Noise in Hollywood

I felt this movie-in-the-making just had to be blogged about if for no other reason than to bring it to the attention of any noise savvy readers. :)

I can assure you I will see this film the day it opens (currently slated for limited US distribution in Feb. 2008). Why? A number of reasons:

• With the possible exception of submarine movies (U-571 comes to mind, among others), Hollywood's portrayal of acoustic physics is notoriously less than mediocre. There was ample debunking required by acoustics professionals in the wake of the 1996 film, Chain Reaction, mostly concerning what sonoluminescence is really all about. George Lucas, et al, have an annoying habit of putting air in space. Detailed audio forensic analysis of abysmal recordings that takes days (or, more likely, weeks) in real life takes an average of about 12 seconds on any given CSI: episode. (Further, The "Not What It Looks Like" episode of CSI:NY still sticks in my mind as laughable and was discussed in detail here.) And so on.
• My friends will, undoubtedly, want to "get my take" on this piece of fiction. They will expect nothing less than my usual loquaciously dry cynicism mixed with humorless rant.
• It will be interesting to see whether the noise control profession (consultants, engineers, etc.) is faithfully represented, if it is represented at all.
• There hasn't been a good movie, IMO, about noise / audio / acoustics for over 20 years. I think John Travolta's portrayal of a "soundman" in the 1981 film Blow Out was probably the last time audio got a relatively fair shake in Hollywood. (Of course, real audio engineers are much better looking.)
• I thoroughly enjoy Tim Robbins' film work. (E.g., his Harlan Ogilvy was the only character in Spielberg's War of the Worlds that I felt jived with H.G. Wells' intentions...unless you count the Martians.)
• Lastly, I have a feeling it will provide heaps of fodder for this little blog!