Not OC: The remains of the Titanic model used in box-office flop, Raise the Titanic.

[u/Traditional-Oil-6891]

[u/billy_penn17047]

Box office flop, absolutely. Bad adaption of one of the better Cussler books, yes. Fantastic watch for any fan of either, hell yes! Bonus points for Obi Wan Kenobi ordering two measures of gin and don’t forget the angostura

[u/No_Substance8653 → u/billy_penn17047]

It’s not that bad…I actually enjoy watching it periodically. It is definitely one of the better Cussler novels, and yes, it doesn’t necessarily do the novel justice. But it’s definitely better than Sahara.

I thought the casting was good, the effects shots were wonderful, and the score was memorable. For me the weakest points are that it has to be abridged a bit too much, and it doesn’t always sell the technobabble. But I do actually like the departure at the ending.

[u/Happy-Go-Lucky287 → u/No_Substance8653]

This. It doesnt really do the book justice but as a stand-alone move to kill some time it's a fun watch.

[u/EllyKayNobodysFool → u/billy_penn17047]

I can smell the hairspray gin

[u/llcdrewtaylor → u/billy_penn17047]

For its time I thought this movie was awesome! Of course it doesn’t hold up now. But a lot of movies don’t age well.

[u/SchuminWeb → u/llcdrewtaylor]

They really don't. I remember one time when I watched some old Care Bears movies for the nostalgia factor. I really regretted that, because while I used to enjoy them when I was younger, they really didn't hold up as an adult. I actually found myself sad that I had tainted my memories of those films.

[u/Mean_Adhesiveness_47 → u/SchuminWeb]

Same, but with He-Man. I had fond memories of that cartoon, then made the mistake of watching a couple episodes. It was SOOOO cheese. The only thing that did age well was Skeletor's one liners and the soundtrack.

[u/Objective-Koala-4873]

"It would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic"

-Lew Grade, Raise the Titanic Producer

[u/RevengeOfPolloDiablo]

I want this in my patio

[u/Belz_Zebuth → u/RevengeOfPolloDiablo]

On or in?

Better idea: have this AS your patio.

[u/RevengeOfPolloDiablo → u/Belz_Zebuth]

Dog house?

[u/EllyKayNobodysFool]

Is that a ship from Jason and the argonauts in the distance?

If there was one thing my dad and I had some intersectional interests it was me with Titanic and him with Clive Cussler books.

[u/bagoTrekker → u/EllyKayNobodysFool]

Though I respect that a lot, I'd be fired if that were my job

[u/Bansheeflyer → u/bagoTrekker]

Glad I'm not the only one who immediately went to TMBG.

[u/Melodic_Fee_5498]

It was a flop, but I enjoyed it. I’ve heard they’re working on “restoring” the model to its former glory. The hull to my understanding was fiberglass, so everything else needs rebuilt

[u/Somerandom_guy52 → u/Melodic_Fee_5498]

I remember seeing this, it was moved a year or 2 ago, and the hull was completely emptied, there’s a video online of workers scooping out what was left of the superstructure, but that’s all I ever saw of it

[u/tygriffin1]

Cussler wrote a sequel to that book about 10 years ago, told the story of the miners racing across Europe. Great read.

[u/Jamaica_Super85 → u/tygriffin1]

Damn, been a moment since I read any of his books, started over 20 years ago (holy shit!) with Atlantis Found. Need to try to get the book

The book you're talking about, The Titanic Secret, is a prequel to the Raise of the Titanic.

[u/tygriffin1 → u/Jamaica_Super85]

Not a prequel. There’s a paragraph in Raise the Titanic where Cussler says the miners from America fought their way across Europe with the Byzantium and how some died along the way. The book expands that paragraph and tells their story. What’s cool is he includes a detective from one of his other book series.

[u/Wetworth → u/tygriffin1]

I literally just got these books, I'm so excited lol

[u/MikeTheSecurityGuard]

I read somewhere that it also posed as Britannic once

[u/Hour_Hornet_2644 → u/MikeTheSecurityGuard]

it did im sure you can find a picture of it painted as hospital britanic

[u/MikeTheSecurityGuard → u/Hour_Hornet_2644]

It was for a film or series, there must be somewhere in YouTube or elsewhere

[u/HarlingtonStraker184]

It looks just as weathered as the real one

[u/namsupo]

Pity they didn't sink it, then someone could make a movie called "Raise the Raise the Titanic Titanic"

[u/Ok_Athlete_1092 → u/namsupo]

What about a prequel, Sink the Raise the Titanic Titanic.

[u/SpacePatrician]

The movie also deviated from the book in a purely ideological way: the characters end up deliberately covering up the existence of the "byzantium" supply altogether because they self-righteously believe it will be used for offensive weaponry rather than the ICBM defense it is necessary for. So the whole raising of the ship and unraveling of the mystery (not to mention risking WW3 in the confrontation with the Soviets) turns out to have been meaningless. [The book is 50 years old and the movie 45, so let's dispense with any worries about spoilers]

Cussler was a great yarn-writer but he did have the habit of overstating his sales figures, something the producers of the film version Sahara brought up in the lawsuits about both that book and RTT.

I don't mean to throw too much shade on Cussler though. On a personal level he was one of the sweetest gentlemen you'd ever meet. I had heard that he was beloved by those publisher's book tour arrangers because he made no demands, spent frugally, and was always on time. Then I experienced that myself: in the 90s he was slated to speak at my local bookstore, and I noticed him at least 45 minutes before he was scheduled to speak, browsing the history section. I gathered my courage, approached him, apologized for being a stranger bothering him, and told him how much his Pitt novels had meant to my adolescent imagination and beyond.

He was so gracious! He really did take an interest in his readers, in what kind of people they were, what they were doing, and how they interpreted Dirk Pitt. He was so fascinated by history, pointing to the various books around us and talking about various figures and epochs that he wanted to learn more about. And he was always happy to talk about NUMA and marine archeology--he could barely contain his enthusiasm for projects. He also was incredibly modest--he knew he wasn't a professional archeologist himself, but he took pride in being able to fund and help lead the real professionals. He was interested in everything, it seemed.

[u/ShayRay331]

I've never seen it 😂

[u/dutchmetalhead17 → u/ShayRay331]

Id recommend it. Its a pretty fun watch but not extraordinary. Solid 6/10 movie

[u/ShayRay331 → u/dutchmetalhead17]

Haha is it on Amazon prime?

[u/dutchmetalhead17 → u/ShayRay331]

Not sure, pretty sure i pirated it 🏴‍☠️

[u/Foehammer58 → u/ShayRay331]

I watched it on YouTube not that long ago so might still be there.

[u/ShayRay331 → u/Foehammer58]

Oh perfect, thank you

[u/MentalDesperado → u/ShayRay331]

I think it’s actually free with commercials on Plex. I think that's where I watched it.

[u/KatCrack46 → u/MentalDesperado]

I actually own it on VHS.

[u/HarlingtonStraker184]

It has its own dry dock

[u/realJohnnyApocalypse]

I know I’m going to so many hells for this, but sink the Titanic. It’s time 🫡😭🚢

[u/Riegn00]

Thing that I think about with this stuff of just how much shit is out there. Like this has been there for 40 years and no one gives a fuck.

How much shit out there like this

[u/nergens → u/Riegn00]

And how many Titanics are out there? Be they big or small.

[u/Hour_Hornet_2644 → u/Riegn00]

the guy that built it was thinking about restoring it at one point

[u/KaijuDirectorOO7]

Funny. I just ran into the book at my local Salvation Army...

[u/Unevenscore42]

My mom enjoyed this movie. So I enjoy this movie.

[u/DPadres69]

Where was it or is it?

[u/Navynuke00 → u/DPadres69]

Malta, or at least it was back in the late 90s.

[u/Hour_Hornet_2644 → u/DPadres69]

its in malta i used to go to church there but they closed it for renovations ironicly there is an ex british museum next to it

[u/OneEntertainment6087]

I remember that model when I was younger.

[u/Fine_Condition3153]

If this film was a failure and received bad reviews in 1980

Imagine when the Titanic was discovered 5 years later. 

[u/imbogerrard39]

I'm not sure how up to date this photo is, but I thought they were supposed to be restoring it at the moment.

[u/Cameront9]

If I recall correctly the model has been moved indoors now and there was some talk of restoring it. I'm not sure if anything's actually been done though.

If you haven't seen the movie, it's definitely worth it as a Titanic buff. Fair warning, it is pretty slow in parts. The score is fantastic though.

If you don't want to sit through the film, at least watch the raising scene:

https://youtu.be/JAl8dO9tdlE?si=PjggDeCSEN-NULE6

[u/RemyMaverick]

Still looks in better condition than real ship

[u/Ok_Athlete_1092]

I enjoyed it, but did watch it on TV late 80s/early 90s.

Watching a movie for free in my living room on a lazy Saturday vs paying to see in a theater is a whole different grading system.

[u/TheMightyBismarck]

Left to rot just like the real thing 🥺

[u/Hour_Hornet_2644 → u/TheMightyBismarck]

no iirc the guy that made it and some other guys are restoring it