The Starfighters
Encyclopedia
The Starfighters is an American
film released in 1964
. It was written and directed by Will Zens and stars future U.S.
Congressman
Bob Dornan
. It is the subject of episode #612 of Comedy Central
's Mystery Science Theater 3000
. Public votes on the Internet Movie Database
consistently place it amongst the Bottom 100.
in Southern California
to train to fly the F-104 Starfighter
, with special emphasis on the complicated mid-air refueling maneuver. Witkowski's Congressman father frequently calls him, concerned about the safety of fighter aircraft, and wants his son to be in the Bomber wing like he was himself in World War II
. Witkowski also finds romance in an Iowa
girl he is set up with. Witkowski impresses his senior officers with his progressing skills and is among those selected to be transferred to a unit in Europe.
The film is included in Collection Volume 12 from Rhino.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film released in 1964
1964 in film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
. It was written and directed by Will Zens and stars future U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Bob Dornan
Bob Dornan
Robert Kenneth "Bob" Dornan is a Republican and former member of the United States House of Representatives from California and a vocal advocate of pro-life and social conservative causes....
. It is the subject of episode #612 of Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
. Public votes on the Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
consistently place it amongst the Bottom 100.
Synopsis
Lt. John Witkowski (Dornan) and his buddy, Lt. York, arrive at George Air Force BaseSouthern California Logistics Airport
Southern California Logistics Airport , also known as Victorville Airport, is a public airport located in the city of Victorville in San Bernardino County, California approximately north of San Bernardino...
in Southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to train to fly the F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
, with special emphasis on the complicated mid-air refueling maneuver. Witkowski's Congressman father frequently calls him, concerned about the safety of fighter aircraft, and wants his son to be in the Bomber wing like he was himself in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Witkowski also finds romance in an Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
girl he is set up with. Witkowski impresses his senior officers with his progressing skills and is among those selected to be transferred to a unit in Europe.
MST3K
The cast and crew (and later fans) of Mystery Science Theater 3000 were the film's most prominent critics; they complained that "nothing happens in it." However, despite their disdain for the film, it provided several running gags that were repeated throughout the series: humming the jazzy music whenever a plane is seen flying, mentions of the "poopie suit" (chaps intended to keep a pilot's blood from pooling in the legs during high-G maneuvering), and the use of the word "refueling" as a synonym for any long, dull scene.The film is included in Collection Volume 12 from Rhino.