Science Question about "King Kong" !!

[j7wild]

Any Physics and Science Professors in here?

The Empire State Building is 1,453 feet high (source: http://www.esbnyc.com) and Naomi Watts is standing at the top of it; wouldn't the wind at that altitude blow her off it or at least she wouldn't even be able to stand upright?

(in the scenes her dress and hair is hardly moving which I think is unrealistic - I know movies are make-believe but some things should be still realistic)



Shouldn't the highest you go, the more wind resistance you will encounter?

I made a "D" in Physical Science 101 during my High School Freshman Year; they put me in a 4 top table with Cheryl, Erin and Shonda (we had the same last names starting with a 'C' and 'D') and I got distracted for 15 weeks!!

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Screenshot from Peter Jackson's King Kong Copyright 2005 Universal Pictures and Wingnut Films

Used without Permission

[WorkShed]

It's also a movie about a giant ape.







Just throwing that out there.

[Gaumont]

high up dosent mean constant wind. It only means that there are fewer things to hinder or block the wind, therefore higher wind speeds.

[j7wild]

high up dosent mean constant wind. It only means that there are fewer things to hinder or block the wind, therefore higher wind speeds.

okay, then at 1,453 feet, the higher wind speed should blow Naomi Watts off her feet or off the building, wouldn't it? I am sure she doesn't weigh but 105 lbs soaking wet!!

[WorkShed]

Again, a movie about a giant ape on an island of dinosaurs and we're debating wind speeds?

This is like the people who wrote into TriStar after the release of Ghostbusters because after the Stay-Puft Marshmellow man was destroyed, Bill Murray didn't have enough marshmellow fluff on his body while everyone else was coated in it. I loved the director's reaction: "So you had no problem about a 100 foot walking marshmellow man but a bit of fluff is unbelievable?"

[j7wild]

Again, a movie about a giant ape on an island of dinosaurs and we're debating wind speeds?

yes we are!!

[Lafce]

Years ago, I read an interesting article called Hollywood vs. Physics.

It had things like:
- there is no sound in space, so there should be no sound during space battles in movies like Star Wars;
- how can Indiana Jones jump and run so fast, when he carries the idol from the beginning of Raiders Of The Lost Ark? - if it's made of gold, it would be very heavy (knowing the size of it);
- when Superman catches Louis Lane (when she's falling from the helicopter), she would be instantly killed when she falls in his arms, because it would be like hitting a concrete, etc...

Very interesting.

[Jake]

ok, to ignore all the other stuff and do actually consider the wind.


It's not that the higher you go there is more find BUT in NYC that happens to be true. I work on the 28th floor downtown and you can hear the wind ALL THE TIME. Manhattan has really strong wind currents due to all the streets being funnels like that. Furthermore the ESB has no tall buildings in its relative vicinity to obstruct any air flow and it is an island so winds are common. Bottom line it is DAMN windy in NYC at that height even on days where you wouldn't even feel a breeze at street level. So Naomi is toast, it should've blown off her dress or something lol.

BTW, the attention to detail in that movie is absolutely amazing. When you see downtown from the ESB they even removed the skyscrapers that haven't been built in the 1920s (or whenever Kong takes place) I mean like EXACT buildings, leaving only those that precede that time.

[WorkShed]

Yeah, did you see the production diaries, Jake?

The detail is astounding. They created a digital model of 1933 New York City. So everything that you see in that sequence of New York is entirely fabricated. It's so realistic looking.

They even have a particular insect life on Skull Island. Did you notice that at the beginning of the V-Rex sequence, one of the Rexes (the one moving up creepily close without Anne knowing) had a bunch of flies around his teeth, eating away at the dead flesh hanging there.

Amazing.

[Maurice2029]

Again, a movie about a giant ape on an island of dinosaurs and we're debating wind speeds?

LOL

Years ago, I read an interesting article called Hollywood vs. Physics.

It had things like:
- there is no sound in space, so there should be no sound during space battles in movies like Star Wars;
- how can Indiana Jones jump and run so fast, when he carries the idol from the beginning of Raiders Of The Lost Ark? - if it's made of gold, it would be very heavy (knowing the size of it);
- when Superman catches Louis Lane (when she's falling from the helicopter), she would be instantly killed when she falls in his arms, because it would be like hitting a concrete, etc...

Very interesting.

Sounds indeed very interesting. Hollywood is like fantasy, almost everything can happen there...

[bendermac]

- there is no sound in space, so there should be no sound during space battles in movies like Star Wars;

george lucas also said that in his created universe our physics system isn't the same as the one in the star wars universe, therefor it has sound in space.

btw, just watch the trailer for "thank you for smoking" which has a really cool fix for problems in movies and reality

as for sound in space ...

a while ago i made a test clip from star trek 7, editing out all sound when you see action in outer space perspective and only leaving the sound intact when you're on board the ships. it's quite an interesting expierence. it surely drives your neibours crazy when you run such a scene over your home cinema, because it's loud then not, then loud again, hehehe.

[odj_310388]

It's also a movie about a giant ape.

When my friends came out the cinema after the movie they were like "That was crap, so unrealistic, theres no way dinosaurs could still be alive on a island." Some people just seem to miss Kong all together.

[WorkShed]

When my friends came out the cinema after the movie they were like "That was crap, so unrealistic, theres no way dinosaurs could still be alive on a island." Some people just seem to miss Kong all together.

That's hilarious! That's like going to Superman and being like, "that's crap, so unrealistic, a baby wouldn't be able to make a journey across the galaxies!"

[michalz00]

It's is because of the special effects. Kong looks and acts like real ape. 1933 New York is so realistic! When everything looks almost perfect, people start to pick on things like: Hey! 50 foot gorilla can't slide on frozen pond!

[Lafce]

george lucas also said that in his created universe our physics system isn't the same as the one in the star wars universe...

So, that explains the force (moving objects, etc.)...

a while ago i made a test clip from star trek 7, editing out all sound when you see action in outer space perspective and only leaving the sound intact when you're on board the ships. it's quite an interesting expierence...

I'm sure it's interesting... it would be cool if SF movies - that tend to be more serious and realistic - use that.