London Bus Movie Explosion

[BestWestern]

According to Sky News, a new Jackie Chan film includes a scene on Lambeth Bridge of a London bus exploding ('plot' not mentioned). Locals complained that no warning was given and, perhaps understandably, some were rather concerned by what they suspected could have been a terrorist incident (though perhaps less likely on a sunday, I suppose). Seems somewhat insensitive that such a stunt would be allowed in the current climate, but I suppose we shouldn't give in to them and all that.

Bus looks like a Plaxton President if anybody is interested; piccy on Sky News.

 

[Mikey C]

According to Sky News, a new Jackie Chan film includes a scene on Lambeth Bridge of a London bus exploding ('plot' not mentioned). Locals complained that no warning was given and, perhaps understandably, some were rather concerned by what they suspected could have been a terrorist incident (though perhaps less likely on a sunday, I suppose). Seems somewhat insensitive that such a stunt would be allowed in the current climate, but I suppose we shouldn't give in to them and all that.

Bus looks like a Plaxton President if anybody is interested; piccy on Sky News.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35516697
There's a video on the BBC website, pretty dramatic actually.

While obvious for anyone nearby (film crew, fire engines etc) from afar it would have looked very real...

 

[Robertj21a]

Very poor and quite insensitive to many Londoners.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Good god... Are they really stupid them Londoners or what?

Yes, whilst it may cause some Londoners to panic and have flashbacks to the events of July 7th, I see no problem with the filming work that occurred. I am certain that this was raised by the authorities when the application was submitted - maybe why it was done on a Sunday...

Just because the events happened, doesn't mean you should let the terrorists win

 

[Tetchytyke]

I don't understand why it is insensitive, or at least any more insensitive than the scenes filmed for James Bond or even Harry Potter in London. It might have been better if they'd announced it a bit more widely before doing it, but local residents did receive a letter warning them off the intended filming.

Of course the sound of an explosion will have worried people who didn't know what was going on, which is why more publicity would have helped.

 

[AM9]

I don't understand why it is insensitive, or at least any more insensitive than the scenes filmed for James Bond or even Harry Potter in London. It might have been better if they'd announced it a bit more widely before doing it, but local residents did receive a letter warning them off the intended filming.

Of course the sound of an explosion will have worried people who didn't know what was going on, which is why more publicity would have helped.

Then they would have to deal with thousands of onlookers from far and wide.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wonder how many calls the Emergency Services got?

Might have made sense for them to prevent this by making it very public that this was going to happen. Yes, it might have brought onlookers, but so what?

If you want it private, film it on private land.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Then they would have to deal with thousands of onlookers from far and wide.

Tough.

 

[Robertj21a]

Good god... Are they really stupid them Londoners or what?

Yes, whilst it may cause some Londoners to panic and have flashbacks to the events of July 7th, I see no problem with the filming work that occurred. I am certain that this was raised by the authorities when the application was submitted - maybe why it was done on a Sunday...

Just because the events happened, doesn't mean you should let the terrorists win

Not sure how you feel that the terrorists win - what's that got to do with it ?. There's no reason why a shot like this couldn't have been undertaken away from London, or in a studio. They're very clever with image manipulation for many scenes nowadays and I fail to see why they needed to blow up a bus in an area not too many miles from where many innocent people were blown to bits.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Not sure how you feel that the terrorists win - what's that got to do with it ?. There's no reason why a shot like this couldn't have been undertaken away from London, or in a studio. They're very clever with image manipulation for many scenes nowadays and I fail to see why they needed to blow up a bus in an area not too many miles from where many innocent people were blown to bits.

Because they win if you live in fear of it happening again

 

[90019]

Exactly that.
An attack is not the main part of terrorism, but a means to an end - the goal is to disrupt society and cause fear amongst the populace.

 

[Darandio]

Not sure how you feel that the terrorists win - what's that got to do with it ?.

They have been blowing buses, boats, trains, cars, people and everything else up on the streets of London for donkeys years in order to film.

Stop doing that because of insensitivity, the terrorists have won. It's part of their reasoning.

 

[Robertj21a]

Because they win if you live in fear of it happening again

Yes, of course I understand that but then I never suggested that anyone was living in fear of it happening again.

All I said was that is was very poor and quite insensitive - how come that's interpreted as fear ?.

 

[Busaholic]

On the point of a terrorist explosion on a bus being less likely on a Sunday, I'd just like to remind or inform readers that the first case of a London bus being blown up by a terrorist (from the IRA in this instance) was not so far away on Aldwych on a Sunday evening, it being a Titan operating out of New Cross on the 171. I'm sure date etc is available via the internet. The driver was not killed, but was permanently deafened and never worked as a bus driver again. Some poor person who had been seriously injured in the attack was, for a few days, assumed to be the terrorist, though it turned out to be one of the dead: the IRA were not known for suicide bombs, of course, so it was assumed the bomb was being taken to a target (Holborn tube?) when it accidentally activated.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Well, they did give advance notice - I saw mention of it all over the internet several hours before it happened.

As far as I can see the film company did nothing wrong.

 

[Busaholic]

Well, they did give advance notice - I saw mention of it all over the internet several hours before it happened.

As far as I can see the film company did nothing wrong.

I understand TfL aren't happy, and not just because of the negative press: the extent of the explosion went way beyond what had been agreed. Unless the bus was being driven by a robot or being towed by something out of camera then the driver would have been at risk too, or am I being totally naive?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

On the point of a terrorist explosion on a bus being less likely on a Sunday, I'd just like to remind or inform readers that the first case of a London bus being blown up by a terrorist (from the IRA in this instance) was not so far away on Aldwych on a Sunday evening, it being a Titan operating out of New Cross on the 171. I'm sure date etc is available via the internet. The driver was not killed, but was permanently deafened and never worked as a bus driver again. Some poor person who had been seriously injured in the attack was, for a few days, assumed to be the terrorist, though it turned out to be one of the dead: the IRA were not known for suicide bombs, of course, so it was assumed the bomb was being taken to a target (Holborn tube?) when it accidentally activated.

Correction, the IRA Operative (Edward O'Brien) was the only fatality of the incident.

 

[Haydn1971]

I'm staggered about the insensitivity of doing this on a London street - Putting stuff like this in films using CGI is one thing, but actually physically blowing a bus up - nah...

 

[edwin_m]

I understand TfL aren't happy, and not just because of the negative press: the extent of the explosion went way beyond what had been agreed. Unless the bus was being driven by a robot or being towed by something out of camera then the driver would have been at risk too, or am I being totally naive?

Easy enough to rig up a remote control system. But if the explosion had disabled the steering or blown out a tyre then it could have caused a fair bit of damage to the bridge.

 

[Busaholic]

Correction, the IRA Operative (Edward O'Brien) was the only fatality of the incident.

Well, I'm glad of that.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Terrorist incidents are no less likely on a Sunday than any other day... I'm pretty sure the terrorists would want to cause maximum damage, regardless of the day - for example, Remembrance Sunday is often regarded as a high risk day.

Recording such incidents for a film is pretty common, and they did mention the full bridge was closed off and local businesses etc were aware, so I don't see the issue really.

 

[Antman]

Good god... Are they really stupid them Londoners or what?

Yes, whilst it may cause some Londoners to panic and have flashbacks to the events of July 7th, I see no problem with the filming work that occurred. I am certain that this was raised by the authorities when the application was submitted - maybe why it was done on a Sunday...

Just because the events happened, doesn't mean you should let the terrorists win

Yes how stupid of anyone to think it was a terrorist attack:roll:

How has anybody "let the terrorists win"?

The sheer stupidity of those behind this, and those who presumably gave the go ahead, is breathtaking!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Yes how stupid of anyone to think it was a terrorist attack:roll:

How has anybody "let the terrorists win"?

The sheer stupidity of those behind this, and those who presumably gave the go ahead, is breathtaking!

As has been mention by several users, the main point of terrorists is to create fear... One attack is nothing, but people thinking it might happen again is a far more powerful weapon

 

[Antman]

As has been mention by several users, the main point of terrorists is to create fear... One attack is nothing, but people thinking it might happen again is a far more powerful weapon

I don't see the connection between that and the incident on Lambeth Bridge.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I don't see the connection between that and the incident on Lambeth Bridge.

It was the fact people feared it was an attack - there is the connection

 

[Antman]

It was the fact people feared it was not an attack - there is the connection

People feared it was not an attack?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

People feared it was not an attack?

Whoops... Using my tablet and it added automatically... Corrected

 

[Antman]

It was the fact people feared it was an attack - there is the connection

Well I knew nothing about this 'stunt' and had I been in the Lambeth Bridge area at the time I'd probably have feared the worst. I mean we are constantly being told that terrorist activity is likely/inevitable and to be vigilant etc.

Letting the terrorists win would be refusing to go into Central London at all which is a completely different issue.

 

[Haydn1971]

Well I knew nothing about this 'stunt' and had I been in the Lambeth Bridge area at the time I'd probably have feared the worst. I mean we are constantly being told that terrorist activity is likely/inevitable and to be vigilant etc.

To be fair, the explosions and gunfire you see on TV and in film are quite different to the reality "crack" that real gunfire and explosives make - it's clear that the bus blast was for flame effect, was focused to push a flame upwards to look impressive and the bus structure would have been pre-cut to separate in a controlled manner. The post activity would have reinforced the filming nature of the blast - the image of this happening on street though, is insensitive to the people that were murdered in the 2005 bombings.

 

[Antman]

To be fair, the explosions and gunfire you see on TV and in film are quite different to the reality "crack" that real gunfire and explosives make - it's clear that the bus blast was for flame effect, was focused to push a flame upwards to look impressive and the bus structure would have been pre-cut to separate in a controlled manner. The post activity would have reinforced the filming nature of the blast - the image of this happening on street though, is insensitive to the people that were murdered in the 2005 bombings.

Yes I think it is insensitive in the extreme but I suppose it's the old adage about no such thing as bad publicity and it has advertised the film.

 

[Busaholic]

Imagine you'd just commenced a journey on the London Eye and been unaware of what was about to happen, which as a Japanese tourist, say, would almost certainly have been the case: then you are stuck in the air for another 30 minutes thinking you have witnessed a terrorist explosion, not knowing what is going to happen when you get down. Crass and insensitive are two words I would use to describe what went on, the same two words oddly that could describe the increasingly-part-time mayor.