JR Late Night Blogs: JR's 2012 Movie Update

2012 MOVIE UPDATE

Currently (as of December 31, 2009),

TOP 31 in the ALL-TIME WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE ($745,190,680)

TOP 163 in the ALL-TIME USA BOX OFFICE ($161,490,680)

TOP 11 in the ALL-TIME NON-USA BOX OFFICE ($583,700,000)

TOP 9 DISASTER MOVIE

TOP 2 FUTURE-RELATED MOVIE

***************************************************************

Name of the Film: 2012

Year: 2009

Date of Theater Release: November 13, 2009

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller

Director: Roland Emmerich

Writers: Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser

Distributor: Sony/Columbia

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 2hrs 38mins

Production Budget: $200million

Plot:

Dr. Adrian Helmsley, part of a worldwide geophysical team investigating the effect on the earth of radiation from unprecedented solar storms, learns that the earth's core is heating up. He warns U.S. President Thomas Wilson that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without proper preparations for saving a fraction of the world's population, the entire race is doomed. Meanwhile, writer Jackson Curtis stumbles on the same information. While the world's leaders race to build "arks" to escape the impending cataclysm, Curtis struggles to find a way to save his family. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of unprecedented strength wreak havoc around the world. Written by Jim Beaver {jumblejim@prodigy.net}

Tagline: "We Were Warned"

Nominations:
**2009 Satellite Awards - Best Art Direction and Production Design
**2009 Satellite Awards - Best Film Editing
**2009 Satellite Awards - Best Sound (Mixing and Editing)
**2009 Satellite Awards - Best Visual Effects
**2010 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Visual Effects

***************************************************************

CAST:

1. Jackson Curtis (John Cusack)

2. Kate Curtis (Amanda Peet)

3. Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor)

4. Laura Wilson (Thandie Newton)

5. Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt)

6. Noach Curtis (Liam James)

7. President Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover)

***************************************************************

ADDITIONAL INFO:

1. Trivias
- The doomsday theory has sprung from a Western idea, not a Mayan. Mayans insist that the world will not end in 2012. The Mayans had a talent for astronomy, and enthusiasts have found a series of astronomical alignments they say coincide in 2012, including one that happens roughly only once every 25,800 years. Once every 25,800 years, the sun lines up with the center of our Milky Way galaxy on a winter solstice, the sun's lowest point in the horizon. The next time that will happen is on December 21, 2012; which happens to be the same day the Mayan calender expires. In addition to the Mayan calendar, the modern doomsday myth is bolstered several ostensibly scientific reasons for a disaster. Examples include a pole shift, the "return" of Planet X or the Sun's sinister counterpart Nemesis, a galactic, planetary, or other celestial alignment, global warming, global cooling, a massive solar flare, a new ice age, and so on. None of these have any basis in respected science. For example, the "galactic alignment" between the sun, Earth, and galactic center happens every December. The best alignment was reached in the 1990s and was accompanied by its own set of doomsday theories. Alignments since then have been increasingly poor.
- The President's first and last names are the same as the 28th President in real life. Woodrow Wilson's first name is actually Thomas.
- Some cinemas are showing the film at 20:12 (12 minutes past 8), in keeping with the title of the film.
- Wisconsin is mentioned three times in the film. Executive Producer Michael Wimer (Roland Emmerich's friend and business partner) is from Neenah, Wisconsin.
- Jackson's son is named Noah. This is an obvious reference to the biblical story of Noah's ark and foreshadows the use of "Arks" to save humanity from the impending disaster.
2. Goofs
- When Jackson shows his driver's license in Yellowstone Park, his name appears on the card as "Jackson, Curtis." It should be either "Curtis, Jackson" (Last name, First name) or be written without the comma.
- When the arks have launched, the camera pans across them and it is obvious that one is missing, the door that it should appear from shows "5", however it is Ark 3 that did not launch.
- The White House Chief of Staff would normally never in a position to succeed the office of the President of the United States. There is always a designated survivor amongst the line of succession to maintain continuity of government. However, it is stated that the Vice President is already dead and the House Speaker is missing. Considering the amount of confusion, it is possible that no other cabinet members were able to board Air Force One before it left Washington. If there were, he would not have appointed himself Acting President.
- The Yellowstone eruption's pyroclastic cloud would have overtaken Jackson Curtis well before arrived at the airfield even if it had slowed somewhat due to friction with the terrain (seeing how fast it was moving when the aircraft took off.)
- The enormous fireball erupting from Yellowstone would have incinerated Charlie Frost and Jackson Curtis within seconds, because the intense heat radiates far beyond the actual fireball (think of the heat you feel even a dozen feet from a bonfire.) The same fireball probably would have seriously burnt the airplane and its waiting passengers.
3. Memorable Quote
- Jackson Curtis: When they tell you not to panic... that's when you run!

***************************************************************

SCENES FROM THE FILM: