Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Nitrate film bomb

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Posted by Andrew Lee (Member # 1330) on 12-18-2002, 12:26 PM:

I just finished a Stephen Hunter novel called "Pale Horse Coming". In it there was part where the hero makes a few bombs out of old shredded nitrate film stock. I found the whole concept amusing. Considering I have seen a piece of this stuff ignite once, probably not an impossibility. Heavan forbide there are any unbalanced projectionists out there.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 12-18-2002, 07:31 PM:

It would be a low...very low...order explosive. No explosion at all unless confined and you'd probably have to reduce it to a powder to get it to combust rapidly enough to explosively rupture the containment.

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 12-18-2002, 11:56 PM:

Nitrocellulose is a pretty decent explosive, but not in the "high explosive" category. It is comparable to black powder ("gunpowder") in its explosive power and in the self oxidizing chemical reaction during combustion that allows it to explode things.
(A "high explosive" works in a very different way - the chemical structure is unstable and changes to a lower energy state when subjected to a powerful shock wave)
If nitrocellulose is ignited while confined, the temperature and pressure created by the burning accelerates the reaction - the reaction becomes very rapid indeed, and generally something gives. Smokeless powder used in firearm ammo was originally made from a nitrocellulose base; current powders are not because the residue was corrosive and newer compounds are less so.
I expect a fairly annoying bomb could be made from nitrate film. Many explosive shells and bombs deployed in both world wars used nitrocellulose based explosives.

I wonder about how things like bomb making are depicted in movies and on TV. Making high explosive is actually childishly simple and quite safe using common chemicals (although the required blasting cap to complete a working bomb is difficult to make at home). The horrid devastation in Oklahoma City demonstrated the power of this type of explosive... but I've never seen the production process shown in a movie. Making a bomb from nitrate film is probably possible; is showing how to do so OK because the film itself is almost impossible to find?
The question: Is there a law against showing how to REALLY make a bomb, pick a lock, make amphetamine, etcetera... or do filmmakers jsut refrain out of some social responsibility? I find the latter unlikely considering the mayhem they routinely portray.

Posted by Andrew Lee (Member # 1330) on 12-19-2002, 03:09 PM:

Dave, you haven't changed a bit. You're actually scary sometimes. I really hope we get a chance to meet up soon. I was hoping to see you at the Xmax party last week.

Looks like "Treasure Planet" had the same potential in a film can as shredded nitrocellulose. Bombs away..... [beer]

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 12-19-2002, 03:26 PM:

Maybe this should be part of our linguistic thread but it's interesting that a film that does poorly is called a bomb but one that does very well is a blockbuster, the name of a large bomb from WWII.

TP was an enjoyable retelling of the classic tale and deserved a better fate.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 12-19-2002, 05:26 PM:

Well, as for STINK BOMBS,
we kids in the '30s used to take some nitrate film, roll it up in newspaper and twist the ends like party favours, set it in the middle of the street, light one end with a wooden match, wait until it ignites furiously, then STAMP IT OUT! It never went fully out, but
burned without visible flame, with brown, acrid smoke POURING out from the end that was lit. Voila! A STINK BOMB!
The maker was awarded first dibs at flinging it towards one or more of the watchers, who gathered in a circle as we did when playing
"I declare war on..." Pretty senseless fun, with only one sad consequence which I heard of but cannot confirm. 'Twas said a boy threw one into a candy store, whose owner called the cops.

Where did we get the nitrate film? From one kid whose father was a projectionist...

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 12-21-2002, 08:16 PM:

Is that the same kind of stink bomb that would somehow turn up in theatres during labor disputes? [Eek!]

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 12-22-2002, 01:13 PM:

I dont know, having no personal experience there.

But those set off in high schools are usually pepper spray or mace.
Perhaps students carried them originally for protection (as per sales advertisements) and then set them off either accidentally or from anger. Those I have experienced.