Questions tagged [realism]
The general attempt to depict things accurately in films and tv shows.
400
questions
1
vote
2answers
61 views
Why didn't the Army Rangers use scoped rifles?
I refer not to weapons that usually aren't scoped, like the M249 or Gary Gordon's scoped M14. Gordon was a sniper that the Army Rangers weren't. I'm uncertain if the M16A4 could've been mounted with a ...
24
votes
2answers
6k views
What does this exercise do in the movie “The Fighter”? Is it realistic?
In the movie The Fighter,
Micky is seen drilling into a bucket of rice with his fist. I have seen speeding ball exercise, rope jumping, running, but this is the first time and only time I have seen a ...
4
votes
1answer
127 views
How accurately is the vision of an elephant depicted in the movie Dumbo 2019?
This is a PoV [Point of View] shot, during Dumbo's initial flight round the Medici Circus.
How realistic is this impression of what an elephant might see?
6
votes
2answers
3k views
Is it realistic to build a well in the basement?
In the movie, The Silence of the Lambs, Buffalo Bill imprisons his victims in a well located under the house he lives in. That well could have been there before Buffalo Bill starts living in there.
I ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
How accurate is IP Man's story?
Recently I watched the Ip Man film series. The 4th one specially got me thinking.
How accurate could the story be?
I am thinking, since it's a Chinese movie, perhaps they have exaggerated a little ...
19
votes
4answers
5k views
Does the FBI keep track of people's library records?
In the movie Se7en, the detectives get the records of people who have read certain kinds of books (like nuclear weapons etc.). So that they can narrow down their list of suspects/can find them.
Is ...
3
votes
0answers
54 views
How realistic are the drone live feed in Homeland
I'm currently watching Homeland season 4, a TV show taking place in Pakistan. The U.S. intelligence services and army forces make heavy use of drone imagery in the series, with huge consequences on ...
11
votes
3answers
658 views
Did people not wear seat belts in 1970s?
In the movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the characters played by Leonardo Di Caprio and Brad Pitt never wear seat belts.
I do not think characters such as Planski and Sharon wear seat belts ...
-2
votes
1answer
116 views
Would the villain's testimony be usable in court?
In the movie Knives Out (2019), the villain is brought to justice by his testimony recorded secretly on the detective's phone. The Fifth Amendment protects people from self-incrimination, so would ...
0
votes
0answers
44 views
Are the quotes in Dave Gorman's “Found Poems” real?
In Dave Gorman's show, Modern Life Is Goodish, he has a segment called a "Found Poem" which is a funny presentation of quotes from "the bottom half of the Internet" relating to a trivial scandal.
Are ...
3
votes
1answer
880 views
How much was 1 pound worth in 1918 England?
In the tv show, Peaky Blinders, season 1, money is mentioned over and over again:
Tommy gives Polly 200 pounds for Ada and Freddie to get away to America and start a new life.
Tommy gives 1 pound and ...
6
votes
1answer
113 views
What war was shown at the beginning of Outbreak?
At the beginning of Outbreak, American scientists visit a camp in the middle of a jungle to assess a disease and take blood samples. There were also American soldiers at the camp. Was this a depiction ...
0
votes
1answer
122 views
Sound-proof, anti-Soviet spies room
In the movie "The Coldest Game" (2019), taking place during the Cold War, a special room of the Polish embassy is shown. The room contains a sound-proof glass box, raised from the floor, inside which ...
3
votes
1answer
279 views
Exactly what kind of illness/disorder was Arthur suffering from?
In Joker (2019), we know that Arthur suffered from mental trauma in his childhood which affected his personality throughout his life. One of the consequences that we see is his unusual laughter; ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Meaning of the 'single white lighting bolt on black background' symbol in JoJo Rabbit?
There were two different 'single lightning bolt' symbols.
The first on is a badge awarded within the hitlerjugend afaik:
The second one has different colors and is portrayed on a flag. What's its ...
5
votes
1answer
303 views
Electric portable lamps in 1917 - how realistic is this depiction?
I've just seen "1917" and when Schofield and Blake were in enemy trenches - the rat tripwire scene - they were using some portable lamps.
My question is - how realistic is this depiction and if it ...
32
votes
1answer
13k views
Is the drug used to stop infection in The Rock real?
In The Rock (1996), Nicolas Cage used an injection to stop himself from being infected by the deadly virus. Is that a real drug in real life or just some fictional creation? How does it stop virus ...
2
votes
1answer
403 views
How does humanity survive after half of the population returns?
In the Avengers the villain snaps his fingers and half the universe population disappears. Later, after several years have passed this half returns, effectively doubling the world population in one ...
1
vote
1answer
121 views
Why didn't the USS Nathan James use air defense with SM-2 and ESSM in the opening scene?
In the series The Last Ship in S1 E1 they have an Arleigh Burke class destroyer which supposedly is at EMCON Alpha (radio silence). At some point they notice some enemy helicopters approaching the ...
1
vote
0answers
91 views
How medically accurate is this quote from Person of Interest?
In the TV drama Person Of Interest Season 2 Episode 15 (Title: Booked Solid), former CIA agent Reese encounters another agent Hershe and a fight ensues which later leads to a knife fight. Reese ...
6
votes
4answers
961 views
What is the significance of this song in 1917?
In the World War 1 movie 1917, when Lance Corporal Schofield washes ashore the river, he hears a person singing a song. He then advances towards the voice and finds a number of soldiers sitting around ...
38
votes
5answers
12k views
What could have resulted in such a huge crater in WW I?
In the movie, 1917, there is huge crater filled with muddy water and bodies, what could have caused it? It is a bit too big for an artillery shell.
2
votes
1answer
98 views
What did the writers mean by this detail in one scene of one episode of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” from 1957?
In the 26th episode of season two of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" titled, "I Killed The Count Part II", first aired in 1957, there is a short scene, or rather a brief moment of one scene, which ...
1
vote
1answer
229 views
Does Maximus' blocking an axe with the sharp edge of his gladius make sense?
At 0:10:31, in the battle with a Germanic tribe, Maximus is placing the sharp edge of his gladius on his palm to block an axe swing. Wouldn't the impact simply bury the gladius into his hand? Do you ...
0
votes
2answers
75 views
Does Nick pay Tanner his retainer fee in the end of Gone Girl?
In the movie, Gone Girl, Nick hires a lawyer from New York, Tanner, whose legal retainer is 100k.
I searched a bit on the internet, a legal retainer is an upfront fee that you pay for in order to ...
4
votes
1answer
185 views
Are Top Gun 2 dogfights & airplane maneuvers real?
In the 2nd trailer of Top Gun 2, a plethora of swift airplane maneuvers and at least one dogfight take place. Are those scenes real, captured by a chase airplane?
Or they're just simulation (Computer ...
3
votes
0answers
158 views
Soup, Courage or Faith? [closed]
In TBBT S03E08 (The Adhesive Duck Deficiency), Sheldon notices a tattoo on Penny's body as he helps her dress in preparation for a trip to the hospital due to 'a lack of adhesive ducks'.
Sheldon ...
4
votes
1answer
642 views
Do the symbols used in the TV series Evil, actually exist?
In Robert & Michelle King's latest TV series, Evil, a priest in training, a forensic psychologist/mother of four, and skeptic techie-carpenter/contractor investigate for the Vatican: the potential ...
7
votes
1answer
9k views
How real is the ending of the movie Ford v Ferrari?
The movie Ford v Ferrari (2019) starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale shows how Ford Motors built a car that beat Ferrari in Le Mans 24 hour race.
In the end of the movie, the three Ford cars cross ...
0
votes
1answer
84 views
Could HMS Devonshire have deduced her location despite Gupta's IT hacks?
Before 1:25, HMS Devonshire's RN Commander (three rings of gold braid of equal length) asks
Are we absolutely sure of our position?
The Lt Cdr (two medium gold braid stripes with one thin gold ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
Couldn't HMS Devonshire have spotted Carver's stealth ship?
This comment for the post-opening of Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) at 2:37 proclaims:
fully agree. Even in full battle condition you have bridge watch keepers.
Is this accurate? The screenshot above ...
6
votes
2answers
530 views
How can an actor “fake” an American accent so convincingly?
Actors assume accents that aren't their natural language/heritage frequently in movies and on TV. Obviously, some of them are better than others. Some are downright laughable, but some are ...
3
votes
0answers
174 views
Were new prisoners in Alcatraz made to walk without clothes as Frank Morris was made to do?
In Escape from Alcatraz, Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood), upon entry into Alcatraz (after being processed), is shown walking down the cell corridor naked (if memory serves me correctly, he is holding ...
0
votes
2answers
180 views
What is the name of this medical practice in the VVitch?
In the movie The VVitch, Caleb returns to his family after being seduced by a witch.
Then he receives a cut into his right temple to allow bloodletting, what is the name of this medical practice?
0
votes
1answer
146 views
Can corns be grown the way in the VVitch?
In the movie, the VVitch, William is seen cut down corns; previously I thought corns had been harvested but it turns out they were farming corns in this way.
How realistic is this way of corn farming?...
40
votes
3answers
17k views
Was Tim's reaction to the electric fence realistic?
In Jurassic Park when Tim, Dr. Grant and Lex are climbing the fence and Tim gets shocked, he immediately goes flying off the fence.
How realistic was this behavior?
60
votes
1answer
13k views
Was a supercomputer really needed in “The Martian”?
In "The Martian", Rich Parnell uses a supercomputer to calculate a life saving slingshot trajectory that allows Watney to be saved.
The entire film is renowned for its scientific care, so I was ...
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Pretending to be an FBI profiler in Resurrection
In Resurrection (1999), the serial killer successfully pretends to be an FBI profiler and gets access to all the information the police has about his murderers. Later, the police finds that he is not ...
2
votes
0answers
51 views
How true to reality is the film Queen of the Desert?
Queen of the Desert is a 2015 biographical film about Gertrude Bell, an Englishwoman who spent most of her life in the Middle East and played a part in the establishment of some Arab states in the ...
2
votes
1answer
90 views
How accurate are deportation policies depicted in the show?
In one of the episode from the last season of Orange is the New Black, a character was deported even though she didn't commit any crime (except entering the country illegally) and moreover has two ...
1
vote
1answer
194 views
Is Thomas Shelby's meeting with Churchill and his connection with Oswald Mosley real or fiction?
In season 5 of Peaky Blinders, we saw Thomas Shelby meeting Churchill, and telling him about how he killed a person back in Birmingham. And all the connection and storyline between him and Oswald ...
4
votes
1answer
253 views
With the Spa laundering money idea, how would Jesse explain the Spa buying in first place?
In the episode Kafkaesque (S03E09), Saul gives advice to Jesse to buy the Spa saloon to help him laundering money.
The idea can probably work, but Jesse will still have to explain how he bought a Spa ...
4
votes
5answers
355 views
When shooting laser cannons etc. from spaceships, why do advanced beings miss their targets?
In many movies and TV series (Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.), we see space battles in which spaceships miss their targets. I can't understand how such advanced beings can simply "miss", but perhaps ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
What happens when two bullets strike each other?
In Preacher S04E01 during the fight between Lara and Tulip, they shot each other and their bullet strike each other and fall down.
Is this depiction realistic? Can this happen in the same way in ...
5
votes
3answers
765 views
Magic behind 3.6 roentgen/hour in Chernobyl TV series
I'm wondering about origins of this value that comrade Dyatlov said, "Not great, not terrible". The movie and some documentaries mention that they did not know or that they undervalued the danger of ...
1
vote
2answers
173 views
How can everyone in a large crowd hear the speaker from a long distance away?
I always wonder about this particular scenario, where in a large area, the lead speaks and all of the audience listen although they are quite far away. In some motivational speeches, the army ...
6
votes
1answer
215 views
Can a private company make decisions over prisoners' freedom?
In Orange Is the new Black, the prison is bought by a private company - MCC (later known as PolyCon).
There are numerous instances depicted whereby this privately-owned company makes decisions over ...
7
votes
0answers
587 views
Why does public show no reaction to killings in John Wick 3?
The entire movie felt like there's been a bit of a disconnect from the surrounding world every time John Wick was fighting. So what really bothered me were a few scenes where he is slashing foes in ...
1
vote
1answer
239 views
Couldn't Duncan be sued for doing this?
In the Seinfeld episode "The Race", Duncan Meyer threatens to fire Jerry's girlfriend unless Jerry agrees to repeat a race Duncan lost to Jerry in high school. It seems to me that firing her over ...
7
votes
3answers
4k views
What explains the changes to history other than the oblivion of the Beatles?
In the Yesterday Movie, a miracle somehow consigns the Beatles to oblivion. But it also produces several other changes that are mentioned in the movie without much explanation. Cigarette smoking seems ...
