Movie Confusion

I find this thread quite amusing.  Having been in construction my whole life, I always take note of the carpentry and design elements in almost any structure I look at with a critical eye.  O Gaugers are, quite simply, a different breed.  It's all a matter of perspective, I guess.  Very funny. 

I can understand jumps in continuity.  What pains me is mistakes that are so achingly obvious that they throw the movie-watching experience into complete disarray.  I don't think that is counting beans, picking knits, or counting rivets.

Of course I will be watching "Gatsby" when it comes out to see if they properly model the 1920's look of the LIRR...

Jon

The recent movie Super 8 has a train derailment that has tank cars flying 60' in the air!

Atlas Shrugged Part 1 has some bizarre train scenes too! 

Even more ludicrous!

for what it's worth, it was supposed to be 4501.  Of course, when the engine decides to come up lame, you use what you have.  That would be the Royal Hudson.  Not too out of place really---just imagine a N&W J (or K) with a bashed in nose!

Kevin

Ever see a Pullman combine?

http://www.northeast.railfan.n...moky_hill_river0.jpg

I can actually take the blame for this one.  I did the lettering with self-adhesive lettering. 

The Kansas City (Smoky Hill) Railroad Museum in the River Quay area back in 1977 was approached by a film company for passenger cars to be used in the made-for TV film "Mary White."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076371/

We supplied an ex CB&Q/BN commuter HEP combine and former Frisco Business car #3 for the movie (about 10-15 seconds of screen time.)  The cars were filmed in Wichita.

We repainted the combine Pullman Green and had a fairly long discussion about where to place the "Pullman."  We decided it was better centered over the coach windows, rather than breaking up the lettering across the baggage door.  We also named our "Pullman" Smoky Hill River after the museum.

The movie company painted a Masonite "Pullman" overlay for #3 as the paint around the letterboard was a little fragile.

Not accurate, true.  It was a case of what was available in the time allotted.

Rusty

Well, you guys are onto us..... We are all frauds.  I can tell you after 25 years as a carpenter in the film industry ...... IT IS FAKE!  Shocking , I know, but true.  Continuity is usually pretty good, but not always.  Remember, parts of the same scene in a film might be filmed weeks or months apart.  Photos and notes are checked, but sometimes you just can't get it right if there is a lot of stuff deep in the background.  Also, some projects do care more and spend more to get it right.  Nothing comes free, although the producers would like it if I did.

I don't mind some minor anachronisms as long as the equipment or paint schemes look appropriate. a few examples include Sierra #3 in Back to the Future: Part III (engine built in 1890s but looks just fine in 1885) and The Manor Class 4-6-0 in The Chronicles of Narnia wearing a BR crest (the British Railways green liveries aren't too much different than that of GWR).  I could fully understand filmmakers having to make the best of what's available and use equipment closest to the era/region they are trying to recreate.  But some are inconsistencies are very obvious, such as using American whistles with European locomotives (or even diesel horns with steam locos!), or steam locos with one-man crews.  Video games with trains in them are usually also bad about accuracy.  Sometimes they might get the engine correct, but get details wrong such as combining American knuckle couplers with European buffers on the same equipment.

Aaron

prepare yourselves to be angry, then click on the link: 

http://www.popscreen.com/v/6Id...t-6-Train-Heist-VOHD

Wowak: That's hard to watch.

Submitted for your approval - Season 2 Premier of Jericho (2-12-08)

Citizens of Jericho, Kansas (about halfway between Lawrence and Denver, Colorado), are cut off from the world by a nuclear attack on Denver and on 22 other American cities. This catastrophe brings out the best and the worst in people. Season 1 ends amid a firefight with invaders from New Bern. CBS canceled the show. After the legendary "nuts" campaign, CBS renewed the show.

On the Season 2 Premier, Robert Hawkins (Lennie James) drives an Abrams M-1 tank that is out of ammunition. He stops it across a railroad track to head off a train of reinforcements from New Bern. A distant shot reveals a steam locomotive. A close-up focuses on the front of Pennsy K-4 No. 5690. Sounding a diesel horn, the K-4 hits the tank broadside. Her tender turns over.

A "Making of . . ." video is/was posted on YouTube. This sequence was filmed with a 1:8 scale model of No. 5690 at L. A. Live Steamers. She was not fired up. She was placd on a movable table. Her drivers were turned mechanically. Then she was pushed along a track, filmed by a trailing camera. These scenes were merged with those of a real tank on a short stretch of track. The end of track is visible in the "Making of . . ." video but not in the show.

As I was watching I pictured a banner above the pilot announcing 1361 TEST RUN. But that could be considered as heartless and unfeeling.

Wowak wrote:

prepare yourselves to be angry, then click on the link:

 http://www.popscreen.com/v/6Id...t-6-Train-Heist-VOHD

Actually, I was laughing my butt off!

BTW, didn't "When Johnnie Comes Marching Home" date from WWI?  Those look like Civil War uniforms.

No, it didn't.  It's a Civil War song:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W..._Comes_Marching_Home

I do not mind if they use stock footage of railroads and passenger trains, as long as they are from the same time period and region as the setting of the movie. 

Andrew

Well, at least they got ONE thing right!