In reality, First Officer William Murdoch dies. We do not know how, but we can assume he probably died of exposure (fancy way of saying "froze to death in the icy waters").
In reality, it came to light through the years that someone possibly took their own life with a pistol. This "evidence" can be seen through letters written by different surviving passengers to their kinfolk.
I think it was grossly unfair for director/writer James Cameron to have made that someone First Officer Murdoch. Not only does Cameron have this brave man killing himself, but also shows him murdering two passengers, to boot.
If Cameron wanted that scene in, he could have made up an "unidentified Officer" instead of a real one. Cameron's apology to Murdoch's nephew (and the film company's donation) is lame when compared to one's name being dragged through the mud, unnecessarily.
FinkPish
11-17-09, 12:36 PM
Yeah, people are constantly chatting with me about how First Officer Murdoch killed 2 people and then himself! Good thing you started this thread.
12thmonkey
11-17-09, 12:42 PM
Well, we all now know Buttmunker's last name is Murdoch...
TallGuyMe
11-17-09, 12:42 PM
Cameron also unfairly depicts all metal endoskeleton cyborgs as vicious killing machines from the future.
pjflyer
11-17-09, 12:47 PM
Yeah, people are constantly chatting with me about how First Officer Murdoch killed 2 people and then himself! Good thing you started this thread.
My friends and I call a double murder/suicide "Pulling a Murdoch."
DieselsDen
11-17-09, 12:50 PM
If TITANIC had been a flop, this wouldn't be an issue.
Groucho
11-17-09, 12:54 PM
I understand Smurfette's family is considering a similar lawsuit over Avatar.
dan30oly
11-17-09, 12:56 PM
I keep telling everyone that Cameron is a hack.
Further proof.
sauce07
11-17-09, 01:25 PM
does anybody outside the family actually care about this?
dan30oly
11-17-09, 01:32 PM
does anybody outside the family actually care about this?
yes.
Dr Mabuse
11-17-09, 01:41 PM
Yeah, people are constantly chatting with me about how First Officer Murdoch killed 2 people and then himself! Good thing you started this thread.
My friends and I call a double murder/suicide "Pulling a Murdoch."
:lol:
The Bus
11-17-09, 01:47 PM
[X] Thread contains wild accusation
[_] Thread contains erroneous facts
[X] Thread contains peculiar opinion
[X] Thread features trolling by dan30oly
[X] Thread is started by Buttmunker
sauce07
11-17-09, 01:50 PM
[X] Thread contains wild accusation
[X] Thread contains erroneous facts
[X] Thread contains peculiar opinion
[X] Thread features trolling by dan30oly
[X] Thread is started by Buttmunker
yes.
-smile-
Buttmunker
11-17-09, 02:03 PM
Grrr.
Nick Martin
11-17-09, 02:15 PM
12 years too late and no one cares anymore.
Ash Ketchum
11-17-09, 02:17 PM
[X] Thread contains wild accusation
[_] Thread contains erroneous facts
[X] Thread contains peculiar opinion
[X] Thread features trolling by dan30oly
[X] Thread is started by Buttmunker
[ ] Thread contains gratuitous mention of Ash Ketchum's favorite actor and actress
(Be thankful for small favors.)
Josh-da-man
11-17-09, 02:50 PM
Maybe the Murdoch family should hire Harlan Ellison's lawyers.
Nick Martin
11-17-09, 02:54 PM
[ ] Thread contains gratuitous mention of Ash Ketchum's favorite actor and actress
(Be thankful for small favors.)
Smurfette?
cardsfan111
11-17-09, 03:01 PM
I admire the spoiler warning in the title. :up:
jjcool
11-17-09, 04:12 PM
does anybody outside the family actually care about this?
no.
GoldenJCJ
11-17-09, 06:23 PM
I have seen Titanic a hand full of times and I have no idea who Officer William Murdoch is, who portrayed him in the movie, or even remember a murder/suicide scene in the flick.
Though I do feel that icebergs were given an unfair depiction in the movie. Contrary to what James "Fire" Cameron wants us to think, not all icebergs are cruising the waters looking for their next victims.
Rockmjd23
11-17-09, 06:40 PM
I remember seeing a website that had a list of real-life people depicted unfairly as villains or cowards in films. I wish I could find it.
Bluelitespecial
11-17-09, 07:28 PM
The movie was fiction, of course some stuff may not be true.
Heat
11-17-09, 07:45 PM
In reality, First Officer William Murdoch dies. We do not know how, but we can assume he probably died of exposure (fancy way of saying "froze to death in the icy waters")...
Has this really been bothering you since '97?
PATASKALA, Ohio—Authorities remain on the scene of a Murdoch with three victims, including a 9-year-old boy.
The victims include a 45-year-old, a 46-year-old and a 9-year-old child. Police have not identified the victims....
Fixed.
jfoobar
11-17-09, 08:09 PM
My friends and I call a double murder/suicide "Pulling a Murdoch."
:lol: nice
auto
11-17-09, 08:44 PM
Has Buttmuncher always been this insane or is this just lately?
Charlie Goose
11-18-09, 01:21 AM
I'm still angry that the fat guy with the red beard didn't beat the old lady with both fists until she coughed up that fucking diamond.
Buttmunker
11-18-09, 08:06 AM
Has Buttmuncher always been this insane or is this just lately?
I don't know.
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/503933-buttmunker-writer-saturday-night-live.html
Buttmunker
11-18-09, 08:14 AM
It also bothers me that Fifth Officer Lowe isn't properly identified as the officer who goes back for survivors. All these years, I thought it was Second Officer Lightoller. And I even knew Lightoller wasn't in a lifeboat, but trying to survive on an overturned collapsable boat! Goes to show how much I pay attention.
Adam Tyner
11-18-09, 08:22 AM
My friends and I call a double murder/suicide "Pulling a Murdoch."You win the prize!
troystiffler
11-18-09, 09:47 AM
Titanic was based on a true story? Hrmph.
d2cheer
11-18-09, 12:38 PM
My friends and I call a double murder/suicide "Pulling a Murdoch."
That is pure gold!! :)
Goat3001
11-18-09, 01:10 PM
My friends and I call a double murder/suicide "Pulling a Murdoch."
Just like those Columbine kids copied The Matrix, Chris Benoit copied Murdoch.
hardercore
11-18-09, 01:44 PM
Titanic (1997)
...oh, that Titanic!
mickey65
11-18-09, 05:47 PM
I have seen Titanic a hand full of times and I have no idea who Officer William Murdoch is, who portrayed him in the movie, or even remember a murder/suicide scene in the flick.
He was one of the ship's officers helping to get people on the lifeboats and when the passengers started rushing for the boats, the officer pulled out his gun to try and control the situation and then shot a couple of people to the horror of those around him, and then put the gun to his head and shot himself.
Ash Ketchum
11-18-09, 08:03 PM
He was one of the ship's officers helping to get people on the lifeboats and when the passengers started rushing for the boats, the officer pulled out his gun to try and control the situation and then shot a couple of people to the horror of those around him, and then put the gun to his head and shot himself.
I don't remember that scene either. The only one I recall running around with a gun was Billy Zane. And he didn't play a ship's officer. Although who the hell knows, but I might have missed that when I went to the bathroom because of the film's length. (Normally I can sit through a three-hour-+ movie without a bathroom break, but there was something about TITANIC and LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING that made me have to go to the bathroom.)
Drexl
11-18-09, 08:15 PM
I don't remember that scene either. The only one I recall running around with a gun was Billy Zane. And he didn't play a ship's officer. Although who the hell knows, but I might have missed that when I went to the bathroom because of the film's length. (Normally I can sit through a three-hour-+ movie without a bathroom break, but there was something about TITANIC and LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING that made me have to go to the bathroom.)
I think it was all the water. (Not sure about ROTK though)
mickey65
11-19-09, 06:34 AM
I don't remember that scene either. The only one I recall running around with a gun was Billy Zane. And he didn't play a ship's officer.
Billy Zane's character in the movie offered said officer some money just so he could get a seat on one of the lifeboats.
I'm pretty sure someone else will remember the officer with the gun.
It's been a couple of years since I saw this movie, and I have the 3 hour director's cut of it!
Bandoman
11-19-09, 06:49 AM
I remember the scene, but did not know the officer's name. I always assumed it was a fictional embellishment of the story anyway.
However, now that people complaining about it have made me aware of Murdoch's name, I, too, will always refer to a double murder/suicide as "pulling a Murdoch." :lol:
Josh-da-man
11-19-09, 01:39 PM
I'm still angry that the fat guy with the red beard didn't beat the old lady with both fists until she coughed up that fucking diamond.
But Harry Knowles is still alive and he actually could sue James Cameron over his portrayal.
rennervision
11-20-09, 08:32 AM
This thread is hillarious. :lol: Is 26 years too late for me to mention that I resent the way The Right Stuff portrayed astronaut Gus Grissom?
Ash Ketchum
11-20-09, 12:06 PM
This thread is the gift that keeps on giving. Any time I need to laugh, I just think of "pulling a Murdoch" and I'm there. rotfl
Nick Martin
11-20-09, 12:12 PM
This thread is hillarious. :lol: Is 26 years too late for me to mention that I resent the way The Right Stuff portrayed astronaut Gus Grissom?
And I'm resentful of the fact that William Petersen STOLE the name "Grissom" for his character on CSI. It's a damn disgrace I tells ya!!!
Murdock is accused in the film of a lot more than just shooting two passengers and himself: he sank the damn Titanic with his flippant decision to "hard astarboard!"
His work wasn't through, because after he survived both the sinking and the gunshot blast to the face, he defected and became a German submarine captain, and sank the Britannic a few years later during WWI.
Ash Ketchum
12-11-09, 10:32 AM
My friends and I call a German sub sinking an Allied ship, "Pulling a Murdoch."
Fixed.
Buttmunker
12-11-09, 11:02 AM
Instead of starting another thread about Titanic, I'll just post something here:
Several survivors of the sinking committed suicide later on: "Iceberg, right ahead!" shouted lookout Frederick Fleet. He killed himself years later (for reasons I have forgotten).
Another prominent survivor, 17-year old Jack Thayer, shot himself in the head in the 1940's after finding out his son was killed during WWII.
Not a suicide, but Archibald Gracie died due to complications from the sinking towards the tail-end of 1912.
TheMovieman
12-11-09, 11:08 AM
Instead of starting another thread about Titanic, I'll just post something here:
Several survivors of the sinking committed suicide later on: "Iceberg, right ahead!" shouted lookout Frederick Fleet. He killed himself years later (for reasons I have forgotten).
According to wikipedia:
When Fleet's wife died shortly after Christmas 1964, he became depressed and committed suicide by hanging two weeks later in January 1965. Many have said that in many ways, Fleet was also the last victim of Titanic. People who knew him said that he suffered from terrible guilt all his life because he had lived while so many perished. Out of 2,227 passengers and crew on Titanic, he was one of only 706 who survived.
resinrats
12-11-09, 03:23 PM
Fleet did live a full live then. He was in his 70s (or whatever age he was when Titanic sank + 53 years) when he killed himself.
Hokeyboy
12-11-09, 08:32 PM
Fleet did live a full live then. He was in his 70s (or whatever age he was when Titanic sank + 53 years) when he killed himself.
At least he did the honorable thing and only take himself out, unlike that douchebag loser Murdoch. :mad:
Groucho
12-22-09, 09:48 AM
My friends and I call a double murder/suicide "Pulling a Murdoch."Holy crap, you've gone viral!
I've never been more proud. I like to think that I'm continuing James Cameron's efforts to ruin the name of First Officer William Murdoch by exposing his cowardice.
Fist of Doom
12-22-09, 12:12 PM
Awesome! rotfl
Heat
12-22-09, 12:22 PM
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/8597/murdoch.jpg
Abob Teff
12-23-09, 12:11 AM
To be fair ... Murdoch had help ...
http://www.grudge-match.com/Images/A-Team.jpg
Jon2
12-23-09, 02:58 AM
This thread is hillarious. :lol: Is 26 years too late for me to mention that I resent the way The Right Stuff portrayed astronaut Gus Grissom?
It is hilarious.
However, on a serious note (since you brought it up), the Right Stuff (the film) kind of left Gus Grissom's courage and reputation hanging with an insinuation that cowardly action on his part may have led to the loss of his capsule.
At the social/political level, Grissom really got shafted because of the capsule loss... hence the hidden-away, hotel room presentation of his citations. Certain parties were convinced that Grissom didn't deserve them, but public opinion made it impossible for the powers-that-be not to give them to him. As far as the public was concerned the mission was a success because Grissom made it back alive. The public cared less about the capsule loss.
However, there are two factors that give a more honest reflection of Grissom.
One, he was chosen to head the original Apollo moon landing. He would not have been chosen had there been doubts about him. If he and his teammates had not died during that launch rehearsal, Grissom would have been the first man on the moon.
Two, when Grissom's capsule was eventually located, many years after his death, the condition of it collaborated his version of the events that led to the loss of the capsule.
JTH182
12-23-09, 04:26 AM
Hahaha, buy the official shirt! rotfl
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/i_pulled_a_murdoch_t_shirt-235535681742408736?group=mens&lifestyle=classic&rf=238266462141925820"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/i_pulled_a_murdoch_t_shirt-p2355356817424087362qmn0_325.jpg" alt="I PULLED A MURDOCH t-shirt shirt" style="border:0;" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/i_pulled_a_murdoch_t_shirt-235535681742408736?group=mens&lifestyle=classic&rf=238266462141925820">I PULLED A MURDOCH t-shirt</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/darthballs*">Darthballs</a><br />View other <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/i+tshirts?rf=238266462141925820">I T-Shirts</a> </div>
Duh Vuh Duh
12-29-09, 10:32 AM
:lol: I still laugh and love everytime I see the *spoilers* tag in the thread title.
pjflyer
12-29-09, 11:59 AM
I really don't understand the "I Pulled a Murdoch" T-shirt. I guess you get buried in it.
aintnosin
12-30-09, 03:45 PM
I still resent the way Cameron portrayed mutant piranhas in his first movie.
Suprmallet
12-30-09, 05:08 PM
Agreed, Joe Dante gave a much more reasoned portrayal.
Buy: