10 Ridiculous Movie Myths About Explosions

1. Shoot Anything Remotely Flammable And It Will Instantly Explode

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB4SyMKugU8&t=2m0s Don't get me wrong; the above scene from the surprisingly good Dawn of the Dead remake is totally badass, but it also invites a hearty laugh along with a cheer. One beleaguered character shoots a propane tank that a zombie is holding, and the result is an explosion so large that it doesn't look too dissimilar from a tactical nuke, destroying a few hundred zombies in the process. Even with some dynamite shoved in the tanks, that's not anywhere near enough to cause an explosion that would make Michael Bay weep. Here's one that just about every action film gets wrong; you shoot a barrel of gunpowder, a fire extinguisher, or anything else that might have even slightly flammable or explosive properties, and it will explode into the equivalent of Dante's Inferno. In reality, shooting any of the aforementioned objects probably wouldn't cause an explosion, but with a propane tank in particular, it would just cause an underwhelming gas leak. There's a consistent non-logic to it, I'll give them that, and it is at least functional enough that it won't enrage most viewers, but it's probably the most over-used explosion-related cliche out there. If the good guy's stuck in a spot of bother, a lazy way for a writer to save his ass is to put his pen down, go play a few hours of the latest FPS game, then decide that an explosive barrel/candle/donkey will save him. It's ludicrous. Which fire-related cliches make you groan the most? Let us know in the comments below.