Discuss Chapter 2 - The Warehouse (DVD chapter by chapter discussion)

WeAreGoingToDie

New member
Onto chapter 2, and a day earlier than I promised! I figured Chapter 1 had run out of steam and people were ready for what comes next. So, without further ado (I hate that cliche)...

Chapter 2 - The Warehouse

07:21 - 13:09

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The Warehouse doors open. Inside the warehouse are hundreds of wooden crates, a familiar scene from ROTLA is repeated. Indy, Mac and the Russians enter two massive steel doors marked "51" (a hint at things to come?).

Spalko insists that Indy has been here before, and that there is a box containing "mummified remains" to be found. Indy reveals that while he hasn't been in the warehouse, he had been secretly forced by the U.S. government to examine mysterious wreckage ten years ago. As the wreckage was highly magnetic, gunpower thrown into the air may guide them to the box. This works and the Russians are eager to give Indy shotgun shells to continue their search.

Finally the box is found using the birdshot (metal pellets) and the crate is opened. Marked "Roswell, 1947", Indy (and the audience) only see a charred hand. The Russians are fascinated by what they see, and with them distracted Indy sees his chance of escape... :whip:


Chapter Index:
Chapter 1 - Nevada, 1957

RaidersWarehouse.jpg


Once again Please no trolling or bashing of the film. The word "sucks" isn't a valid form of explaining why you hate something. I'd like a friendly discussion for those who enjoy the film and watching it on the small screen.
 

jamiestarr

New member
Tingles go run up and down my spine when The Ark theme is played at this part. Although, I knew it wasn't the focus of this movie, my mother initially thought that the Russians were looking for/going to force Indy to find/explain the Ark of the Covenant. I am glad they didn't, but it would have made a great Indy story--even if it would have been a repetitive macguffin.

Either way, this scene is great and I am glad that the warehouse was used again.
 

caats

New member
i think this part is a bit awkward compared to the rest of the intro. Still some of the light/camera work while Indy is on top of the boxes is awesome. For a second i was bothered by all the CGI for the boxes, but i realized it's the same thing as the matte paintings in Raiders.
 

WeAreGoingToDie

New member
caats said:
For a second i was bothered by all the CGI for the boxes, but i realized it's the same thing as the matte paintings in Raiders.

Same here, but then I realized that they could move the camera about for more dynamic shots, something impossible with a matte painting.
 

RocketSledFight

New member
I too, love that music swell when the doors open. I also love that very 1950s sci fi music sting when the hand is pulled out of the casing. The warehouse looks perfect.
 
I've gotta admit, when the first photos from the warehouse-set were released, and I was mostly spoiler-free regarding the movie's storyline, I was under the impression that the warehouse-sequence was an opener unrelated to the rest of the story (like the Idol-temple, Club Obi-Wan and the Cross of Coronado), and that it was in fact Indy's plan to retrieve the ark from there. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed that that wasn't the case after all, but it would've been a nice idea I think.

Watching the movie for the first time I was just too giddy seeing Indy again to have many complaints, but after numerous sightings I'm now somewhat bothered by the blackpowder-gag. It isn't magentic after all, right? Okay, later in the movie the skull is even attracting gold-coins (which aren't magnetic as well), and Indy even notices that, but in the warehouse he is still assuming it's "regular" magnetism.
 

Benraianajones

New member
As much as "gunpowder isn't magnetic" concept goes, to me it is the same as how Indy in last crusade falls in petroleum, then sets a fire on a tourch without engulfing himself! So, I know its a gaff, but don't let it bother me. In this case though, at least there is the benefit the skull attracts non-metals too, even if Indy claims the powder has it in.

I really like the part where the crate is moved and the segments of metals start trailing along behind the crate, and the lights bend, and the creaking noises occur. I thought the entire warehouse was under risk of collapsing first time I saw it. Of course, Irina's sword getting stuck on the crate!

Btw, look at Irina's face around 9:02 - 10. The way shes watching the cao get filled with powder, then moves her eyes over to Indy, it seems really "Wacky racers" and cartoony how she does it!

I like how Indy takes Irina's sword threat serious here, shame later on, she kind of becomes a joke and not taken so seriously.
 

WeAreGoingToDie

New member
Benraianajones said:
I really like the part where the crate is moved and the segments of metals start trailing along behind the crate, and the lights bend, and the creaking noises occur.

I was surprised to learn that all of that was CG! I figured they used wires and painted them out in post.
 

Benraianajones

New member
WeAreGoingToDie said:
I was surprised to learn that all of that was CG! I figured they used wires and painted them out in post.

The pieces of junk metal are CGI? I wouldn't have guessed the metal was - obviously its actions. Goes to show it is easy to mistake CGI for reality and reality for CGI - as is the case for Indy and friends falling down the trapdoor.

Btw, wasn't it said the door that leads to the alien chamber was real? Because I am sure one of the moving hinges that opens up and sways looks quite like CGI due to its motion.
 

WeAreGoingToDie

New member
Benraianajones said:
Btw, wasn't it said the door that leads to the alien chamber was real? Because I am sure one of the moving hinges that opens up and sways looks quite like CGI due to its motion.

The alien chamber door is 100% real, Harrison was pretty impressed by it. But the metal, dog tags and gun straps = 100% CG.
 

Benraianajones

New member
WeAreGoingToDie said:
The alien chamber door is 100% real, Harrison was pretty impressed by it. But the metal, dog tags and gun straps = 100% CG.

Was he? I can believe the entire door set is real, but I am sure they used some CGI on it, because look at the left coil that falls and swings, and it stops quite abruptly and has a strange motion to it, perhaps they used CGI to steady it? Or maybe it is just how the cameras picked it up?

Back on topic, when the crates opened to reveal "Roswell", and the glasses stick to it, it does make me think a Sci-Fi angle can work well for at least one Indy movie (I think others may have thought so too, if the reveal at the end wasn't so "In your face). I think the theme works well in this movie following The Last Crusade. But I don't think we need to be visited by aliens physically on screen again.

I like the Egyptian-styled music that plays when the mummified remains are revealed though, it seemed very Indiana Jones, just like a tomb had been opened.
 

Dr. Wolfwood

New member
Given the extreme magnetism of the crate, it would have been far easier to find it just by looking at the way the light fixtures are turned on the ceiling. Of course, the light fixtures don't seem to realise that there is a magnet in the hall before the box is actually found and, likewise, it is only at this point that the soldiers' weapons are starting to be attracted to the box.

To me, that was pretty awkward and badly thought-out sequence.
 

WeAreGoingToDie

New member
I had assumed the magnetic skeleton intensified when other living forms were near, and perhaps it was able to sense when it was being sought.
 

sandiegojones

New member
Okay a few things. True up in until about WWI gunpowder did not have any metal in it, but after WWI gunpower was coated with graphite which is magnetic. The reason graphite was added was because gunpowder in grenades and other weapons would ignite and explode or cause fires. Let's also remember that the crystal attracted non-magnetic objects (which was just to give it mysterious properties for film effect).

As far as objects in the warehouse not appearing to be magnetized (such as the lights & other metal objects) until the box is found, I think that perhaps the boxes surrounding the corpse were specifically placed to prevent magnetism of larger objects (there may have been other weird things in those boxes that acted as a counter to it), but the gunpowder is so light and weightless that it still was attracted to the Roswell box.

One of my favorite parts in this chapter is when they open the box and we see the Russians holding flashlights (quivering of course) and we see the crispy alien hand pulled up into frame and the great music by JW.
 

Darth Vile

New member
sandiegojones said:
Okay a few things. True up in until about WWI gunpowder did not have any metal in it, but after WWI gunpower was coated with graphite which is magnetic. The reason graphite was added was because gunpowder in grenades and other weapons would ignite and explode or cause fires. Let's also remember that the crystal attracted non-magnetic objects (which was just to give it mysterious properties for film effect).

Never knew that. :)
 

Benraianajones

New member
sandiegojones said:
One of my favorite parts in this chapter is when they open the box and we see the Russians holding flashlights (quivering of course) and we see the crispy alien hand pulled up into frame and the great music by JW.

I liked the music when the wrapped up remains were revealed before it was cut open.:)

I'm guessing the reason the lamps were not being tugged by the skulls power was simply because it was dulled out by all the boxes, but with the gunpowder being lighter, it was able to be attracted more than the heavier lights too.
 
sandiegojones said:
Okay a few things. True up in until about WWI gunpowder did not have any metal in it, but after WWI gunpower was coated with graphite which is magnetic. The reason graphite was added was because gunpowder in grenades and other weapons would ignite and explode or cause fires.
Cool, thanks for the clarification!
 

sandiegojones

New member
No problem. I used to live in DC and visited several war sites and they gave me this little tidbit. Never knew I'd need to use it for Indy. ;)
 
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