Crash Log

Warning: This post contains spoilers from a movie and various television series. Read on with caution.

In 2004 in the film The Forgotten, in what was at the time a shocking and unique scene, the camera is set inside a moving car as two characters are talking. We're facing the passenger as they cross an intersection when suddenly oncoming headlights appear just before a jarring crash. It was shocking and placed the viewer in the vehicle, and it would not be the last of its kind.

In 2005, a show aired called Reunion that I never actually watched. What I do recall from the frequent commercials is one scene in which characters are inside a car when it's struck from the passenger side, from the same point of view used in The Forgotten.

On May 25th, 2005, the season finale of Alias followed a shocking revelation with the exact same style car crash. This time, however, the view was of the driver telling the passenger something huge seconds before crossing an intersection where another vehicle is seen over his shoulder moments before a collision, and then a black screen. My reaction was to simply stare at the screen for a long time, not even blinking, nor registering the commercials and closing credits. The context of the show, coupled with the fact that the particular cinematography for that kind of shot was still relatively new, succeeded in achieving the show's desired effect.

On May 17th, 2006, an episode of Prison Break ends with a truck colliding with a van transporting a prisoner across an intersection in an open field. The initial impact is shot outside the vehicle, but the camera quickly cuts inside to show the passengers jostled about.

TWO DAYS LATER, on May 19th, Alias begins with a wounded prisoner being transported in an ambulance when it's suddenly struck by a truck. Somewhere, investigators seek to question Optimus Prime and learn his whereabouts on Monday and Wednesday of that week. Unfortunately due to a clerical error, they apprehend a member of the U.S. Army Ohio National Guard.

TONIGHT. In the season finale of Supernatural, the brothers engage in a final showdown with their demonic enemies and mount a bold rescue of their father. This series started off decent, taking occasional nods from current horror film styles, especially those seen in films like The Ring and The Grudge. Most of the episodes have stood alone as they roamed the country in their black ‘67 Chevy Impala, “Metallicar”(hat tip to Television Without Pity). There was an underlying plot about their missing father, and hunting the demon that killed their mother, that ran throughout the episodes as they fought various demons, ghosts, vampires and more. The show was really starting to fill a void left by shows like Buffy, lacking only a female main character. Perhaps some of the girls they've encountered on the road, such as Amy Acker and Venus Terzo might show up again, should the show return for a second season. Tonight's episode was really good, and things came to a satisfying resolution before one last commercial break. When the show returned, with a few minutes to spare, we join the cast cruising in the night in Metallicar when(have you been paying attention?) a truck driven by a possessed human, denoted by his black eyes, slams into them. We end with a shot of them bloody and unconscious(or worse) as the screen fades to black. I liked the episode otherwise, but the car crash thing has quickly become an overused cliché in the last few years, and especially prominent in the last few weeks. I do like what Volkswagon has done recently with crash cinematography. I'm sure there are other examples that I've missed. Still, I do hope Supernatural is back next season, and that most if not all of the people in the car survived. Most of all, I hope the car can be fixed.