Gun weirdness in media

[Leon tP]

Even movies "based on" some true story have been tweaked for entertainment purposes. I personally could care less about these kind of details.

Sometimes they get it just plain wrong. In the movie World Trade Center for instance, one of the characters portrays Jason Thomas (born 1974) a former Marine, who rushes to the Towers after the planes hit to help rescue people. In the movie he's a white guy. The actual Jason Thomas is black.... Oops

His portrayal by a white actor in the film generated controversy, although the producers claimed that they were unaware that the real Thomas was black until they had already started filming.

World Trade Center (film) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

On a funnier note, in the 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake. Patricia Tallman's character can clearly be seen loading primerless 'Dummy' rounds into her lever action rifle.

 

[Outlaw75]

in Sopranos, Jackie Jr was killed by this impressive hand cannon. I don’t even know what this is, but it’s amazing.

View attachment 1186681

It's called a Non Gun. They're made by a prop house called Independent Studio Services. They look vaguely gun like (as in vaguely Glock looking or vaguely 1911 looking), are battery operated and fire pyrotechnic squibs to generate a flash and bang. They're mostly used in scenes where someone is supposed to get shot at very close range, like a shot to the head.

More info here: https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Non_Guns

ETA: That particular pistol is described as 'Non Descript Pocket Pistol'.

 

[InTheSwamp]

Didn't read all replies but can you a lot worse than in 'The Searchers'.

 

[UncleEd]

Regarding details, details, details.

When "The Patriot" was being made an historian technical advisor
mentioned that some of the flags were all wrong. The producers
agreed but replied most of the audience knows the "Stars and
Stripes," it doesn't know or would confuse using the correct
flags.

In "The Battle of Britain" Goering is portrayed in a pretty standard
uniform but he actually arrived in France with a pink outfit, including
boots. The producers decided that would not only confuse but
cause laughter in a spot where laughs were not wanted.

The best retort I've read about was in making "The Adventures of
Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn. It was pointed out that all the
lavish colors, the spotlessly clean castles and the costumes
of the woodsmen were absurd. Studio reply: "You want
history, read a book."

 

[UncleEd]

Didn't read all replies but can you a lot worse than in 'The Searchers'.

Excellent movie.

But firearms all wrong; too early after the Civil War

Texas Rangers didn't exist for 10 years after the war; no
funding and a "state police" took over under Union direction.

Monument Valley does not look like Big Bend, central Texas or the Panhandle.

Saddles all wrong.

And on and on.......BUT A GREAT MOVIE.

 

[InTheSwamp]

And on and on.......BUT A GREAT MOVIE.

Arguably, the best Western. Movies are not meant to teach History, but to have a good time watching.

 

[UncleEd]

Tonight! (Saturday) Turner Classic Movies, 9:45 EST,

''THE SEARCHERS''

 

[Old Dog]

On a funnier note, in the 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake. Patricia Tallman's character can clearly be seen loading primerless 'Dummy' rounds into her lever action rifle

But still a horror classic, and one of the best remakes ever (the True Grit remake was a worthy homage to the original).

Tonight! (Saturday) Turner Classic Movies, 9:45 EST,

''THE SEARCHERS''

A personal favorite. Will have to record it to watch after the game. Go Lions!

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Too many people think what they see on the Big Screen or the Tube is correct and accurate. A story I have heard over the years involves a black powder cannon-the one gunner rams the charge home, the gun fires, tears his hand off. I did RevWar artillery for several years, the gun is searched and wet mopped between each shot, plus the NCO or officer places his thumb over the touch hole to create a vacuum precisely to kill any live embers and prevent an accidental discharge.

 

[The Night Rider]

I'm watching US Marshals but it could be any movie.

Supposedly these actors(in general) have tactical handgun training. They should have been trained to keep their fingers off the trigger but none of them do.

The only explanation that makes sense to me is that they're doing it for some type of dramatic effect.

 

[Leon tP]

But still a horror classic, and one of the best remakes ever...

Night of the Living Dead (1990) is one of my favorites. I've seen it so many times, it's the reason I start seeing all the little things that qualify as flub ups.

A personal favorite. Will have to record it to watch after the game. Go Lions!

I have The Searchers on DVD along with many other John Wayne classics including, Rooster Cogburn, Cahill U. S. Marshall, True Grit, The Cowboys, Rio Bravo, The Shootist and many others. I enjoy them all but seeing them as often as I have, well you see the occasional flubs. It adds to the enjoyment factor and I'm OK with that. Nothing to lose sleep over.

 

[UncleEd]

Oh yeah, regarding "The Searchers" both Wayne and Jeffry Hunter
wear batwing chaps. No, no, no. The batwing design was closer
to 1900, not 1868. Oh my gosh.

But, back to guns before the mods gig this thread........what was that
gun Old Mose used?

 

[JFrame]

Night of the Living Dead (1990) is one of my favorites. I've seen it so many times, it's the reason I start seeing all the little things that qualify as flub ups.



I have The Searchers on DVD along with many other John Wayne classics including, Rooster Cogburn, Cahill U. S. Marshall, True Grit, The Cowboys, Rio Bravo, The Shootist and many others. I enjoy them all but seeing them as often as I have, well you see the occasional flubs. It adds to the enjoyment factor and I'm OK with that. Nothing to lose sleep over.

In NOTLD 1990, one of the first things the Tony Todd character says is something like, "Do you have any guns? Rifles... Shotguns... Anything?" Now that's a realistic reaction from an unarmed person facing the depicted scenario... Not the anti-gun hokum so many Hollywood productions pawn off nowadays.

One reason among many I love that movie. And how can you not love a movie with Patricia Tallman wearing an oversized (for her) revolver holster slung over her shoulder?

 

[GEM]

Law and Order. SVU - a guy is going to set his ex on fire. Olivia loads her Glocks with rubber bullets so if she has to shoot him, it doesn't really hurt him. Standard NYPD. Also, when there has to be an entry and the Emergency Services Unit is there, the detectives with just a vest and Glock lead the entry. I also note the ESU guys are always shorter than the hero detectives.

 

[Jim Watson]

There was a Cagney and Lacey scene, Lacey had killed one of your TV typical reformed punks who relapsed into crime.
She said she wished the department authorized .45s because then she would have only had to shoot him once and he might have survived that, but she had had to fill him full of .38s and he had no chance.

Books are tough on ill-informed authors, they can't slip one by as easily as a quick shot on screen. I was rereading one the other day. The author had his smallarms straight, but had gaffes on heavier stuff and WMD.

 

[d2wing]

Excellent movie.

But firearms all wrong; too early after the Civil War

Texas Rangers didn't exist for 10 years after the war; no
funding and a "state police" took over under Union direction.

Monument Valley does not look like Big Bend, central Texas or the Panhandle.

Saddles all wrong.

And on and on.......BUT A GREAT MOVIE.

Actually, Texas Rangers did exist when Texas was independent and prior to the Civil War in various forms. Also, the movie was based loosely on actual events. But true not all accurate history. I just read another book about Hugh Glass, and like the movies, the ending and some parts were totally made-up nonsense.

 

[The Night Rider]

I have The Searchers on DVD along with many other John Wayne classics including, Rooster Cogburn, Cahill U. S. Marshall, True Grit, The Cowboys, Rio Bravo, The Shootist and many others. I enjoy them all but seeing them as often as I have, well you see the occasional flubs. It adds to the enjoyment factor and I'm OK with that. Nothing to lose sleep over.

The worst thing about any John Wayne movie I ever watch is watching him handle a gun

 

[Jim Watson]

The main thing I see in John Wayne movies is that it is always John Wayne, you can't lose the actor in the character.
A lot of my friends play that game with any actor, "Oh, yeah, Joe Schmuck played John Hero in a show last year, too."

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Ian Fleming received a letter from noted UK gun writer Geoffrey Boothroyd pointing out mistakes Fleming had made with Bond's small arms. In the next story "Major Boothroyd " had been appointed Bond's armorer.

 

[Leon tP]

...
One reason among many I love that movie. And how can you not love a movie with Patricia Tallman wearing an oversized (for her) revolver holster slung over her shoulder?

Most actresses trying to achieve a certain 'look' have to work hard and go to great lengths but Barbara (Tallman) achieved that look without even trying

In Mad Max (1980), when Toecutter's gang is on the beach, Toecutter fires a round off from his Double Barrel shotgun to get the attention of Mudguts and Cundalini. Mudguts and Cundalini are actively horsing around with a mannequin when Toecutter orders the mannequin placed against a post. After Toecutter gives a brief speech about the Bronze. Bubba Zanetti begins walking forward towards the mannequin with his pistol when Johnny the Boy runs up and grabs the double barrel shotgun from Toecutter's hands and gives the mannequin both barrels, hitting the mannequin in the upper left torso and one to the face.

It was never shown that Toecutter ever bothered to reload that one chamber he fired earlier. Three shots from a double barrel, not too bad. Where can I find one of those?

 

[UncleEd]

Back to "The Searchers," what no one attempt to identify the gun
Old Mose carries; it certainly ain't the 1892 Winchester. Hint, you
gots to ames true in the action hijenks. (Or so it has been identified.)

 

[UncleEd]

Also, the movie was based loosely on actual events. .

Comanches regularly took settler women, most notable Parker who became mother
to famous Comanche chief Quanah Parker. As far as "The Searchers" it was
Comanche taking a white settler's girl based on an Alan LeMay novel. Then in
"The Unforgiven" also a LeMay story Kiowa look to recover one of its girls
from the settlers. That one starred Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn and
Audie Murphy. One story, two sides of the same coin as it were.

 

[JohnKSa]

If a book/movie is obviously just for entertainment, I don't expect it to be accurate in any way. I don't get excited when the laws of physics are violated in a superhero movie or the guns are wrong in a fantasy action movie or if the characters are impossibly witty or good-looking. I might mention in passing that silver bullets are hard to make and don't perform well, whether you're the Lone Ranger or a werewolf hunter, but it's not going to count against the movie in my book.

If a book/movie seems to be making an effort to be realistic then I expect more from it. Examples are war movies based on actual battles/wars even if the specific events are fictional, movies about actual people's lives, movies about fictional people set in a particular time/situation where the details are relevant, etc. That kind of movie should, in my opinion, try not to be stupid. Guns that hold 6 shots should not fire 15 without reloading. Guns shouldn't make clicking noises simply because someone points them at something. People who were black or white or were short or fat or ugly shouldn't turn white or black or tall, skinny or beautiful. Guns or vehicles that weren't around at the time or in the context of the movie shouldn't show up. Laws of physics shouldn't be made a mockery of, etc.

 

[d2wing]

Comanches regularly took settler women, most notable Parker who became mother
to famous Comanche chief Quanah Parker. As far as "The Searchers" it was
Comanche taking a white settler's girl based on an Alan LeMay novel. Then in
"The Unforgiven" also a LeMay story Kiowa look to recover one of its girls
from the settlers. That one starred Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn and
Audie Murphy. One story, two sides of the same coin as it were.

I didn't know that but reading historical accounts, Comanches in particular but other tribes as well took young children, mostly girls and raised them to be wives or warriors. Or for ransom. Not just whites but also Mexican and from other tribes. Yes, the Parker story is a very well-known instance. When she was finally found, she had two children and would not leave the warrior that killed her family. Some children and other captives were also murdered for various reasons, or no reason. In the Spirit Lake Massacre four white women were captured by a Sioux band, two were killed, one very cruelly. Two women were eventually ransomed. One survivor wrote a good book about it. I like reading accounts by the people that lived then, not revised histories so much.
Do you recommend those novels? I like them if they have historical information that is accurate.

 

[Tallball]

If a book/movie is obviously just for entertainment, I don't expect it to be accurate in any way. I don't get excited when the laws of physics are violated in a superhero movie or the guns are wrong in a fantasy action movie or if the characters are impossibly witty or good-looking. I might mention in passing that silver bullets are hard to make and don't perform well, whether you're the Lone Ranger or a werewolf hunter, but it's not going to count against the movie in my book.

If a book/movie seems to be making an effort to be realistic then I expect more from it. Examples are war movies based on actual battles/wars even if the specific events are fictional, movies about actual people's lives, movies about fictional people set in a particular time/situation where the details are relevant, etc. That kind of movie should, in my opinion, try not to be stupid. Guns that hold 6 shots should not fire 15 without reloading. Guns shouldn't make clicking noises simply because someone points them at something. People who were black or white or were short or fat or ugly shouldn't turn white or black or tall, skinny or beautiful. Guns or vehicles that weren't around at the time or in the context of the movie shouldn't show up. Laws of physics shouldn't be made a mockery of, etc.

Me too.

Other than the thing (that others have mentioned) in action movies where they rack the slide of a handgun, or pump a shotgun, and it's completely illogical. Dramatic, maybe, but also stupid and annoying.