18 January 2005
My Vote for the Worst Science in Movies
I had an occasion to watch the movie "The Core" on our (bigdish) TV satellite feed. Since it's the season for people to focus on film awards, I propose this cinematic wonder (it's a wonder that it's cinema) for an award for "Worst Science Content in Film".
As a science teacher (Chem, Physics, Biology, Geophysical Science currently), I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the scientific inaccuracy that was richly laced through the entire film, as heavy as the marbling through prime rib. The blithe and casual wholesale repeal of the laws of physics was truly breathtaking. As Asimov noted in one of his books about a similarly foolish endeavor "Such folly smacks of genius, a lesser mind would be incapable of it." I hope that the writers were using pen names other than their own. If not, they have my pity for having this turkey hung around their neck.
The best place for this film would be to showcase it on a rather different venue - the Mystery Science Theater 3000. If you've never seen this show, it's not easily explained - it features a truly schlocky movie of some sort, with the shadow silhouette of three improbable robots and a human shown as though watching the film in a theater, all the while mercilessly maintaining a running satirical commentary on the screen action. It's quite a hoot, at least to some of us. I think the show can still be found somewhere in the wilderness of cable or satTV-land, but alas, I think it's out of production which is too bad, now that it's really needed for The Core!
As a science teacher (Chem, Physics, Biology, Geophysical Science currently), I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the scientific inaccuracy that was richly laced through the entire film, as heavy as the marbling through prime rib. The blithe and casual wholesale repeal of the laws of physics was truly breathtaking. As Asimov noted in one of his books about a similarly foolish endeavor "Such folly smacks of genius, a lesser mind would be incapable of it." I hope that the writers were using pen names other than their own. If not, they have my pity for having this turkey hung around their neck.
The best place for this film would be to showcase it on a rather different venue - the Mystery Science Theater 3000. If you've never seen this show, it's not easily explained - it features a truly schlocky movie of some sort, with the shadow silhouette of three improbable robots and a human shown as though watching the film in a theater, all the while mercilessly maintaining a running satirical commentary on the screen action. It's quite a hoot, at least to some of us. I think the show can still be found somewhere in the wilderness of cable or satTV-land, but alas, I think it's out of production which is too bad, now that it's really needed for The Core!
