The general attempt to depict things accurately in films and tv shows.
This tag indicates the question is about something in film that might be possible in real life or just a movie device.
Wikipedia Page: Realism
Questions tagged [realism]
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Equivalent of 555 for IP addresses
I came across a tweet complaining about 24 using 2.718.281.828 as an IP address, which obviously wouldn't work. Others responded that using a non-functional IP address is like using 555 for phone numbers.
Is there an equivalent of phone number's 555…
Golden Cuy
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In the movies - Do wire transfers really work?
In a lot of the movies the bad guys seem to prefer wire transfers as their payment method of choice. In the recent movie Non-Stop, the terrorist provides a bank account number and demands a payment of $150 million US dollars.
I am a loss to see how…
TheBlackBenzKid
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Can a headshot from a sniper really cause muscle spasm?
It seems like a common thing in television and movies to have a bad guy in a stand down with the cops but they won't shoot him even though they have a clear shot because he has a gun on a hostage or his finger is on a detonator. They always give the…
sanpaco
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Why do people in movies commit suicide by slitting their wrists in the wrong direction?
It is commonly known that the probability of surviving after slitting your wrists is much higher if you cut horizontally and that you should cut along the forearm to cut a longer portion of the artery and bleed quicker if you plan to commit…
user8901
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Normal in US to end phone calls abruptly?
In US movies it often happens that a person talks to someone on the phone and then hangs up after the relevant things are said without any further greeting like "goodbye" or "see you", "talk to you later" or whatever.
Is this normal behavior in the…
elzell
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Is there a measure for movie realism?
I am a big fan of life-close movies where things are portrayed close to what could have happened in real life. Such movies usually attempt preserving realism and follow high level of detail.
Is there a special measure of how well realism is…
eYe
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Why tracking phone takes some few minutes
Many times the protagonist (or sometimes the kidnappers) is on the run, he/she is being tracked by the authorities through phone calls in order to be located. Why do they need to have the person being tracked to be on the phone for a minute or two…
menorah84
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How can an actor "fake" an American accent so convincingly?
Actors assume accents that aren't their natural language/heritage frequently in movies and on TV. Obviously, some of them are better than others. Some are downright laughable, but some are extraordinarily good. It seems to me that even an almost…
Anne
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Do cops in US always have to answer "Yes" when asked "Are you a cop?"
This question is not specific to any particular movie or a TV show. Although it came to my mind when I was recently watching a particular episode of Sneaky Pete. It's a great show by the way.
The girl asks a cop (who was a corrupt one) whether he…
Ravindra S
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What is the equivalent of 555 for postal addresses?
We all know the 555-0100 to 555-0199 numbers used for fake phone numbers. Suppose there's a letter on screen for a short time, addressed to the villain, with the address on there and clearly visible during the shot. Is there a regulation to prevent…
Nzall
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When shooting laser cannons etc. from spaceships, why do advanced beings miss their targets?
In many movies and TV series (Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.), we see space battles in which spaceships miss their targets. I can't understand how such advanced beings can simply "miss", but perhaps there's some justification for this.
Often these same…
Rebecca J. Stones
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What is the earliest time in history a non-science fiction movie or TV show is set in?
I am not talking about science fiction film, more so a realistic representation of PEOPLE living in these old times.
One such example is '10,000 BC' the film. It shows the thinking of people living in such a time (e.g. they are afraid of the river…
ITguy
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Would a Royal Navy submarine Commanding Officer be OF-5 or OF-4?
I fully hrok the distinction between the RANK of OF-4 (Commander) v. Commanding Officer, the official title of the skipper of a ship.
BBC's Vigil, Season 1, Episode 4 has a continuity error that portrays CO Neil Newsome as OF-5 (Captain), but in…
user13434
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How realistic is fund transfer in seconds or minute?
Fund transfer be it from villain's side or hero's side, it is often depicted as a less-than-a-minute operation.
But in reality, fund transfer takes multiple steps. And when it's a 6 digit amount, it closely scrutinized.
So how realistic is fund…
Rahul
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