Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2016 November 12

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November 12

You're in the army now!

In the song "You're In The Army Now", why do they first sing "Hand grenades flying over your head", then pause momentarily, and then restart the verse with "Missiles flying over your head"? Was it a mistake which became canon? Because this is the case even in the cover versions of the song, such as the one by Sabaton. 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:4157:9A2D:3A20:F1CC (talk) 01:41, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

Are you referring to "You're in the Army Now (song)"? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:06, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

I think they mean this one, covered here by this article. Britmax (talk) 11:38, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

Yes, that's the one -- as for the article, it doesn't cover the history of the song's creation, which is what I was asking about. (BTW, I think the video answered my question for me -- in the original version, the "pause" between "Hand grenades flying over your head" and "Missiles flying over your head" is taken up by a drum solo which apparently represents explosions, whereas in this version (which is the one I heard first) it sounds more like an actual stumble.) 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:F88D:DE34:7772:8E5B (talk) 00:35, 13 November 2016 (UTC)

It was written by the Dutch duo Bolland and Bolland. A You Tube search brings up their video performance of the song, and the pause, drumbeats and key change are all there, so I reckon it was deliberate. --TammyMoet (talk) 11:18, 13 November 2016 (UTC)

Musical analysis of this song would suggest the coupling of lyrics and music with old-world ideology of war versus what war really is seen as today. The statements that "Uncle Sam" and the "Army" wants you to serve, "nothing to do but stay in bed", "you'll be a hero" was old school mentality from the pre-antiwar era. In singing about "grenades" first, then introducing an effective drum break signifying explosions, modulating up one step (meaning transitioning into the present day), and changing the lyrics to: "missiles", the song now creates a distinctive separation from illusion into reality: "if you want to survive get out of bed." It really is a very useful effect and clever songwriting. IMHO Maineartists (talk) 16:47, 13 November 2016 (UTC)

Yes, that's what I figured after listening to the original version (as opposed to the Sabaton cover -- that one is much more percussion-heavy, so any break in the percussion rhythm automatically sounds like a stumble, even when it's not). Thanks! 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:F88D:DE34:7772:8E5B (talk) 01:43, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

interactive movie

what is differences between interactive movie and common videogame?--79.32.198.71 (talk) 12:53, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

sorry, I realized just now that there is the voice--79.32.198.71 (talk) 12:55, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

Interactive movies will have fewer choices, as each choice leads to a new movie clip. So, you can have a passageway that splits in 2, or maybe 3, and have a clip for each choice, but you can't have an open area where you can walk in any direction, as then they would need to have film clips for every possible location you could go. Also, regardless of your choices, they will tend to come back together, or the number of film clips required would soon get out of control, otherwise. For example, if you had a choice of two, and each lead to another choice of 2, then, after 30 such choices, you would have over a billion film clips needed at the end. So, you can have loops that diverge for a while, but then they must rejoin the main path. Note that this also means that you can only play it so many times before it becomes quite redundant.

With a regular video game, they generate the video real-time. So, for example, they don't need to have a clip of your character, heavily wounded, drinking a potion in the throne room; they can just create it at the time. StuRat (talk) 15:20, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

The future truly is a magical place, though in regular games of old (pre-1996 or so), action is somewhat similarly restricted by the number of pre-drawn and pre-stored sprites. Even for characters who only flash a different colour for a second when heavily wounded, a whole new sprite is needed for each colour. Unlike with rendered games, you're stuck with only what the artists wanted you to see (though you can change the position, to an extent, unlike the movies). InedibleHulk (talk) 23:00, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

To nitpick... With sprites, the colors usually came from a color pallete. Change a color at a specific index, and the color on the sprite (and everywhere else using that indexed color) would change. Changing colors in the pallete was often used to do cool effects, like moving water.

Rendered graphics are not equivalent to "ragdoll" physics. As of right now, most platform video games use rendered graphics (cell phone apps are back in the 80's style graphics, of course). They use 3D models and have pre-rendered animations. That is how a specific type of character always does the exact same animation when it dies. Some games go so far as to have one animation for a head shot and a different one for a body shot, but that isn't ragdoll physics. The game Pain was pretty much just a ragdoll physics test. The animations were not pre-rendered. As the programming gets better, ragdoll physics will be more present in video games, allowing for more realistic (movie-like) game play.

As for movies vs video games, the Final Fantasy games have continually pushed the barrier between the two. About half the game is a movie and half is a video a game. The latest, "World of Final Fantasy" has multiple levels: Free-world video game, in-game dialog, pre-rendered animated video sequences, and fully-animated cartoons. So, is it a movie or a video game? 209.149.113.4 (talk) 13:19, 17 November 2016 (UTC)

The Crown (TV-Series)

I am having trouble finding an answer to a question about something that was portrayed in Episode 3 "Windsor" of The Crown. When King George VI is being buried and prior to lowering the coffin a gentleman breaks a white stick or rod in half and drops it on top of the coffin. I have tried many people and websites with no avail, it possibly could be part of the Masons traditions as I know they were involved with them. I am hoping you have the answer or maybe could direct to some one who could answer my question.

Thanks,

Steve Hughes — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.82.200.117 (talk) 14:35, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

See State funerals in the United Kingdom. The official is the Lord Chamberlain (in this case, George Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon), who breaks his staff of office to symbolize the end of his period of service. Tevildo (talk) 16:44, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

Officially referred to as a "White Wand". More information at Insignia of Royal Officers: "... the White wands of the Lord Great Steward and Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord Steward and the Lord Chamberlain and their deputies. That of the Lord Great Chamberlain can be seen at the State Opening of Parliament, and those of the Lord Steward and the Lord Chamberlain and their deputies are carried on Court occasions. Today they are made of holly wood - it does not warp unlike ivory which was once used - are are made with a silver screw attachment so that they can be symbolically broken at the end of a term of office and the pieces given to the outgoing office-holder. Ceremonially they are broken at the funeral on the Monarch in this way". Here is the present Lord Great Chamberlain in State Dress with wand and here is the present Lord Chamberlain with his, in his working clothes. Alansplodge (talk) 15:05, 13 November 2016 (UTC)