Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2007 January 5

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January 5[edit]

Movie Physics[edit]

While watching a movie, The Protector, there's a scene where Jackie Chan shoots a bad guy in the chest with a handgun, which topples the guy head over heels through a window. This raises two questions for me:

  1. Why does Hollywood prefer such ludicrous movie physics?
  2. How far will you get knocked back if you are shot with a handgun?

bibliomaniac15 04:32, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

  1. Because it looks cool, and is more entertaining than if they just realistically fell down.
  2. You wouldn't get knocked back at all, at least not by the energy from the bullet. Any bullet/gun capable of knocking someone backwards would impart an equal amount of energy in the opposite direction upon the shooter when its fired. Cyraan 06:16, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A powerful gun might deliver a bullet with about the same force as being hit by a fist. This might knock you over if you were balancing on your toes, but probably not if you have your feet firmly planted on the ground. In no case, however, will you go flying 20 feet backwards. StuRat 06:33, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe we need an article on the special physics that apply only in movies, like the way crashing cars invariably explode.--Shantavira 09:38, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It's not exactly the same, but we have Cartoon physics. Laïka 16:34, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Along a similar vein, we also have the Hollywood operating system. Dismas|(talk) 17:24, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

why do movies use roman numerals[edit]

why in the credits do motion pictures use roman numerals to show what year the movie was made <<<< —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 58.170.10.131 (talk) 09:47, 5 January 2007 (UTC).[reply]

Have a look at Roman Numerals#Year in Roman numerals--Melburnian 10:30, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Pokemon Yellow[edit]

How do you get a surfing Pikachu, apart from using a GameShark or Pokemon Coliseum? Ash Ketchum 14:05, 5 January 2007 (UTC)Ash Ketchum[reply]

You can't; the whole point of the surfing Pikachu minigame was to get people to buy Pokémon Stadium (not Pokémon Colosseum, which is a different game). Unless you already have an N64, I'd say that the cost of buying a second hand N64 and Pokémon Stadium and a Transfer Pak is too much just for a crumby minigame. Laïka 16:22, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are the basic entertainment lists complete?[edit]

Art, The Arts, and Entertainment • Game • Poetry • Sports
Performing arts • Dance • Film • Music • Opera • Theatre
Visual arts • Architecture • Crafts • Drawing • Film • Painting • Photography • Sculpture

Are the above lists complete? They should each provide general coverage to their subject and include links to articles essential for acquiring a basic understanding of the subject.

Can you spot any missing topics?  The Transhumanist 14:38, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think comics deserves a spot. Just a short article on a few sentences describing the main features that constitute the medium. 惑乱 分からん 15:17, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Where does writing, or literature, come in? --Richardrj talk email 15:21, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I can't see how video games are not an art form. Vranak
I agree, it has evolved into a unique medium and art form. 惑乱 分からん 17:40, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Television? and Radio? User:Zoe|(talk) 18:52, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Are you trying to make the individual lists more complete? Because the more complete the lists become the less basic the items listed. If you are looking for other basic topics lists, an obvious gap is List of basic fashion topics. meltBanana 22:15, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah: TV, Radio, film, music, and radio: all art forms. However, shoddier art can become so heavily commercialized that it becomes as much a business venture as anything else. Vranak 23:26, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Murder She Wrote[edit]

As an old friend of Robert E. Swanson, producer of Murder she Wrote, can I get his address and/or email address.


Ed Kaarela —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.243.45.147 (talk) 16:54, 5 January 2007 (UTC).[reply]

We wouldn't have it at Wikipedia, but if you go to http://imdb.com/name/nm0841858/contact and sign up for a free trial of ImdbPro, you might be able to get it through them. User:Zoe|(talk) 18:54, 5 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Work Cited[edit]

WHo was the writer of your biography of Billie Holiday? Im doing a project on her and i have to have info for the Work Cited part!

Need Work Cited person —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.82.77.133 (talk) 23:32, 5 January 2007 (UTC).[reply]

All Wikipedia articles are collaborative efforts. If you go to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billie_Holiday&action=history, you will see the list of all Wikipedia editors who have made edits to the article. To understand how to cite Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia. User:Zoe|(talk) 00:03, 6 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]