A SciFi film maker's worst critic: Neil deGrasse Tyson

[ryoder 1,381]

http://news.yahoo.com/gravity-inaccuracies-161723027.html

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[riddler 0]

You know, I used to work in the building where they assembled the MMU and trained the astronauts there with large tanks of water and mechanical arms in front of large projection screens. Bruce McCandless would come in periodically to say "Hi". It was cool to work there, but knowing how those things actually operate, and then seeing Hollywood's portrayal, I think I'm going to be as critical as Tyson.

It's kind of like being a bus driver and then watching "Speed".

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[quade 3]

I'm a big Neil deGrasse Tyson fan, but what he did over the weekend was out of line. It's not that he added insight to the discussion, but he flooded Twitter in a childish way. The article makes it appear as if he made 20 tweets about the film (which I think is sort of borderline obsessive), but that he kept repeating those same tweets every few hours.

Rather than celebrating a film about space (okay, even if it is a disaster film) he just seemed like an obsessive pedantic looking for attention. It actually seemed kind of desperate or vindictive, like maybe he didn't get invited to an advanced screening or press junket and was abusing his power to get back at the producers.

I dunno. Just turned me off.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[champu 1]

I haven't seen it yet, but based on the trailers this quote from the article caught my attention...

Quote

"I am all for an entertaining movie, but when I go into a Michael Bay 'Armageddon' movie I know to turn the brain off," Interbartolo added. "This one tries to pass itself off as something more than that, but to me, it is the same flash and sizzle with a pretty lax understanding of orbital mechanics and spaceflight operations."

When you involve a bunch of real space vehicles, you're asking for experts to descend on you. I probably have much lower expectations of Hollywood than Tyson does though.

[wmw999 2,119]

I, too, used to work in the business; I have every intention of enjoying the movie. Most of his tweets were "necessities of movie-dom" kinds of things to me, like the heightened emotionalism of "Apollo 13."

But this tweet is entirely valid:

Quote

Mysteries of #Gravity: Why we enjoy a SciFi film set in make-believe space more than we enjoy actual people set in real space

in one sense. However, having listened for 8-hour shifts at a time to the shuttle astronauts (generally graveyard shift), I can assure you that while it's entirely cool when they're doing studd, it can be just about as interesting watching them sleep as watching paint dry.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[ryoder 1,381]

wmw999

I, too, used to work in the business; I have every intention of enjoying the movie. Most of his tweets were "necessities of movie-dom" kinds of things to me, like the heightened emotionalism of "Apollo 13."

But this tweet is entirely valid:

Quote

Mysteries of #Gravity: Why we enjoy a SciFi film set in make-believe space more than we enjoy actual people set in real space

Solution: Send up more Canucks like Chris Hadfield.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[GogglesnTeeth 6]

I'm sure I'll see the movie eventually.

I mean how many of us have seen "Cutaway," "Point Break," "Fandango," and "Drop Zone" a million times and still enjoyed them if not just to make fun of the skydiving stuff for whuffo's!

While snarfing down the $9 bucket of butter slimmed pop-corn, most are not gonna think about the actual physics of the movie.

Hmmmm.... buttery pop-corn sounds good about now!

Goggles and Teeth

"You fall like a greased safe!!!"

[Remster 24]

ryoder

***I, too, used to work in the business; I have every intention of enjoying the movie. Most of his tweets were "necessities of movie-dom" kinds of things to me, like the heightened emotionalism of "Apollo 13."

But this tweet is entirely valid:

Quote

Mysteries of #Gravity: Why we enjoy a SciFi film set in make-believe space more than we enjoy actual people set in real space

Solution: Send up more Canucks like Chris Hadfield.

You just want to get rid of us around here, don't you.

Remster

[normiss 622]

Agreed.

Sometimes, I like to go to the movies to escape reality and enjoy a FICTIONAL story.

sheesh.

[ryoder 1,381]

Remster

******I, too, used to work in the business; I have every intention of enjoying the movie. Most of his tweets were "necessities of movie-dom" kinds of things to me, like the heightened emotionalism of "Apollo 13."

But this tweet is entirely valid:

Quote

Mysteries of #Gravity: Why we enjoy a SciFi film set in make-believe space more than we enjoy actual people set in real space

Solution: Send up more Canucks like Chris Hadfield.

You just want to get rid of us around here, don't you.

Hadfield is a perv, too???

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Having a good working knowledge of science hampers my enjoyment of many a Hollywood work. It's hard to set your brain on a shelf while the screenwriters' plot devices over write reality. Apollo 13, I thought, was a great example of a fantastic true story being done as accurately as possible. Give me more of that.

At the same time, I'm sure I'll see and enjoy "Gravity". Make sure to remind me to pick up my brain on the way out.

[aphid 0]

ryoder

***

But this tweet is entirely valid:

Quote

Mysteries of #Gravity: Why we enjoy a SciFi film set in make-believe space more than we enjoy actual people set in real space

Solution: Send up more Canucks like Chris Hadfield.

[Backintothesky 0]

Hollywood does take some pretty big liberties with realities though. I can sympathise with him.

Who can remember Hogan from Cocktail's "BASE" jump in Along Came Polly. The film makers forgot leg-straps on the rig for fucks sake....or perhaps that was his character being an even bigger insurance liability

[ryoder 1,381]

Backintothesky

The film makers forgot leg-straps on the rig for fucks sake....or perhaps that was his character being an even bigger insurance liability

Who needs leg straps?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAucs8K5E0U

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[yoink 321]

ryoder

***I, too, used to work in the business; I have every intention of enjoying the movie. Most of his tweets were "necessities of movie-dom" kinds of things to me, like the heightened emotionalism of "Apollo 13."

But this tweet is entirely valid:

Quote

Mysteries of #Gravity: Why we enjoy a SciFi film set in make-believe space more than we enjoy actual people set in real space

Solution: Send up more Canucks like Chris Hadfield.

Yup - his series of answering questions from children was awesome.

[quade 3]

JohnMitchell

Apollo 13, I thought, was a great example of a fantastic true story being done as accurately as possible.

Okay, but "Gravity" isn't a documentary any more than "Star Trek: Into Darkness" was, nor does it claim to be. I'm pretty sure most audience members realize this within the first few minutes of the film since the Space Shuttles are retired and the International Space Station still exists, which clearly means this is a work of fiction.

More importantly and this might sound odd, it's not about space. It is SET in space. It has to deal with some of the terrors of space. The characters suffer from the situation of space, but . . . this isn't a movie about space. It really isn't. That said, it gets far more right than wrong when it comes to the feeling of space and Neil is really just being a dick.

I have zero desire to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it so I'm not going to go into detail, but it is a great film. I highly recommend it. And if it's an option, see it in 3D at the best theater in your area. It's absolutely worth the extra few coins.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver