Watch 44: Trivia pt. 2 Electric Boogaloo

To get back in the right mindset for the rest of the watches, I decided to dig into any remaining bits of trivia or just fun little details this movie has to offer. The graphic for this update was gifted by my boss for moral support (Thanks Gregg)!

• Gracie the whale is most likely named after one of the humpback whales from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
• Around 12:58 a small squid bumps into the rover’s camera and sprays ink as it swims away. This in no way has any importance to the plot, but it’s a small detail that I absolutely adore. Someone from the special effects team lovingly created a clumsy squid that would most likely be overlooked by a large number of viewers. I just want to let them know that I noticed their creativity and their hard work. And I appreciate it.
• There are even-smaller mini versions of the red sub and the yellow glider clamped above Jaxx’s station. (One is visible at 30:08)
• The gliders in this movie are named after Ernest Shackleton & Richard Byrd. Shackleton was an Irish explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. Byrd was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics.
• As someone who’s always loved learning about Foley Work, I was curious about some of the sound effects from this movie. After a little research, I found an interview of Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn and Jason Jennings ( the supervising sound editors at E² Sound). One of the best things I learned was how they designed the sound effect of the squid attacking Suyin’s glider. The sound team parked a car in a quiet lot, mic’d up the inside of the car, and started plunging the windshield with various types of plungers.
• The Chinese figures on the side of the boat also say “Charlotte.”
• “Relax bro, it’s gonna be fun” (1:19:40) – Me before making my friends watch The Meg with me.
• More of a thought than actual trivia, but we should have used those inflatable Zorb balls to enforce social distancing.

Rating: Just Keep Swimming

Date: May 17, 2020