Myths and Misinformation Perpetuated by Hollywood

Jack Lynt

Jack Lynt

(Inspired by CamVader's Air Duct Thread)

What are some of your favorite -or least favorite- myths or unlikely cliches that have shown up in way too many movies (or far too few)? We could think of it as a do's and don't's list.

If I may, CamVader wrote that clean, comfy airducts peeve him off.

I was glad to see this Mythbusters episode busting the myth that being shot throws a person back through the air. Taught me, it did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCzD5uhSViY

Though it's still the more cinematic way to go, it does seem pretty silly for Hollywood to continue to do the flying gun shot victim thing after you've seen this.
 
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It seems to me that a lot of horror films would have you believe that the entire world struggles for mobile phone reception…
 
Hotwiring a car... this is freakishly difficult to do, if not impossible, on cars made in the last 15 years.

Picking the lock of a door... when movie heroes do it in under 15 seconds: ridiculous. Picking a simple padlock can take more than a minute. A real expert might spend that on a door.

I was re-watching Paycheck last night. I seriously hate it when, somehow, electrical engineers, archeologists, biologists, and other completely uninspiring civilians manage to evade and outfight trained assassins, who will never fail to MISS when shooting at their targets for literally days.
 
I hate seeing people opening their eyes underwater in the ocean, and then they act like they can see clearly for 50ft.
 
Avatar reminded of this.

The infamous "Listen I betrayed you all, but I'll really a good person, and I really want to help you all out" scene that always creeps up.

I don't know why, but I really hate those scenes. I don't know if they apply to myths (other than I think if you do it to a group of people, they aren't going to stand around and watch you do it-a think a mass beatdown will be order, if not out right killed.
 
Dreadylocks said:
I hate to break it to you, but it only does take once.
Click to expand...

I hear you Dready! LOL.


I wonder if maybe what was meant was in a movie, where the couple are active throughout the movie, the "first time" they have it she's preggers (to which my question is-this is the 21st century, why are both parties taking protection? lol)
 
Not an "in film" myth, but a myth that surrounds hollywood films.

The idea that ANY lead actor does ANY of their stunts in a film. If they say they did, they are lying. They lie at the studio's urging, and the studio backs them up on it. They don't do it, ever. The lead actors in a Hollywood production are subject to insurance policies in the tens of millions (or more) dollars, because Tom Cruise breaking his hip on the third day of filming runs "Mission Impossible 46" right off the rails. An actor doing ANY of their own stunts would generallly void the insurance policy. They barely let them stand on a step ladder much less anything really dangerous.
 
Every twelve-year-old girl can hack into any website, even the pentagon's, in mere minutes. If it's not a twelve-year-old-girl, then it's a fat black man. These are the only times they get to be heroes.

There is evidence to suggest that ancient civilizations (Egypt, Aztec, Antarctica, lol) were assisted by a common super-civilization, perhaps extraterrestrial in origin.

Restaurant workers will spit in your food if you're mean to them. I've been in the business for more than a decade, and NO restaurant worker would do anything this heinous. We'll talk shit about you, and your service might be a little slower, but your food is safe to eat (as safe as usual, anyway).

The F.B.I. has a network of cameras that can watch you anywhere you go, instantly.

When a forensic pathologist sends evidence to the lab, the results will be back within 24 hours. Uhh, try 4-6 weeks; those labs are constantly backed up.

Any good archaeologist can instantly translate a multitude of dead languages that haven't been spoken by a live person in hundreds or thousands of years. It's especially interesting when it's a new language that they've never seen before, but it's similar to one they know, so they'll figure it out.

If a psycho killer is chasing you, your car will not start. Until the psycho killer is right outside your window. Then your car will start.

If you are in a rural area in America, no matter what part of the nation you are in, everybody talks like they are from the deep South.

The best place to hide the spare key to your car is in the sun visor.
 
Any time a car crashes it explodes into a huge ball of fire - unless of course the hero is in it...

Sounds are heard simultaneously with all actions no matter how far away, despite the laws of physics.

There are thousands of these movie conventions that have no basis in reality; but then, films aren't really related to reality either. Let's face it, reality is boring.
 
You can fall for tremedous heights without even a scratch if there's a dumpster to cushion your fall.

Gunshot wound in your leg? Limp it off.

(Personal favorite) Your massive bleeding will stop with a couple of band aids.

And obviously, you can wet your gun, beat the hell out of it, and rub it in dirt. That baby will NEVER jam.
 
Explosions in movies in general have way too much fireball. Especially when it comes to military type missles and struff like this. High Explosives do not make a big fire ball. Incendiary devices will but High Eplosives will not. I've seen (real) claymores, AT-4s, RPGs, 40mm grenades, 60 81 and 120mm mortar rounds, 155mm artillary, C-4, To name a few, explode and none made a big ole pirdee fire ball. The only thing close was the phosphorous rounds for the mortar, those are pretty sweet. Or naplam.
 
It's great that there's always someone around who knows exactly what's going on, so they can explain it all to their buddys (and us stupid viewers, who are no where near clever enough to keep up with the plot of this movie, can be easily led back into the story).
 
Musicals in general. :lol: People in my neighborhood never spontaneously broke out in song.

I remember as a kid watching West Side Story and thinking it would be a pretty good movie if not for all the damn singing.
 
People in movies seem to be able to do astonishing things despite receiving mortal injuries. If you're shot so bad that you're five minutes from death, there isn't that much you can do on the physical side of things...

Also just rewatched a snippet of Sherlock Holmes and the myth that you can be thrown across rooms, fall from buildings, punched in the head...etc, then get up and keep fighting like before. I want to see a movie where in the first five minutes the hero jumps from a building in pursuit of a criminal but breaks his shin in the process.
 
The idea that someone can be knocked unconscious from one blow to the head, stay passed out, and suffer no brain damage.

Even real boxers only get knocked out completely every once in a while. And if they are out for more than 5 seconds, you call a doctor because brain damage sets in pretty fast.
 
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