I work for a building inspector company in administration, I have also worked in customer service an...
I work for a building inspector company in administration, I have also worked in customer service and IT.
I like writing comedy, making films, walking and photography.
Member since:08.04.2006
Reviews:2
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Commander James Ferraday (Rock Hudson, PILLOW TALK, TOBRUK) of the US nuclear submarine Tigerfish is ordered to take his boat to the North Pole to mount a rescue of the scientist of Ice Station Zebra.
The rescue mission is, however, merely an excuse to go as Ferraday and his crew are joined by the mysterious David Jones (Patrick McGoohan, SILVER STREAK, SCANNERS), Russian Borris Vaslov (Ernest Borgnine, THE BLACK HOLE, GATTACA) and Captain Leslie Anders (Jim Brown, THE DIRTY DOZEN, 100 RIFLES) with his team of marines.
It soon becomes apparent that the real reason to get to the Pole is to recover film of defence information vital to both the Russians and Americans from a crashed satellite. The race is on to get there before the Russians but a saboteur is determined to stop them.
Directed by John Sturges (THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED) and based on the book by Alistair MacLean, Ice Station Zebra is a by the numbers Cold War action thriller with few real surprises but it is not a bad film all the same. There is the nearly sinking to the bottom of the ocean scene, which seems almost obligatory in films with submarines and the usual guess who the enemy agent is.
The acting is solid enough with some entertaining exchanges between McGoohan and Hudson –
Jones (McGoohan): Refreshingly informal, your Navy.
Ferraday (Hudson): On submarines, anyway, living as close as we do. We operate on a first name basis. My first name is Captain.
The film is slightly let down by the outdoor Polar sets which, at times, look fake being studio based as they are. The effects of the Soviet jet fighters also could have been better.
The music by Michel Legrand (THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, LE MANS) is adequate but not overly memorable with perhaps the exception of the main title theme.
Overall this is a film I enjoyed, there is not really any doubt where it is heading but it’s an enjoyable journey with a few tense moments, some clever lines with a pleasing and satisfactory outcome.
DVD Technical Details (Region 2) Ratio: Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic. Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital, 2.0 Dolby Surround Languages: English, French and Italian Subtiles: English, French, Italian, Dutch and Arabic Run Time: 143 minutes.
DVD Extras Vintage Making-of Featurette “The Man Who Makes the Difference” – showing the work of John M. Stephens, second unit cinematographer. Trailer Gallery – Posters and trailers for “Bad Day at Black Rock”, “Giant” and “Ice Station Zebra”
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The U.S. nuclear sub Tigerfish churns toward the North Pole. Its mission: rescue the ... more
imperiled members of weather outpost Ice Station Zebra. On board are Cmdr. Ferraday and his crew, several unexpected arrivals with secret orders... and enough suspicio...
![Ice Station Zebra [DVD] [1968]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78500363.jpg "Ice Station Zebra [DVD] [1968]")
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