[Spooks] Shortwave at the movies

[Utility World (Hugh Stegman)]

Apocalypse Now:   As we know, the thing came out with different endings.  In
the 70mm roadshow print, the Captain uses a radio to report mission
accomplished, and goes back to the boat.  In the 35mm wide-release version,
he uses the radio to call in the air strike, and Kurtz's camp blows up for
several minutes under closing credits.  Also, Marlon Brando is seen making
covert propaganda broadcasts using a military manpack.

Contact:  Teenage ham grows up and becomes a radio astronomer, uses
communication radio savvy to decode messages from extraterrestrials.

Convoy:  Like in the song, the interstate truck drivers use CB radios to
form the ultimate truck convoy.

Crimson Tide: US missile sub gets EAM message to stand by for missile
launch, but then doesn't get confirmation or cancellation.  Captain tries to
launch WW III over crew objections, starting a mutiny and gun battle for
control of the sub.

Eye of the Needle:  WW II spy in Britain uses short wave radio to contact
handlers.

Frequency:  Kid finds his dead father's old ham radio and fires it up during
the mother of all auroral storms.  He hears his dad from the past and tries
to influence history to prevent his untimely death.

Gangs of New York (30s version): Mob boss runs operations from a covert
short wave radio hidden in his cell.  He is caught and thrown in solitary.
Note that Martin Scorsese's Oscar contender from last year has the same
title, but it is set in the 1860s.

King of the Rocket Men: Classic 50s B-grade serial features a guy who can
fly with a rocket suit, battling the evil Dr. Vulcan, whose lair sure looks
like a nice old AM transmitting site, wire antenna and all.  The same
Motorola VHF repeaters appear as set-dress all the way through, in many
different scenes.  The Disney flick Rocketeer drew heavily on this one for
art direction.

The Longest Day:  French Resistance listens to the BBC for coded
instructions.  Announcer reads messages, not Steaganographic but just lines
from poems and such.  When "Wound and fill my heart with a monotonous
languour," and "Jean has a black moustache" are heard read on the air,
members of the Resistance activate pre D-Day invasion support operations.
This is supposed to be based on actual history.  The simulated broadcast on
the sound track even has CW QRM.

On the Beach:  The last submarine left in the post-WW III world hears random
CW beeping, and leaves Australia to see if there is anyone else left alive
on Earth besides the Australians.  Turns out that a bottle has fallen into a
window-shade pull loop, contacting the straight key every time wind blows
through the open window.  This was shot at one of the coastal stations, with
some great-looking gear.  Character uses the key to send a sitrep back to
the sub in fast Morse.  I remember copying "...BOTTLE RESTING ON KEY..."

Rolling Down the Great Divide:  Cattle rustlers coordinate their criminal
activities with short wave radios.

This Island Earth:  Secret agents in our midst use hidden, futuristic radio
consoles hidden in their homes to contact a race of aliens seeking to invade
the Earth.  Radio is called an "Interrositer."


And last year there was a movie called CQ, but it had nothing to do with
radio at all.

-hugh

Hugh Stegman  NV6H   34N 118W
MT Utility World
http://www.ominous-valve.com/uteworld.html