Day After Tomorrow

donshan · Post by **donshan** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 10:50 pm

Start with a solid scientific hypothesis of how the Gulf Stream keeps the north warm and how if it stops flowing an Ice Age could begin. Throw in Global warming and some imagination by Hollywood and you get this year's Disaster Movie. What if they condense time on what might happen in 100 to a thousand years into a week's time that you see in two hours!!!. After all a DVD can't hold 100 years.

Add Lucasfilms Industrial Light and Magic (Star Wars fame) at their best, with the help of just about every other special effects studio around subcontracted out, with a credit list of digital effects that goes on and on.

Add help from DOD and the 10th Mountain division and the Texas and Arizona National Guards.

Mix the soundtrack in DTS sound 5.1 ( and DD 5.1 too)

You get a RIDE!!!!!. Twisters, blizzards,hurricanes, super size hail, crashes, tidal waves, wind and more.

A sure Nominee for the Oscar on special effects.

The political statement is obvious and right out of California, but don't let that turn you off. Just be sure your sub-woofers are ready for this.

AND be sure to have a full carafe of HOT coffee and someone to help you keep WARM!!! You might even want to buy a condo in Mexico!.

Rent it at High Definition Rentals

Click and Buy at Amazon.com

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?path=ASIN/B0002XVSL0&link_code=as2&camp=1789&tag=hdtvforum0c-20&creative=9325"><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002XVSL0.01._AA_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg"></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hdtvforum0c-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0002XVSL0" />

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:02 am

I thought the special effects were great but the science and storyline seemed very weak. I'll rent it and watch it again but I was a little disappointed at the theater.

donshan · Post by **donshan** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:18 am

akirby wrote:I thought the special effects were great but the science and storyline seemed very weak. I'll rent it and watch it again but I was a little disappointed at the theater.

A comment on the science in this film. I have worked over 35 years in applying science to problem solving in the energy industry as a scientist and project manager. This film starts with a very real possibility of a new ice age in Europe. I have seen several PBS and Discovery channel programs on this. That said, the film grossly exaggerated both the intensity and certainly the speed such an event could occur.

However as global warming progresses, it will not just get hotter. Just as a larger campfire makes the smoke go higher, the increased energy in the atmosphere will cause more energetic weather. Those in Atlanta can expect warmer summers, but also more intense cold fronts from the north resulting in record cold for a couple of days. The current snow and ice reflect a vast amount of heat from the sun back into space every day, but if this ice pack melts an abrupt(geologic time scale) increase in heat absorbed occurs. Ice ages have begun suddenly in the past, but NEVER in a month!.

The science is better in this film than the average Hollywood disaster movie, but clearly exaggerated to make a point. In a tropical hurricane warm air rises in the eye. The reverse is possible, a reversed spin and cold air falling in the eye. The New York tidal wave was storm surge from an "inverse hurricane" The brief example mentioned about the frozen mammoth found with greens in it's stomach is a real case. We have no real experience with weather in an Ice age, but the mammoths did.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 10:24 am

I don't remember exactly what I didn't like but I don't think it was the overall theories or even the timeline. I'll have to watch it again and see. Maybe I just had higher plot expectations.

donshan · Post by **donshan** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 10:47 am

You are right about the thin plot and typical "hero" sacrifice for others. Some of the scenes are so over done they made me laugh. Almost like the over blown satire in "Starship Troopers" where it is humankind vs. the bugs. Here it is humankind vs the weather, due to our own folly. One segment reminded me of "Batman & Robin" where they run to the top of a skyscraper with Batman saying " Let's take the stairs, it is only 53 stories and we need the exercise"!. In this case "lets walk from PA to NYC in a blizzard on snowshoes "we can make it!"

I thought of one more point about the storms. Given their assumptions about very cold waters forming quickly severe winter storms would result, but NEVER the cat 5 + storms they created. But it makes a great special effect very well done on film.

Also I have the Widescreen version. Watch out you don't get the Full Screen version in rentals.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:52 am

You forgot to mention the jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring title.

donshan · Post by **donshan** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:41 pm

This film is featured on the cover of the November 2004 issue of Widescreen Review. They gave the DTS sound track their highest 5+ rating, while describing the story line as "iffy". The visual effects and sound are clearly the stars here.

As for the underlying science I just saw a news report at:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... _global_dc

"Global Warming Effects Faster Than Feared - Experts

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Recent storms, droughts and heat waves are probably being caused by global warming, which means the effects of climate change are coming faster than anyone had feared, climate experts said on Thursday.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:14 pm

Now there's a scientific article. Who was the author - chicken little?

donshan · Post by **donshan** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:55 pm

Allen,

A number of scientists were quoted in the piece, including some with other views. I didn't see Chicken Little though. I think he was a script writer for the movie!

If you are interested in more see this National Academies site:
http://dels.nas.edu/abr_clim/

There is a pdf file(upper left) and some cool (literally) graphics. See the University list at the end.

On one of the pages are links to dozens of other sites, and scientific organizations. The National Acadamy of Sciences(nas) co-ordinates a lot of the science done in the USA.

http://dels.nas.edu/ccgc/boards.asp

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:14 pm

since some of you have seen it I have one question...

The plot is kinda hokey, may not watch it again, OK...

Would you spend $35 on the D-Theater version for the HD video and HD audio. If you thought your DVD sounded good...