Factual error: Every centrifuge ever made comes with a locking system that prevents the lid being opened while the centrifuge is in motion, so even if someone was as stupid as the lab assistant who put his hand in a spinning centrifuge, they would not be able to.
Outbreak (1995)
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo
Factual error: The suits worn by dangerous disease researchers would definitely never tear if the hose was pulled.
Factual error: In the scenes where Daniels and Salt are flying together in the helicopter, the pilot, Salt, would be in the right seat. Although it is possible to fly the helicopter from either seat, the primary controls are on the right of the helicopter (Loach, Hughes OH-6 included). Even an inexperienced pilot would never jump into the left seat when the other person has no flight experience. Left seat primary controls are in fixed wing aircraft.
Trivia: Harrison Ford was the first choice for the role of Sam Daniels.
Trivia: The part of McClintock was originally played by Joe Don Baker, who was replaced by Donald Sutherland mid production.
Sam Daniels: Just don't get negative on me.
Major Salt: Affirmative.
Casey Schuler: How many brain cells did I kill?
Sam Daniels: How many? About a billion.
Casey Schuler: Oh, now I'm only as smart as you.
Sam Daniels: What can we give him to kill his sense of humor?
Sam Daniels: If you think I'm lying, drop the bomb. If you think I'm crazy, drop the bomb. But don't drop the bomb just because you're following orders.
Question: Why did General Donald McClintock want to keep the virus a secret and not let anyone know of its existence?
Answer: Is it because if anyone knew about it will spread information across the globe and will likely lead to his enemies and will no longer be a secret and his plans will be ruined?
Question: I never understood how, like in this movie, after they leave the lab of infectious viruses, does being sprayed down with hot water prevent them from being infected once they take the suit off. Can someone explain that to me?
Question: When they are viewing the virus through the microscope, we see its shape is like a long strand, sort of coiled up at one end and uncoiled at the other end (think cobra rearing up). That structure seems too complex to be a virus. Are any viruses really shaped like that?
Answer: Yes, the fictional virus would be a filovirus similar to Ebola. These are filament shaped virus that can coil up.
Answer: He wanted to eventually use it as a biological weapon.
raywest ★