Capt. Rick Hoffman’s Battleship Boot Camp
April 4th, 2012 | Battleships Entertainment Movies | Posted by Sam Fellman
Hollywood just went to boot camp — surface Navy-style.
The task of getting the cast of the forthcoming movie Battleship to look and speak Navy fell to the retired Navy captain who served as the film’s technical adviser. It was no easy task.
“Is that your war face? What kind of a face is that!” retired Capt. Rick Hoffman, who in real-life commanded frigate DeWert and cruiser Hue City, shouts at one actor in jest during a movie trailer released April 3. “Wipe that smile off your face, sailor!”
This is all part of what he called “Capt. Rick’s boot camp.” In the film, all that stands between the alien horde and human annihilation is, yes, the Navy’s gray warships. So making the actors believable surface warriors was of the utmost importance. To get them ready, Hoffman ran a sort of SWO-101. Key the radiotelephone before speaking! Get standard commands right! “Don’t fall off the boat!”
Yet despite the tough love, Hoffman was a cast favorite.
“Rick was wonderful and he loves sharing this information,” said star Liam Neeson, who plays Admiral Shane in the film.
And for his work, Hoffman got a bit of a promotion: a cameo as the fictionalized four-star chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The film opens May 18 in the U.S.
Intel leak? Chinese, Russian moviegoers get first glimpse at “Battleship” in IMAX
April 4th, 2012 | Battleships Entertainment Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Keeping with the "family game night" theme, Lt. Cmdr. Dave Hecht describes the carrier George Washington's "Oujia board" to "Battleship" star Brooklyn Decker after a Monday news conference on the carrier's flight deck promoting the film. (Navy photo by MCSA Brian H. Abel)
Nations including China and Russia will get an inside look at some of the U.S. Navy’s most advanced tactics.
Specifically, how the Navy would deal with an alien invasion. If Liam Neeson ran Pacific Fleet. And if the director of “Friday Night Lights” ran everything.
It might not be much of an intel edge, but international audiences will be the first to see the Hollywood blockbuster “Battleship,” which debuts overseas in IMAX theaters April 12, according to an IMAX news release. More than 100 international theaters will screen the movie before it hits U.S. cinemas May 18. Gawker Media’s I09 website included the item in its “Morning Spoilers” report, appropriately enough.
As of early Wednesday, RottenTomatoes.com said 88 percent of its audience reviewers are eager to see the special-effects showcase — not quite the anticipation level for “The Avengers” (98 percent), but at least a little higher than “The Three Stooges” (82 percent).
Director Peter Berg and some of the film’s stars, including Rihanna, Taylor Kitsch (“John Carter”) and Brooklyn Decker (Sports Illustrated), visited troops Monday at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, and held a news conference on the carrier George Washington to promote the movie. Bookmark this link for the latest official trailers.
‘Battleship’ preview set for Super Bowl
February 3rd, 2012 | Battleships Movies | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Cmdr. George Kessler, executive officer of the destroyer Spruance, and Cmdr. M. Tate Westbrook, the ship's commanding officer, give a tour to Peter Berg, director of "Battleship."
It’s shaping up to be a traditional Super Bowl Sunday: A six-hour pregame show followed by football, snacks, drinks, aliens, surface warships and Liam Neeson.
The last part might need an explainer. “Battleship,” the action movie somehow based on the board game of the same name, will debut in theaters this May, but you’ll get a new 60-second sneak peek during the first quarter of Sunday’s big game, Deadline New York reports.
We’ve shown you earlier, longer trailers for this one before, but this’ll be the biggest audience yet for the SWOs-vs.-aliens adventure, which stars Neeson, “Friday Night Lights” youngster Taylor Kitsch, hip-hop artist Rihanna, Sports Illustrated eye candy Brooklyn Decker and, maybe, a sensible plot (not pictured in any previews so far).
Deadline also reports director Peter Berg will use Kitsch in his upcoming movie treatment of “Lone Survivor,” a real-life tale of heroism by retired Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell. IMDB pegs that film for a 2013 release.
A battleship of your very own
November 1st, 2011 | Battleships Historical Navy Photos World War II | Posted by Jenn Rafael
Pretend to be Adm. Bull Halsey with this 20-foot replica of the battleship New Jersey, up for auction for $80,000. // ebay.com
With the battleship Iowa being prepared for its debut next year as an interactive museum near Los Angeles, you might be thinking, where’s my battleship?
The car enthusiast website jalopnik.com has the scoop: For a mere $80,000, you can own your own replica of the battleship New Jersey.
The ebay auction description notes the ship is powered by a 120 HP Sea Doo jet drive. Also: “Two of the main guns are fully articulating and fire streams of high pressure water. The vessel also contains a 4000 watt generator, air compressor and high pressure stainless steel water pump.”
And since the listing notes that there’s room for a two-man crew, you and a shipmate can split the cost.