Funny thing about "Day After Tomorrow" dust-up

[phantom power]

Isn't it kind of funny how everybody is falling over themselves to point out how "Day After Tomorrow" (gasp) Isn't Scientifically Accurate.

Step back for a moment: since when has Hollywood *ever* produced a movie that was scientifically accurate? It would be a big news story if it *were*.

[Cheswick2.0]

1. It's just a movie

It's not a science channel documentary.

[Alerter_]

7. no kidding

Why are they so afraid of a movie? It's not like they are hiring scam scientists to promote it as factual, unlike, say, the tobacco companies.

[SayitAintSo]

13. Just saw the movie - I also read the book - VERY Powerful

I can't comment on the science intelligently, however some of it makes good sense to me - I'm sure creative license was taken with some aspects. The important thing about this movie however, is it how it tells the story - and they did an incredibly masterful job of weaving current day political issues into the story in a very effective way. Remember, Jesus changed the last 2000 years through effective story telling. That's what global warning naysayers are puking over. This movie makes you want to go out and hug a tree, buy a hybrid, recycle and eat granola. It has the power to shift peoples thinking. That's what is feared...

[Pepperbelly]

2. Pot, meet kettle from the boy who cried wolf. nt

[SlavesandBulldozers]

3. i was thinking about this earlier

They are going out of their way to say how ridiculous it is, literally tripping over themselves to try to "discredit" it. Moreso than they did even with, say, Independence Day. I guess they see it as threatening to chimp, so they are politicizing it by accusing IT of being politically movitated. bizarre

[Birthmark]

4. It sorta reminds me of...

...this presentation that was once made to the UN about Iraq. It wasn't accurate and it WAS for political reasons, too. The Bushies didn't seem to have much problem with those things back then. Wonder what changed? :)

[SnohoDem]

5. I heard rumors

that "The Passion" wasn't scientifically accurate, either.

And don't get me started on "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".

[oneighty]

6. Bush*

"It is fake science." 180 "Of course it is you damned fool. It is a movie."

180

[phantom power]

8. (undead) irony

This movie would appear to be based on at least a core of truth, although I'm sure that Hollywood reliably got all the specifics wrong.

As long as I'm up here on this soapbox, it's a pet peeve of mine that movie makers assume that they can't make a movie that is both interesting/exciting *and* scientifically faithful. They *always* chicken out, or goof up, or something, and blow the good science out of the water.

I just can't believe it's impossible to make a cool blockbuster movie that just happens to have some good scientific grounding.

[oneighty]

12. Truth is the movie makers

had to crowd the (perhaps) actual happening into a couple of hours. Gee even 180 can understand that. Bush* people are a bit paranoid. They also think we are stupid. Sigh.

Around Charleston S.C. however the ocean water level is increasing or the area is sinking. Personal observations.

180

180

[MikeG]

9. You mean Moses didn't part the Red Sea?

[Az]

10. I am studied in computers, psychology, physics, and biology

So you can imagine how many different Hollywood flicks crack me up. A perfect example. Indepence Day. The hero in a matter of days decodes an alien computer language, writes a virus that completely shuts down their defense system, all on a Mac Laptop. Make the hurting stop.


Here are some tips for making movies.

There is no Kirk effect. When you destroy a computer monitor the entire room/complex/planet does not blow up.

Hacking does not involve trippy special effects. Its not a graphic trip through a visual internet. Hacking is really very very boring.

Science when confronted by the unknown does not trip out and insist that is impossible. I gets very excited and tries to figure out why it is possible. A great example of real a real scientist in action can be seen in Sleepy Hollow. When confronted by the reality of a headless horseman Depp's Icabod sets about determing the rules by which this horror works.

Sometimes things which are destructive on a massive scale take time. Global warming is going to slowly render the planet uninhabitable for us. It is going to cause ecosystems to slowly change. It may even in a decade initiate some drastic changes. But it is not going to happen over night.

The trouble Hollywood has is it gets wind of an idea. Perhaps something from science or some technical field. Say the millenia when there was the Y2K fear. They then have to craft a script around this that is exciting. Well frankly a computer shutting down because the date screwed up isn't terribly exciting. But they need to push it to the exreme so the computer just happens to control all the air traffic control tower radars. Suddenly we have a tense thriller about getting those planes down.

Hollywood exploits fears people have. It thrives in complex ideas that most people do not understand. Well it bugs the living daylights out of those who do understand.

[phantom power]

11. Independence Day

and don't forget a couple other classics:

1) a super-advanced civilization, which bases it's attack strategy on utilizing *our* satellites.

2) and which counts down in *unary* arithmetic.