Most films are simply fictional stories. But sometimes, films emerge that stun the imagination because they faithfully reproduce every last detail. Behind the scenes of such films, an entire team works day and night to perfect everything, and even the experts are shocked. We present 10 such film details that were too close to reality for comfort.
1. The robbery scene in the film «Die Hard 3: Retaliation» so plausible that the FBI even questioned the screenwriter about how he got such detailed information about the Federal Reserve's vaults.
In the film «Die Hard 3: Retaliation» John McClane returns to the silver screen, played by veteran actor Bruce Willis. The Federal Reserve Bank robbery scene still captivates audiences. The plot was so realistic that it shocked even the NYPD and the FBI!
Jonathan Hensleigh, the film's screenwriter, had absolute confidence in the intricate bank design depicted in the film. He said, "These are Jack De Govia designs. It was all built on set—these cages, and the gold behind them. It's very, very close to what the basement vault of the Federal Reserve in New York actually looks like.".
Hensley's confidence attracted the attention of the NYPD and the FBI. The perplexed NYPD officers reread the script several times. Furthermore, the FBI contacted Hensley and expressed concern about how he knew so much about the vaults. Authorities also wanted to know the bandits' escape plan so they could implement more effective security measures.
Hensley later made it clear that all his knowledge came from his extensive research. Before writing the script, he visited the Federal Reserve and took a guided tour. Bank employees showed him the layout and told him about the nearby subway spur. He also learned about the aqueduct tunnel from an article in Sunday supplement to the New York Times . This gave him the idea to drive trucks through the aqueduct tunnel and then tunnel through a subway spur to reach the vault. He added, "So I'm not actually working for Afghan terrorists. I don't have any secret, confidential information I shouldn't have.". (source)
2. In in the film "Interstellar"« The image of the black hole required entirely new computer graphics software, and it was so accurate that it provided enough scientific data to publish three scientific papers.
Christopher Nolan never misses a single detail when it comes to his films. His 2014 film «Interstellar »" has been praised by the scientific community for its attention to scientific detail. One of the film's most visually arresting scenes is the black hole. Creating this scene required painstaking work. To properly simulate a black hole, entirely new computer graphics software had to be developed. Known as the "Double Negative Gravitational Renderer" (DNGR), this simulation program was so accurate that a scientific journal article based on it was published.
Many scientists claimed that this new software would aid in mapping real black holes. The algorithms used in the program combined light beams rather than treating them as individual beams. This is what produced the stunningly realistic images we saw on screen. Although the film version wasn't entirely accurate, experts later created a more recent image of the black hole.
The new model wasn't as symmetrical because the equation took rotational forces into account. This wasn't done in the movies. However, the black hole shown in «"Interstellar"» , is quite accurate compared to black holes depicted in other science fiction films. Furthermore, rendering individual frames for the simulation included in the film took nearly 100 hours. Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist who served as the film's scientific consultant, gained new insights. He gained a better understanding of gravitational lensing and accretion disks around black holes. This led him to publish three scientific papers! (1, 2)
3. Portrayal of mental illness in in the film "A Beautiful Mind"« Russell Crowe's performance was so accurate that many members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness across the United States wrote letters of praise about the film.
In 2002, the National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) awarded the film «"Mind Games" received the highest award. The award was presented by people who had personally experienced the effects of mental illness. The film received the award for "Greatest Contribution to Public Understanding of Mental Illness" this year.
The film authentically portrays the courage and ordinary lives of many NAMI families. It challenges stereotypes and social stigma by showing the lives of people living with mental illness. Announcing the award, NAMI Executive Director Richard S. Birkel said, "We hope that the release of this film will..."« "Beautiful Mind"» "The video will spark even wider discussions about mental illness among families, friends, and neighbors. We also hope that educational institutions and courses will use it for more formal discussion groups.". (source)
4. Scientists have recently discovered that neurons in our brains depolarize after death. This was predicted 30 years ago in a dialogue from Star Trek« , when after Tasha Yar's death one of the crew members says: "Neurons are starting to depolarize.".
Scientists have long tried to understand what happens to our brain in the final moments of life. In 2018, they finally managed to solve this mystery. Surprisingly, the answer was hidden in one episode all along. Star Trek: The Next Generation« . And the most intriguing thing is that this episode aired in the 1980s!
According to recent research, our brain remains alive for several minutes after cardiac arrest. When the heart stops, the brain stops receiving oxygen. Therefore, within 20-40 seconds, a phenomenon known as "cerebral ischemia" begins. Simply put, neurons in the brain enter dormancy as a last resort to conserve energy. Even if the brain is electrically inactive, it can still be revived—theoretically.
Within minutes, a wave of neuroelectrical activity and heat spreads throughout the brain. This uneven distribution of ions leads to depolarization of neurons in the brain and the release of a powerful flow of electrochemical energy. Apparently, this process was shown in the episode «Star Trek» . When Tasha Yar is seriously injured in a confrontation with Armus, an evil entity, she slowly begins to die. Commander Beverly Crusher notes that there is still hope of reviving Yar's brain, despite the lack of activity. This is consistent with a published scientific paper. In the episode, a crew member adds, "Neurons are beginning to depolarize," which is exactly what the paper says.
A mystery for screenwriters «Star Trek» managed to convey scientific data so accurately. Dr. Jens Dreyer, lead author of the scientific paper, says: «I assume that the creators «Star Trek» At the time, they discovered studies describing a similar process in animals. The first person to study such brain waves was a Brazilian neurophysiologist who conducted research on rabbits in the 1940s. We merely demonstrated this in humans.". (source)
5. Break-in scenes in film «The Matrix Reloaded» The films demonstrate the use of real hacking tools, which has raised concerns among members of the British Computer Society. They even warned film fans about the illegality of hacking and the harsh prison sentences it carries.
The Matrix Reloaded« captivated fans upon its release with its furious gunplay and special effects. But another category of fans was impressed for entirely different reasons. They were impressed by the realistic hacking methods shown in the film. In fact, members of the British Computer Society (BCS) expressed concerns about the authenticity of these techniques!
Near the end of the film, Trinity, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, uses Nmap (Network Mapper), a free and popular scanning tool. She successfully hacks an energy company's computer with it. Furthermore, in the film, Trinity gains the highest level of access to the target machine using "SSH1 CRC32," a real-life vulnerability. These fragments so alarmed members of the BCS that they issued a warning. Andy Cookson, a detective in Scotland Yard's Computer Crime Unit and a BCS member, said, "Hacking is a criminal offense, and the Metropolitan Police pursues those who gain unauthorized access to computer systems. Courts are increasingly handing out harsher sentences to those convicted.". (1, 2)