tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post2394093895895896684..comments2024-03-17T18:37:36.377-07:00Comments on Geotripper: A Geologist (also named Hayes) Sits Through "San Andreas", the MovieGarry Hayeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00531226195147986457noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-66912694170522915272015-06-20T22:57:40.986-07:002015-06-20T22:57:40.986-07:00I laughed out loud at some of the most obvious err...I laughed out loud at some of the most obvious errors, but the theater had the volume SET SO LOUD no one could possibly have heard me...I ended up using ear plugs for 90% of the movie. Still, an entertaining destruction movie in a chilly theater on a hot summer's day, grievous mistakes or not. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-41088222302544283312015-06-09T23:02:24.787-07:002015-06-09T23:02:24.787-07:00A friend calculated that, even if the entire 400 m...A friend calculated that, even if the entire 400 miles of the SAF slipped at once, the maximum offset would still have to be about 0.6 miles in order to produce a magnitude 9.6 earthquake.jrepkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10624685961793402257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-80829651832220319632015-06-09T19:31:41.406-07:002015-06-09T19:31:41.406-07:00As with most of the other DESTROY CALIFORNIA movie...As with most of the other DESTROY CALIFORNIA movies, this one requires suspension of disbelief and, in essence, the thinking portions of the brain. Good review!<br /><br />So a pole-vaulting cargo ship caught in the tsunami stood in for Godzilla wrecking the bridge (how many times has it been taken out now?), but GGB came through the quake itself fine. And how about some other odd bits of geography - like the GGB in some scenes appearing to run approximately through Alcatraz? And after the tsunami, the water doesn't go back down - instant sea level rise or did the land subside 100m?<br /><br />BTW, I understand that recent re-examination of tide gauge records shows that 1906 *did* produce a tsunami - maybe a few inches high.<br /><br />Still, as movies go, not bad. I saw the 3-D version; not bad, actually without a lot of in-your-face effects - recommended. Oh bother - just go see it - find a $5 Tuesday or something like that, don't blow a wad, and have fun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-12920825565069223072015-06-08T13:34:05.940-07:002015-06-08T13:34:05.940-07:00Damn! Such a great review, criticism notwithstand...Damn! Such a great review, criticism notwithstanding, I'll have to see it now. Thanks Garry - you make my day with your geology-based posts - and the photos are always excellent. Cheers!Celia Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04096301290962083820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-40055603779874541172015-06-08T12:13:12.410-07:002015-06-08T12:13:12.410-07:00I didn't catch the Richter part. For those won...I didn't catch the Richter part. For those wondering what that means, Richter is only used for smaller quakes, up to 6.5 or so. Larger quakes are measured using the determination of the seismic moment, and converting to a scale roughly similar to Richter. Moment uses the amount of offset, the frictional resistance of the rocks along the fault, and the length of the fault rupture. These are things that are not easy to calculate while the quake is happening!<br /><br />Your comment reminds me of how a great many New Orleans police abandoned their posts during the Katrina hurricane and flooding. There's only so much you can do in the face of overwhelming destruction. But still, the characters in the movie made me think of an alternate title: San Andreas, a Looter's TaleGarry Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00531226195147986457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-89812613580638934382015-06-08T10:28:20.636-07:002015-06-08T10:28:20.636-07:00Though Giamatti's little exposition for the cl...Though Giamatti's little exposition for the class was mostly correct, I cringed when he referred to the "Richter Scale" when talking about the magnitudes of the '60 and '64 quakes.<br /><br />But my first thought, as the credits rolled by on the drum seismograph, was how poorly first responders were treated in this movie: Johnson's character is supposed to be the hero, but he abandons his job and steals a helicopter when he hears his daughter might be in trouble _400_miles_away!_<br /><br />His daughter is smart and resourceful, but she steals an emergency kit from a fire truck for her own use. Are we to assume that the truck's crew had abandoned the truck and had no need for the radio, the first-aid kit, etc.? Then I tried to remember scenes showing police or fire crews or paramedics helping anyone in the movie (other than The Rock). Did you see any? I didn't.<br /><br />So apparently all the first responders in the movie are either dead, incompetent, or have abandoned their posts (probably to rescue their own family members in other towns). At least the crew of that fire truck didn't steal their vehicle to do so.jrepkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10624685961793402257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-87373205996585553512015-06-08T06:19:44.581-07:002015-06-08T06:19:44.581-07:00Great review Garry. I figured you would have to wa...Great review Garry. I figured you would have to watch this movie, just to point out all the mistakes. Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16131855510821376453noreply@blogger.com