# Scenes that pull you out of the movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188 "2006-10-28T00:38:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/81 "2006-11-04T16:38:48Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > – When Pippin knocks down the skull/pail down the Moria well and Gandalf chastises him, his faces changes from a look of contrition to one of surprise a second before the drums start. While it’s still one of the scariest parts of any movie it would be a lot better if he didn’t telegraph it. Billy Boyd **didn’t** telegraph it. The sound editor did. The actor was doing exactly what the director, waving his hands from behind the camera, told him. You don’t really suppose the sound of the drums was recorded live with the acting, do you? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/82 "2006-11-04T18:58:04Z")
How about the worst and most obvious violation of the fourth wall ever: Ocean’s Twelve Where Julia Robert’s character pretends to be Julia Roberts because of her uncanny resemblence to Julia Roberts. That MIGHT work if it wasn’t an ensamble movie full of other well known and popular actors. ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/83 "2006-11-04T19:31:52Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] Oh, and, whenever a Hot Chick[sup]®[/sup] first appears onscreen in glasses and with her hair up, cuz we know what’s coming: we’re supposed to be surprised when she “blossoms” by just taking off the glasses and letting down the hair. [/QUOTE] ‘Miss Congenialty’. I could not believe that Sandra Bullock could ever look unattractive ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/84 "2006-11-04T19:34:34Z")
[QUOTE=Max Torque] It’s worse than that. They left her enslaved, _when they had the means to buy her_. I did not like the part where he influenced the dice roll. Surely if Anakin was the chosen one the dice roll would have come up in his favour. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/85 "2006-11-04T19:57:01Z")
Harold and Khumar driving from Hoboken, NJ to past Princeton, NJ to find a White Castle. How about driving across the Lincoln Tunnel into Manhattan? How about there must be half a dozen White Castles closer than the 2 hour drive to wherever? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/86 "2006-11-04T21:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=msmith537] Harold and Khumar driving from Hoboken, NJ to past Princeton, NJ to find a White Castle. How about driving across the Lincoln Tunnel into Manhattan? How about there must be half a dozen White Castles closer than the 2 hour drive to wherever? [/QUOTE] They are actually going to Cherry Hill. Princeton is ‘on the way’. Why the Tunnel? L.A. screenwriters. Just look at the end: When did Cherry Hill get a cliff like that??! When the heck did it even get that much open space?! ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/87 "2006-11-05T15:35:29Z")
Robin Hoods American accent when played by Kevin Costner. The entire casts appalling German accents in “Cross of Iron” Wheeled transport moving through Rome during the hours of daylight in “Gladiator” Nickolas Cages dumb,moist eyed look held for minute after minute in silence after another character has told him something of importance that requires an immediate response.(To show that Cage is “acting” Cannons on sailing ships that fire without recoiling. When the hero drives the person he’s protecting through an ambush where the firing is so heavy that the car resembles a colander afterwards but nobody has so much as a scratch on them. Inhabitants of a wild west town who obviously wash their hair every day AND use a conditioner. Down town Naples,Athens or whatever where the buildings ,sidewalks and roads are spotlessly clean and theres no sign of a local population,likewise period pieces where there isn`t a trace of horseshit on the roads . Men fighting with sabres or rapiers as though they were fencing epee. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/88 "2006-11-05T18:53:12Z")
[QUOTE=Max Torque] It’s worse than that. They left her enslaved, _when they had the means to buy her_. Follow me here: [/QUOTE] ..You are forgetting that the Jedi are a warrior priest sect where children with force potential are removed from their families at 3 or 4 years old. Parental connection means nothing to them. Obi and Quigon don’t really give a shit about Shmi. She’s a liability to them. They buy her and then what? Anakin can’t see her again. Now the Jedi order have to take care of this lady? The Jedi are essentially Republic cops out of their jurisdiction. Not super heroes doing good in the world.. The fact that Anakin doesn’t question why they can’t free his mother is troublesom though. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/89 "2006-11-06T13:15:28Z")
I thought that Queen Amidala should have bought Shmi out of slavery, considering Anakin had saved her planet and all. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/90 "2006-11-06T15:48:27Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Miskatonic] They are actually going to Cherry Hill. Princeton is ‘on the way’. Why the Tunnel? L.A. screenwriters. Just look at the end: When did Cherry Hill get a cliff like that??! When the heck did it even get that much open space?! [/QUOTE] The writers are actually from New Jersey. But come on, this is a movie where two guys ride a **cheetah** through the woods and you’re pulled out of the movie by wonky geography? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/91 "2006-11-06T17:15:28Z")
[QUOTE=Millit the Frail] The writers are actually from New Jersey. But come on, this is a movie where two guys ride a **cheetah** through the woods and you’re pulled out of the movie by wonky geography? 😛 [/QUOTE] Hey I got pulled out of the movie because they went all the way to Cherry Hill to get to the next White Castle when there is one in South Plainfield and one on RT 22 in Green Brook which are very close to New Brunswick. I’m probably missing a few. Thats not even mentioning the White Rose System in Highland Park. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/92 "2006-11-06T18:27:23Z")
[QUOTE=Lust4Life] Inhabitants of a wild west town who obviously wash their hair every day AND use a conditioner. [/QUOTE] This is one reason I’ve always had a hard time watching “old” (pre-1965 or so) westerns. The hair has razor sharp parts, and is glistening with hair tonic. I can buy this on a character who’s supposed to be a dandy, but not everyone in the West, including cow hands and drovers. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/93 "2006-12-02T13:05:42Z")
[QUOTE=Stratocaster] This is probably not exactly what the OP is looking for, but in any watery scene (think Jaws, as an example), whenever water droplets hit the camera lens, it just, well, _bugs_ me. It’s the equivalent of the boom mike shadow showing up in the scene–it immediately calls attention to the fact that this is being filmed. Yes, I know it’s a movie, but I want to suspend my disbelief and will do so, so long as there’s not some plot issue or physical evidence that sabotages the effort. [/QUOTE] You don’t wear glasses, I take it. If I was in a situation where a lot of water was splashing around, I would get a droplet or two on my lenses. To me, such a thing makes a scene more immediate. It’s not happening at a distance; it’s _this close_. But I understand how 20/20 or contacts-wearing people wouldn’t appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/94 "2006-12-02T14:28:54Z")
All those action flicks where the hero is punching and kicking his way through a horde of bad guys, some of whom are armed, but they just stand there and watch the fighting. I keep wondering why the armed bad guy don’t fire, even when the good guy gets to them. Why be bad and carry a gun if you’re not going to occasionally shoot some good guy? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/95 "2006-12-02T14:31:33Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] Wait, _Passion of the Christ_ had a sequel? I thought Gibson had pretty well sewn up the ending so as to make a sequel impossible! I mean, the dude dies! [/QUOTE] Yes, there’s a sequel, it’s been going on for 2000 years, and it gets more ridiculous every year, but millions still fall for it. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/96 "2006-12-02T17:16:16Z")
[QUOTE=Evil Captor] Why be bad and carry a gun if you’re not going to occasionally shoot some good guy? [/QUOTE] Of all the things to say are “realistic” about a Jackie Chan movie, this is one of them. When the fighters are likely to have guns, they go for them first, until the gun can be kicked away, batted away, or whatever. And **Mr. Miskatonic** , I’m sure I’ve never seen that movie, so I don’t know if it’s necessary _in the script_ to go through a tunnel. It may well be that the tunnel was the idea of a location scout, who wanted to film Scene A in a nice spot, and Scene C in another nice spot with a completely incompatible skyline, so Scene B became a tunnel to sort of link the two shots together with something visually interesting. They may also have chosen a tunnel because… well, any old damn tunnel would do, and the _real_ scenery in between Scene A and Scene C was too expensive, or too critical of a traffic arterial, for the director to film on. Not saying the tunnel was in any way _right_, just saying it may not have been the screenwriter. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/97 "2006-12-02T20:02:04Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] There’s a scene in _Die Hard_ where Bruce Willis is climbing a wall, soon to discover the huge pile of explosives hidden in the ceiling, when a big lens flare rainbows across the image. Unable or unwilling to fix it in post or reshoot it, I guess, they added a deep _nroooooow_ sound effect which actually helped, matching the tone of the scene and muting the incongruity of the artifact. [/QUOTE] What’s interesting is that CGI technicians (artists?), whose creations don’t have to suffer lens flare, actually add this in, artificially, in order to make it more congruent with what we’re used to seeing. They have the option to be more realistic, but instead, choose to deliberately to mimic the unrealism of lens flare, in order to seem more real to us, because we expect that of films. In an odd way, they sacrifice realism in order to make it seem more real. ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/98 "2006-12-02T21:03:57Z")
In anime, Japanese is of course the language of choice anywhere in the world, but for whatever reason the fact that the Native Americans in _Dagger of Kamui_ could speak perfect Japanese really jarred me out of the movie, and even more so the one line that made everybody in the theatre burst out with laughter: > [@](#): > > “Watakushi wa Mark Twain desu.” ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/99 "2006-12-02T23:49:59Z")
[QUOTE=Rilchiam] You don’t wear glasses, I take it. If I was in a situation where a lot of water was splashing around, I would get a droplet or two on my lenses. To me, such a thing makes a scene more immediate. It’s not happening at a distance; it’s _this close_. [/QUOTE] No, I don’t wear glasses. But I think this would still bug me if I did. Even if I mentally translated “water on the camera lens” into “water on glasses,” I’d still be drawn out of the movie, I think. “Hey, there’s some bespectacled guy other than Hooper, Brody and Quint treading water thirty feet from the Orca, looking things over. Who the hell can _that_ be?” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188/100 "2006-12-02T23:53:14Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] The movie opens with the caption “Three days later…” [/QUOTE] Thank God it didn’t start with “Twenty eight days later …” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-pull-you-out-of-the-movie/378188.md?page=6)