go before its release, Paramount debuted the first official trailer for the upcoming film, Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel to the block buster film, Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick again follows the trials and travails of naval aviator, Pete Mitchel, now a captain, and thirty years after his exploits downing three MiG-28s over the Indian Ocean. This time around, Mitchel has traded in his F-14 Tomcat for a F/A-18 Super Hornet and, among other things, is seen defending his legacy as an ace and Top Gun graduate. Look for Top Gun: Maverick to spill onto silver screens some time in 2020.

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Films in Focus: Star Trek: Picard

Earlier today, Trekkies were treated to the first teaser trailer for the upcoming sci-fi series, Star Trek: Picard. Set fifteen years after the events put forth in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the trailer is devoid of special effects and hi-tech imagery, and instead takes a close-up look at what Admiral Picard has been doing in the wake of leaving The Federation. No official date has yet been set for the series debut on the pay-to-play network, CBS All Access.

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Films in Focus: The Cold Blue

With Game of Thrones having run its course, some of you may be contemplating cancelling your HBO subscription. Before you do, you may want to wait for The Cold Blue, an all-new documentary that focuses on the US bombing campaign over Europe during WWII. Directed by Erik Nelson and featuring newly restored footage shot by Oscar-winning director William Wyler, The Cold Blue is a meditation on youth, war and trauma, and a tribute to one of the world’s great filmmakers and the men of the Eighth Air Force. The Cold Blue is scheduled to air on Thursday, June 6th.

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