PATH
Member
How many of you watch movies and find yourself trying to identify the firearms? Which movie(s) do you especially like to watch when it comes to guns?
Guns in Movies.
- Thread starter PATH
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Yes, and since I am far from a gun expert it's not easy- but these movie threads always help. I learn alot.
Really like good WWII movies- last I watched was Band of Brothers. The best I've seen in a while. For some reason I REALLY enjoy watching Nazi's get the bejesus kicked out of em.
Really like good WWII movies- last I watched was Band of Brothers. The best I've seen in a while. For some reason I REALLY enjoy watching Nazi's get the bejesus kicked out of em.
blades67
Member
I'm the one that my friends ask "What kind of gun is that?" when watching movies like "Heat", "Matrix", and "Ronin."
Mastrogiacomo
Member
I always do that with my Hong Kong flicks, trying to see what Anita Mui is carrying in Jet Li's LETTER TO PAPA, or John Woo films since he always uses Berettas or look at the gun in Simon Yam's KILLER'S ROMANCE. I gazed at the firearms with Gena Rowland's GLORIA, Pam Grier's JACKIE BROWN and Brigitte Lin's CHUNGKING EXPRESS. I'm hooked...
RANash
Member
My wife gets really annoyed with me when I tell her what kind of gun the actor's using... I don't know why...
thumbtack
Member
I do it everytime I see a gun in a movie and my wife REALLY enjoys it when I tell her about it.
Mastrogiacomo
Member
I think I scare people when I talk about the guns I see in the films. I end up getting into detail about the cost, who makes it, flaws, advantages, etc. Why does it freak people out to hear women talk about guns? I don't have tattoos, body piercings, bikes, beer -- it's my only vice?
Schuey2002
Member
Yep! Any movie that has a gun in it..
When I rent a DVD, I find myself stopping it alot and trying to identify any and all guns in the background..
Heat is my all-time favorite gun movie..
When I rent a DVD, I find myself stopping it alot and trying to identify any and all guns in the background..
Heat is my all-time favorite gun movie..
Mastrogiacomo
Member
They use blanks in the movies. Unfortunately, for Brandon Lee, someone didn't check the guns on the set well enough. One still had a real bullet in the chamber which ended up killing him during the making of THE CROW -- only two weeks shy of his wedding day.
The actor Jon-Erick Hexum from the 80's show COVER UP was handling a gun with blanks. He was playing with it in his dressing room and must have foolishly put it to his temple thinking it wasn't a real bullet. It pushed a fragment of his skull into his brain. He was taken off life support three days later and his organs were donated to other patients in need.
The actor Jon-Erick Hexum from the 80's show COVER UP was handling a gun with blanks. He was playing with it in his dressing room and must have foolishly put it to his temple thinking it wasn't a real bullet. It pushed a fragment of his skull into his brain. He was taken off life support three days later and his organs were donated to other patients in need.
Mastrogiacomo,
I don't mean to troll, but wasn't Brandon Lee killed due to a casing which had failed to eject, which killed him much in the same was as Jon-Erick Hexum? I thought most guns use adapters and are incapable of firing a live round. Just asking
I don't mean to troll, but wasn't Brandon Lee killed due to a casing which had failed to eject, which killed him much in the same was as Jon-Erick Hexum? I thought most guns use adapters and are incapable of firing a live round. Just asking
Mastrogiacomo
Member
No, Brandon Lee was killed by a bullet, not a casing that failed to eject. Somehow it got mixed up with what should have been blanks. Sadly, as Chuck Norris has pointed out, even with prop guns you should never aim them directly at the actor in case the gun was not properly checked. It was actually Brandon's friend, Jeff Imada, who was in charge of the stunts and failed to check the gun that killed Brandon. He didn't realize that there was a bullet still in the chamber. As for the actor/model Jon-Erik (I spelled the name wrong), he assumed that a gun with blanks wasn't dangerous and was joking around. Putting the gun to his temple and pulling the trigger caused a force that shattered his skull. He didn't realize that guns were guns whether props or not and should be respected; it was ruled an accidental shooting. As for Jeff, it too was ruled a horrible accident.
Mastrogiacomo
Member
Incidently, there are no such adapters on guns used in the films. If there's a bullet still in the chamber, it will go off and that's why they are checked constantly. Still Christopher Walkens doesn't trust the prop guns and hates doing movies with them for this very reason. They are still weapons. They removed the bullet which had landed at the base of Brandon's spine. He lost too much blood and died as a result. Had he lived, it might have been just as tragic as I doubt he would have had full function of this body. By the way, did you know that with fight scenes in Hong Kong films, unlike here, when they fight -- they're really hitting each other? Food for thought!
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
Hong Kong stuntmen are all certifiably insane. That's why HK action movies are so cool.
In movies, most guns that are self-loading have to be modified in order to cycle blanks. As I understand it, this involves closing off most of the barrel, except for a small hole through which gas escapes so that the camera can catch the muzzle flash.
In the case of guns that are manually operated like revolvers, pump-action shotguns, or lever-action rifles, you wouldn't need the block in the barrel and an unmodified firearm would probably function just fine with blanks.
(As I recall, Lee was shot with a revolver?)
Also, the sound of gunfire in a movie is rarely the sound that was recorded on set. In post-production the audio crew usually inserts gunshot sounds.
In movies, most guns that are self-loading have to be modified in order to cycle blanks. As I understand it, this involves closing off most of the barrel, except for a small hole through which gas escapes so that the camera can catch the muzzle flash.
In the case of guns that are manually operated like revolvers, pump-action shotguns, or lever-action rifles, you wouldn't need the block in the barrel and an unmodified firearm would probably function just fine with blanks.
(As I recall, Lee was shot with a revolver?)
Also, the sound of gunfire in a movie is rarely the sound that was recorded on set. In post-production the audio crew usually inserts gunshot sounds.
Mastrogiacomo
Member
I think it was a handgun that was aimed at Brandon but I don't recall which. Obviously, as with all sound effects -- it's prerecorded. It wouldn't be loud enough otherwise..
5ptdeerhunter
Member
I always TRY to identify guns in movies. Just yesterday I was watching We Were Soldiers with some friends. During the whole movie I was just watching the guns going off and imagining how much fun it would be to shoot them.
Kahr carrier
Member
Yep I try to identify guns I see in movie especially the JOHN WOO movies.
Mastrogiacomo
Member
For those that are interested, I found my Karate International magazine July/August 1993. It states:
"Mr. Lee died on March 31 after being wounded in the abdomen by a .44 caliber bullet from a gun supposedly loaded with blanks. One theory is that a slug from a dummy round remained in the revolver, and when the blank was inserted and shot, the slug fired as lethally as a live round."
Again for Jon-Erik, blanks were involved in his death but nevertheless, a gun put near the temple, the force of the firing was responsible for his injury. It was said that he screamed in agony and looked "blank" as he hit the floor. It was as if a bullet hit him. Hopefully, people will learn from these deaths. To be honest, in martial art films, I much prefer seeing hands and feet doing the action, much more skill and more incrediable to watch! Have you seen the Cantonese version of Drunken Master II? Better than the U.S. release!
"Mr. Lee died on March 31 after being wounded in the abdomen by a .44 caliber bullet from a gun supposedly loaded with blanks. One theory is that a slug from a dummy round remained in the revolver, and when the blank was inserted and shot, the slug fired as lethally as a live round."
Again for Jon-Erik, blanks were involved in his death but nevertheless, a gun put near the temple, the force of the firing was responsible for his injury. It was said that he screamed in agony and looked "blank" as he hit the floor. It was as if a bullet hit him. Hopefully, people will learn from these deaths. To be honest, in martial art films, I much prefer seeing hands and feet doing the action, much more skill and more incrediable to watch! Have you seen the Cantonese version of Drunken Master II? Better than the U.S. release!
Rangerover
Member
Heh-Heh! Me too! Some of them don't know squat about weapons, so they wind up thinking I'm all smart, spooky, and dangerous!
Who am I to tell them any different?
Sheslinger
Member
On the same topic...
How many of you pick out the "wrong ways" or "no ways" to hold guns, shoot guns, etc and comment when watching movies?
Does knowing too much about gun handling take away from enjoying an entertaining movie that is not claiming to be a display of proper gun handling?
How many of you pick out the "wrong ways" or "no ways" to hold guns, shoot guns, etc and comment when watching movies?
Does knowing too much about gun handling take away from enjoying an entertaining movie that is not claiming to be a display of proper gun handling?
GAC
Member
Brandon Lee's death
There was a television program a few years ago that explained in detail what happened to Brandon Lee.
The production was using the same .44 Magnum revolver throughout filming. I'll try and recap what I remember from the program.
The first scenes shot with the .44 were by the second unit crew that was shooting close-ups of the pistol. Those closeups were of the pistol being fired (muzzle blast close-ups) and also views from the muzzle end to show the point of view of Brandon's character before being shot.
The stunt coordinator had made his own blanks and dummy rounds for these close-up shots. The dummy rounds (with a bullet seated in a brass case so that the cylinder would not be empty for the close-up) had been made from real rounds where the stunt coordinator pulled the bullet, dumped the powder and then shot off the primer. The bullet was then reseated on the empty case.
What apparently happened is that one of those primers was either missed, or did not detonate, and a bullet was still seated in the case. When filming the close-up, and pulling the trigger, that one case with a live primer pushed the bullet out enough to clear the cylinder and lodge in the barrel.
When filming the scene where Lee's character is shot the stunt crew loaded up blanks in that same .44 revolver without knowing there was a bullet lodged in the barrel. The blank round was fired and Lee was hit by the formerly lodged bullet.
Regarding the other actor, Jon-Erick Hexum, I heard he was making a bet or dare on the set. He was apparently not too knowledgable about firearms because he thought that blanks were harmless.
There was a television program a few years ago that explained in detail what happened to Brandon Lee.
The production was using the same .44 Magnum revolver throughout filming. I'll try and recap what I remember from the program.
The first scenes shot with the .44 were by the second unit crew that was shooting close-ups of the pistol. Those closeups were of the pistol being fired (muzzle blast close-ups) and also views from the muzzle end to show the point of view of Brandon's character before being shot.
The stunt coordinator had made his own blanks and dummy rounds for these close-up shots. The dummy rounds (with a bullet seated in a brass case so that the cylinder would not be empty for the close-up) had been made from real rounds where the stunt coordinator pulled the bullet, dumped the powder and then shot off the primer. The bullet was then reseated on the empty case.
What apparently happened is that one of those primers was either missed, or did not detonate, and a bullet was still seated in the case. When filming the close-up, and pulling the trigger, that one case with a live primer pushed the bullet out enough to clear the cylinder and lodge in the barrel.
When filming the scene where Lee's character is shot the stunt crew loaded up blanks in that same .44 revolver without knowing there was a bullet lodged in the barrel. The blank round was fired and Lee was hit by the formerly lodged bullet.
Regarding the other actor, Jon-Erick Hexum, I heard he was making a bet or dare on the set. He was apparently not too knowledgable about firearms because he thought that blanks were harmless.
I'm the one always ID'ing the weaps and the one always yelling, "No freak'n way could he/she have fired that (insert make of gun here) like that!!" I always enjoy movies where they fire guns inside elevators and then hear people sneaking up on them when they get out. Blackhawk Down got it right when the SAW gunner fired his weap by the 60 gunner and the guy couldn't hear cuz his bells got rung. I guess that's why they call it movie magic.
Mike Irwin
Member
The Mummy.
Did a VERY good job of using firearms that actually would have been in use at the time by the individuals in question.
Brendan Fraiser's character, as a French Foreign Legionary, used Mle 1873 revolvers and in the opening scenes his troops were armed with Lebel 1886 rifles.
Pretty damned impressive when you consider that these weapons are pretty much unknown to any other than wonks like us.
Did a VERY good job of using firearms that actually would have been in use at the time by the individuals in question.
Brendan Fraiser's character, as a French Foreign Legionary, used Mle 1873 revolvers and in the opening scenes his troops were armed with Lebel 1886 rifles.
Pretty damned impressive when you consider that these weapons are pretty much unknown to any other than wonks like us.
Tamara
Senior Member
Way of the Gun and Heat
Heat and Way of the Gun
Heat and Way of the Gun
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