Into The Storm Movie [was "Is anyone else worried that..."]

[Marcus Diaz]

"Into the Storm" will once again breath in a new era of young, reckless, idiotic chasers much like that when Storm Chasers was Discovery's biggest show? I wasn't chasing in the mid 90s but was that the case when Twister came out? Either way I think we will once again see new people in the chase scene whose only push to go out and chase was this new movie. Of course, we all know there's not going to be much realism to this movie. We all know that there's no way there's that many 747s at any airport in the Alley and that they can achieve flight inside a tornado. But I might have to slap a bitch if I meet someone and they say "oh yeah that movie Into teh Storm is what made me want to chase it looks fun".

 

[rdale]

No, because when Twister came out YouTube didn't exist. TWC didn't have a chase brigade. The only video of a tornado you saw on the TV news was the post-storm cleanup.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

Yep forgot to add TWC's army our there. Also people that followed the VORTEX2 armada. You know, I remember seeing these reports on the news about tornado aftermath and not really grasping how all that could happen. I guess now, its pretty easy to find out how.

 

[Shane Adams]

"Into the Storm" will once again breath in a new era of young, reckless, idiotic chasers much like that when Storm Chasers was Discovery's biggest show? I wasn't chasing in the mid 90s but was that the case when Twister came out? Either way I think we will once again see new people in the chase scene whose only push to go out and chase was this new movie. Of course, we all know there's not going to be much realism to this movie. We all know that there's no way there's that many 747s at any airport in the Alley and that they can achieve flight inside a tornado. But I might have to slap a bitch if I meet someone and they say "oh yeah that movie Into teh Storm is what made me want to chase it looks fun".

Chasing has morphed into something that another movie can't influence. There's already tons of people out there who don't have a clue what they're doing, and more and more will continue to climb out of the woodwork every year, because it's so easy now. This movie isn't going to change what's already inevitable.

But it will revive years of chaser bitching about how crappy and unrealistic it is, and just when we'd finally gotten away from everyone crying about Twister. So looking at it that way, thanks Hollywood, for resurrecting the true most-annoying thread in chaser forumdom - the "bitch about the movie" thread.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

Well damnit Shane, you stole my idea for my next thread, the "bitch at this movie" thread.

 

[Rob H]

Chasing has morphed into something that another movie can't influence.

Every piece of XXX-TREME chase footage, whether real or fake, will be an introduction to someone, re-affirm pre-conceived notions, or feed an appetite for more of the same.

I don't think it will have the same impact as Twister or Storm Chasers, but it certainly isn't helping.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Chasing just gets larger in general with more exposure. There might be disproportionately more whackers, yahoos, and clueless locals out there now, but the extreme footage and Hollywood representations also inspire a large number of very responsible hobbyists and even aspiring meteorologists. So yes, there will be more of these people out there, but there will also be many average Joes and folks that others will respect and look up to in years to come. I don't think the movie's affect on the chase demographics is entirely or even mostly negative.

While it may change the overall makeup of storm chasing, I don't think it has too much impact on individual chasing, other than partially influencing the relatively rare but debilitating convergence.

 

[Taylor Wright]

I'll go watch it and probably enjoy it. In fact, I talked a bunch of guys in my company into watching it with me. There's no need to be so pessimistic. It's better than Spiderman 15, Transformers 6, or whatever mindlessly written movies are out today.

There's still plenty of "barriers to entry" to chasing. In order to be successful at it, you have to do quite a bit of research. You have to have money for gas that costs 4 dollars a gallon and live somewhat close to the plains. No one that doesn't have a passion for weather is going to put forth that kind of effort. What I'm saying is no one is going to watch this movie then go hop in their car and successfully intercept a tornado, without at least a little training. It may even scare a lot away with how much destruction the movie conveys.

The era of EXTREME APOCALYPTIC OMG chasing will eventually boil over and decline when everyone has seen a million tornado videos, and the chasing community hits its carrying capacity. I doubt this movie will have anything to do with it.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

I don't think it will have near the same impact. Anyone interested in weather can see chasing almost on a daily basis be it streaming, Twitter, etc. If it's anything like the recent trend, it will be long on visual effects and short on story and those kind of movies are quickly forgotten. Unless it's a Sharknado of course.

 

[Rob H]

There's still plenty of "barriers to entry" to chasing. In order to be successful at it, you have to do quite a bit of research.

Counterpoint:

 

[Skip Talbot]

Yeah, anyone with a smartphone that's also willing to drive 10,000 to 20,000 miles sure. I think many overlook the patience and dedication required when they claim it's oh so easy now days. If you cherry picked the high risk days or waited for something local, you probably busted spectacularly this year.

 

[Rob H]

Hey I'm not saying I agree with him, it was more of a sarcastic counterpoint There's an element of truth to it though. You get that one event that's hyped every year in OK/KS and it's always a circus - 5/19/10, 5/22/11, 4/14/12, 5/19/13, etc. These kids with no knowledge just drive into the high risk and look for chasers at gas stations and then leech. Many will fail, but some will find themselves in situations they're not prepared for.

To do it consistently and over long distances takes dedication, but it doesn't stop these "once in a lifetime" locals. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse but the more of these clueless chasers you get out there on the high risks, the more dangerous it is for everyone in that area.

edit:

But the real point of the post is simply to try and further separate himself from the "mere mortal" chasers.

Of course, but I didn't think it needed to be said

 

[Shane Adams]

Hey I'm not saying I agree with him, it was more of a sarcastic counterpoint There's an element of truth to it though. You get that one event that's hyped every year in OK/KS and it's always a circus - 5/19/10, 5/22/11, 4/14/12, 5/19/13, etc. These kids with no knowledge just drive into the high risk and look for chasers at gas stations and then leech. Many will fail, but some will find themselves in situations they're not prepared for.

To do it consistently and over long distances takes dedication, but it doesn't stop these "once in a lifetime" locals. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse but the more of these clueless chasers you get out there on the high risks, the more dangerous it is for everyone in that area.

But the real point of the post is simply to try and further separate himself from the "mere mortal" chasers. Now that dozens of chasers are consistently equaling or besting the TVN empire for ENG product, he has to fall back on self-promotion at the expense of everyone else (anybody can find tornadoes in the Plains). Successfully finding tornadic storms in the southeast isn't any more difficult than it is in the Plains. It's just more difficult to actually see the tornadoes. He spins the post to make himself look superior when the simple fact is (which will be lost on his legion of followers) nobody gives out a prize for self-inflicted difficulties; if you choose to chase where it's harder to see tornadoes, that isn't chasing "better" than the other guys, it's simply stacking the odds because you've become so used to success the thrill just isn't there anymore.

Instead of throwing everyone else under the bus, he could've just said "I've lost my passion for the Plains because I've seen so much now. I need to make it less likely I'll score so I might start appreciating it again."

I've never had an issue with RT ascending into chaser superstardom. My problem is that he's always had to look down his nose or criticize everyone else while doing it. I guess belittling the "competition" is just a part of the craft.

 

[Rob H]

I hear Bangladesh tornadoes are difficult to get, maybe he should prepare his passport.

 

[Shane Adams]

Yeah, anyone with a smartphone that's also willing to drive 10,000 to 20,000 miles sure. I think many overlook the patience and dedication required when they claim it's oh so easy now days. If you cherry picked the high risk days or waited for something local, you probably busted spectacularly this year.

If you've got the ability to drive 10-20,000 miles it is easy. Because a person drove 6 states from home doesn't make any accomplishment anymore impressive; there are no awards for effort. A great tornado video from chaser A who drove 1000 miles is no more a prize than the same video from chaser B, standing 10 feet away, who drove an hour (because that chaser just happened to live that close). The only person who believes the extra time/distance makes chaser A's video better is chaser A, because that person had more time into the effort. But that doesn't increase the level of difficulty, it just means they had to leave home sooner. That's just simple math, not meteorological prowess.

Back when a person had to make a forecast from home, and had to live with it once they were on the road...if they scored 1000 miles from home, that was impressive. But all of us today with computers and ipads and smart phones and new data every half hour, it's basically connecting the dots. The only challenge left in chasing is financial. It's much harder to string a chase or three together when you're trying to fund it than it is trying to pick a target. I know several will disagree with me, but those same people will always have mobile data in the vehicle at all times and be chasing well into June. I rest my case.