We’ve had some great submissions from the Goblin Legions, many of which will be featured today.
As we talked about in Vol. 1, collisions and implosions like the “WE DIE” climax of The Last Starfigher or Michael Biehn in The Abyss will be discussed in another article.
Furthermore, I think I know what to do with the Alien chest-burster scene: it belongs in a separate article of corporeal bursts.
Those will be gory, and for some that will be very difficult to watch; just consider flicks like Leviathan and everything else through Slither, Scanners and Alien.
But for now let’s get back to straight-up explosions.
Catch up with Vol. 1.
Drop some ideas.
This could go on forever. Maybe we’ll end up cataloging them all before the world explodes.
These are in no particular order but again let’s begin with the largest.
Once again, it’s Darren Aranofsky. This guy isn’t normal.
The Fountain, Xibalba
Released: 2006
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Minimum Mass Required For Supernova: Approx. 15 solar masses
One of the largest concept-to-film explosions of all time. Love this. It is hard to tell how large the actual star itself is but this is definitely a supernova.
The minimum number of our own suns required to ignite such an event is between 12 and 35 on a curve with a 15 median.
When Xibalba’s silicon fusion sequence completes and creates iron, it only takes minutes for a the star to explode.
More on the nuclear fusion sequence and silicon photodisintegration here.
Copies of the Bhagavad-Gita and other historical religious docs can probably still be found on Amazon. The only groups in recent generations to seriously suggest that destroying books is a cool idea are The Nazis and the creators of Disney’s “Star Wars Episode VIII” so we should be good for now if you are curious.
Dr. Strangelove, Nuclear Rodeo
Released: 1964
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
Bad Timing: “A first test screening of the film was scheduled for November 22, 1963, the day of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The film was just weeks from its scheduled premiere, but because of the assassination, the release was delayed until late January 1964, as it was felt that the public was in no mood for such a film any sooner.” – Wikipedia and others.
Our own Lord Garth Formerly of Izar reminded me of this classic that also features some very early work from the great James Earl Jones.
Initially this movie was meant to be much more serious, but they decided it was just way too intense so the steered into territory that resembles early Mel Brooks more than anything.
Blown Away, Blown Away
Released: 1994
Directed By: Stephen Hopkins
Stunt Men: Vince Deadrick Jr. and Clifford Happy
Set Medic: James MacDonald
BLOWN AWAY contains one of the largest practical on-film explosions in history.
8,000 windows were shattered, and several rooftops set aflame in East Boston… not part of the plan.
Our friend “Sumatran_Rat_Monkey” brought us this great Choice Explosion and had this to say about it:
“Whatever they paid those two stunt guys running from the boat, it was probably not enough.”
Indeed. But I’m still trying to determine if the stunt-doubles took part in this scene. This out-of-context trivia from Wikipedia has been throwing me off:
“A piece of shrapnel from the exploding bomB came within several feet of striking Jeff Bridges “
Blown Away trivia can be found here.
They may have actually completed this stunt themselves. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Check this out:
The Godfather, “Apollonia!!”
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Actors: Al Pacino and Simonetta Stefanelli
I thought of this explosion while watching The Godfather Part II and thinking about Raiders of the Lost Ark.
George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola were all friends and part of the same young group of filmmakers.
I presume they thought of this when they blew up Marion.
But first… the tragedy of Apollonia. This scene messes me up a little bit every time.
Raiders of the Lost Ark: “Marion!!”
Released: 1981
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Written By: Lawrence Kasdan from a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman
“Marion…”
Indy caused that wreck to happen but really what choice did he have? He didn’t know that shit was gonna explode! He couldn’t have known.
This is just awful.
Is she really gone? Well, it is a Spielberg movie – so I’m sure she’s fine. But people didn’t know that then.
I didn’t know that then!
This explosion was suggested by our pal “one9duece”.
Speed, 55mph
Released: 1994
Director: Jan De Bont in his directorial debut, previously working as a cinematographer on such movies as The Hunt For Red October and Die Hard.
Another movie from 1994… what a year!! Thanks to “The Mothman” for this submission.
I’m not shilling for the “movieclips” youtube channel, they just seem to have very legit and stable versions of these big events on film.
So please enjoy in High Quality:
Aliens, The Atmospheric Processor
Released: 1986
Director: James Cameron
The DOOM “Total Conversion” mod that hit AOL boards in the late 90s and is still the best Aliens game ever made. Find it.
Anyway our own GajoraX reminded me to include this choice explosion from the end of the awesome, the wonderful, the all-time classic: Aliens.
What makes this particular explosion such a technological and narrative feat is that it still works even though we know that all we are looking at is some cotton around a fucking light-bulb.
The effect is not lost. We see the seams and it doesn’t matter.
https://youtu.be/l5iX4iUGRb0
Apocolypse Now, “Napalm in the Morning”
Released: 1979
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cinematographer: Vittorio Storaro
Screenplay: John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola
Actor: Robert Duvall
The cinematography in this film is absolutely ridiculous. It’s one of those movies that looks better as televisions increase their frame-rate and pop more colors.
It’s a goddamn masterpiece.
“D’you smell that?”
“…What?”
“Napalm, son.”
Thanks to “Euginio Nix from the 70s” and others for this submission. I almost missed it.
Tropic Thunder, “200 pounds of shit-your-pants”
Released: 2008
Director: Ben Stiller
Actors: Danny McBride and Steve Coogan
Let’s piggy back Apocalypse Now since that is exactly what this movie does. It’s more an homage than a ripoff of “Napalm in the Morning”.
The folks in charge of subtitles here are apparently being paid with drugs.
Back to the Future Part III, Clayton Ravine
Released: 1990
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Pyrotechnics: Michael Meier (also the pyrotechnician in Die Hard 2) and Michael Smith
Brought to us by “Theragen Derivative”. This explosion always bothered me as a child because it seemed like the explosion went off early… but now I see that the clock was ticking on that cab anyway.
Return of the Jedi, End of an Empire
Released: 1983
Directed By: Richard Marquand
One of my favorites echoed by our own Skankhunter. I actually prefer this one to the original because it happens in stages:
- Wedge hits the power regulator.
- Lando hits the main power coupling.
- The core collapses, a TIE fighter is lost during the escape.
- The Death Star quakes.
- The Death Star explodes.
Everything leading up to these moments amounts to what is arguably the greatest space battle ever committed to film.
https://youtu.be/xPZigWFyK2o
Notice the impact of foreground as we race away from the crumbling core!!!
Visceral stuff.
The Lord of The Rings, The End of All Things
Released: 2003
Director: Peter Jackson
Original Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Special Effects: WETA
The War is over.
Another dozen for the archives. Goddamn, these are fun… But we need a change.
Let’s tackle collisions next.
Keep it real.
-IDH
