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September 21, 2005

Ice Station Zebra

The BBC reports today:

Four Argentine army commandos on skis have dropped from a helicopter onto an Antarctic glacier, in a bid to rescue a missing scientist and navy officer.
The two Argentine men were crossing the Collins Glacier, on King George Island, on a snowmobile on Saturday when they fell down a deep crevasse.

Reminds me of Ice Station Zebra, a 60’s flick whose plot involves a hodge podge military team’s race to the Pole to rescue trapped scientists (and, covertly, recover crucial satellite imagery) ahead of the Ruskies. Now, Zebra had it’s scientists trapped by deadly Artic weather in a ruined camp, but there were crevasse rescues.

Prior to today, Zebra, if it is remembered at all, is recalled as Howard Hughes’ favorite film. In the Billionaire’s latter years, when he’d moved into the Desert Inn’s penthouse, he’d watch it repeatedly at night, tired after putting in a long, hard day of ‘crazy.’

Did he screen a private print? No. Some sort of proto VHS/Beta thing? Nope. He’d just call up the local TV station he owned and order it to play Zebra, then kick back and watch on his set at home. Along with the rest of Vegas. Again. And Again. And... (I do much the same thing, calling local stations late at night, ordering them to play Krull. But for some reason, I just get hung up on.)

Anyway, back to the present.

An earlier report says the scientist and the navy guy were part of a pack, traveling back by snowmobiles, when the crevasse just opened up and swallowed them whole. Disappeared. Just like that.

They’re stuck down about 100.’ They've been down there since Sunday. The Antarctic Commandos, because of bad weather, couldn’t get there til yesterday. Now, the scientist and navy guy are wearing the right gear for the elements, but there hasn’t been any contact yet.

A 100’ fall. No contact. Blizzard conditions hampering rescue efforts. Doesn’t look good, but here’s hoping.

correction: runninrebel calls my ass out on Hughes' hotel. Desert Inn, not Flamingo. Damaging to my credibility? Yes. But not the fatal tardstomp Allah delivered Ace. Truly, "Truth to Power" was spoken then. (Oh, how we lowly co-bloggers laughed at our sweatshop whipmaster's misfortune that day.)

posted by Dr. Reo Symes at 06:12 PM

Comments

In related news Hillary blasts antartic infrastructure efforts, prefering hundreds of dead in air crashes instead.

HILLARY IS NUTS

Another one "stuck on stupid". Being a pioneer doesn't mean you know anything it seems.

Posted by: Tony on September 21, 2005 06:25 PM

It has been a long time since I saw the movie and I can't really remember if it was very good or not. But I wholeheartedly recommend the book. And for that matter any books by Alistair MacLean. One of my all-time favorite authors.

Posted by: DB on September 21, 2005 06:33 PM

It's really not bad. I was thinking of it cause I saw it recently - it just came out on DVD. John Sturges of the Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape directs. The good guys are led by sub commander and man’s man Rock Hudson, with Jim Brown, The Prisoner’s Patrick McGoohan, Ernest Borgnine and Ernest Borgnine’s Russian accent filling out the rest of the team.

It's a little long - it actually has an intermission - but still good fun.

Posted by: Dr. Reo Symes on September 21, 2005 06:38 PM

He wants the huts saved for future generations? Like this is going to be a hot tourist spot!

Posted by: rabidfox on September 21, 2005 06:44 PM

You have several hundreds of wild/crazy scientists down in antartica during the antartic "summer".

I'm thinking of opening a Tiki Bar to service their "needs". Lots of porn DVD's, val-u-rite, ruffies and chinese condoms at obscenely inflated prices.

Posted by: Tony on September 21, 2005 07:04 PM

Howar Huges had one of the first VCRs, and right before he died, he watched Ice Station Zebra like thirty times.

Posted by: Dave Munger on September 21, 2005 07:16 PM

Doh, I just clicked Continue Reading. I thought I was going to blow everyone's mind with that bit of arcana.

Posted by: Dave Munger on September 21, 2005 07:17 PM

Ted Turner did something similar back when he was married to Jane Fonda. He knew that she was totally embarassed and humiliated for having starred in Barbarella back when she was young. So, whenever they would have a fight, he would ring up the TNT program director and have him run it, since he owned it in his collection. So for those of you who wondered why they used to run it so often back in the 80's, now you know.

Posted by: karlito on September 21, 2005 07:25 PM

So, there is some hope for Cindy Sheehan's final surviving son after all.

Last paragraph:

she was busy trying to contact her lone surviving son Teddy, a meteorologist studying global warming with the International Geophysical Foundation in Antarctica, who is believed to be marooned on a 45-square-mile chunk of the shrinking Ross Ice Shelf that broke off Tuesday morning.

Those whacky guys at The Onion always get the real scoop. They must get their news by remote viewing or something.

Posted by: Anachronda on September 21, 2005 07:33 PM

Supposedly Hughes' TV station had a standing order to run Ice Station Zebra every night at 2 AM so the Big Man could tune in and watch it if he felt so inclined.

Which, apparently he did, many times.

Posted by: OregonMuse on September 21, 2005 08:50 PM

I second DB's recommendation regarding Alistair MacLean. I think he told an action/adventure/espionage tale as well as anybody has. Read 'em all. Good stuff.

Posted by: BrewFan on September 21, 2005 09:47 PM

Ace, Hughes was hold up at the Desert Inn not the Flamingo. Just sayin'.

Posted by: runninrebel on September 22, 2005 01:35 AM

Patrick McGoohan was great in Ice Station Zebra. Sarcastic, smart.. typical Brit. One of the better scenes is the confrontation he has with Rock Hudson right after the sub is sabotaged.

Posted by: Dave in Texas on September 22, 2005 09:30 AM

Two thumbs up!!! Superb TV becomes Universal Circle in final: http://www.macromedia.com/ , Profound TV is always Green Slot Profound Gnome Double or not , Bet Stake is very good Mistery Full is feature of Coolblooded Chips

Posted by: Adam Williams on December 4, 2005 03:42 PM