MovieChat Forums > White Noise (2005) Discussion > The sparking telephone pole scene

The sparking telephone pole scene

posted 18 years ago by jjtye
19 replies | jump to latest

Just a quick thought that came into my head. In the telephone pole scene the top of the pole is sparking quite a lot, especially that round transformer thing which seems to be sending out bolts of lightning rather than sparks. Now would a telephone pole spark like that in real life if it was hit, or was this just an overblown cut-and-paste special effect? I asked this because shouldn't a telephone pole have some sort of safety cut-out device if damage occured to it? If a telephone pole does indeed spark like then its a very serious health and safety issue. (people getting zapped constantly)

[–] TheSolarSailor 17 years ago

I saw a damaged pole like that on a rainy night last year (no car crash evident, but I don't know what actually damaged the line), but it was sparking every time the rain drops hit it! The scene in the film was beefed up a bit much, but only to amplify the deadliness of the situation.

* * * *

OK, so what's the speed of dark?

[–] bagelj 17 years ago

Here is the thing, based on my own first hand experience.
I was walking down my street from my house, with my eyes
I witnessed the transformer from the telephone pole exploded.

The only thing that happen after that was the wires were burned
with the smell of burning tires. There was an open end of the
wire still connected to the transformer. It was sparking.
Thats all it did.

In the movie after the crash, the wires became short. Then the wires
became loose and the transformer fell on the victim. The telephone
pole never fell.

Reality check - as stated this wouldnt have happened in the movie.

[–] fox-116 17 years ago

Actually, it seemed pretty close to me. I was playing golf once a few years ago, and I ended up standing next to a telephone pole with a "round transformer thing." I heard this buzzing noise, looked up, and the thing exploded in a flash of bright, lime-green light. POPPPPPPP!

Scared the bajeezus out of me.

[–] id247 17 years ago

That whole scene is explained in detail by director Sax on the DVD commentary, nearly all the sparks plus the flaying cables were done in post-production.

[–] michaelangello 17 years ago

Im an electrician an i can tell you no telephone pole would spark like that. It would have to be a high voltage line. Also the transformer would be de-energized after leaving the pole therefore it would not cause the car to become live and electrocute anyone to death. And the nearest isolation fuse would have tripped upon the breakage of the cable and coming in contact with anything conductible. So
all in all this comes down to everything just being dramatized for the big screen!

[–] Goodbye_from_Fox_In_A_Box 12 years ago

If you look closely, right before that thing falls and "electrocutes" the car, it appears as if Mrs. Black was already dead. She got into that position moments before (twisted, mouth open), and it seems like she either suffocated or died of internal injuries.
Getting the baby out before the car was electric was the point, not that the mother died that way.
I could be wrong, though.

"I hardly know, which way is up, or which way down" - "I Feel Possessed", Neil Finn

[–] GIRobotII 12 years ago

What I have to ask is, at Mrs. Black's funeral, why was her widowed husband so hostile to Jonathan? He should have been thankful to him. His baby, along with his wife, would have died if not for him.

[–] echosmomma 11 years ago

I also think she was already dead. It appears she died as she fell on the car horn. She also stopped crying and screaming at that moment, way before the thing fell on the car.

[–] echosmomma 11 years ago

Some people just become raging *beep* in their grief. They cant help it.

[–] echosmomma 11 years ago

Beep = aholes

[–] mailliwkooh 14 years ago

Yes they do spark, to that extent I dont know. Probably not.

-Beware of John Brantley-
My Movies-http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=44858724

[–] mafted 12 years ago

people should be banned on here for asking such stupid questions. why do you care how much the freaking pole would have sparked in real life? does it really matter? i can't believe i wasted the time to read this crap.

[–] shstrang98 11 years ago

I know what you mean. Wanting to know something that you care nothing about is so stupid.

It's called D I S C U S S I O N. Say it with me; D I S C U S S I O N. Can you say it? I knew you could.

Go back to your crack pipe.

[–] Kawada_Kira 9 years ago

You must feel even worse that you wasted the time to reply to it too, especially such a pointless reply.

[–] suzycreamcheese1 12 years ago

great question! I wondered that myself!

RIP Heath Ledger 1979-2008

[–] gb901 11 years ago

I thought I glimpsed a shape or shadow depart overhead just as keaton arrived on scene - perhaps the evil entity?

[–] shstrang98 11 years ago

I just thought those were souls of people that had died in the car crash until I noticed there just 2 people in the car.

[–] echosmomma 11 years ago

Likely the 3 evil spirits or demons that appear on his tapes.

[–] biggamemn 11 years ago

God forbid a fictional movie has a scene in it that is overly dramatized.

Do you ever get down on your hands and knees and thank God you have access to me and my dementia?