Bleck Architects

And the Oscar goes to … the Big Red Button!

We are big movie fans and look forward to watching the Oscars at this time each year.

At home, we let the kids stay up late to watch their favorite stars pose on the red carpet. We serve special movie-themed snacks and have spirited conversations around the nominees. When the awards presentations begin, we get serious and vote for our favorites to win an Oscar.

At the office, we like to debunk the impossible things that happen in the movies. For instance, last year we gave an Oscar to ducts for their supporting role in impossible architectural feats in the movies. This year we think an Oscar should be given to self-destruct buttons for their supporting role in blowing up buildings and structures at the push of a button in the movies.

Our Disclaimer: We have NEVER designed a building that includes a self-destruct button or lever, although you see this all the time in films.

5 Films Featuring Self-Destruct Buttons and Levers:

  • The Bride of Frankenstein – In this 1935 James Whale film, Dr. Frankenstein’s monster is rejected by his “bride” and he pulls a lever on the wall to destroy the entire laboratory.
  • The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – In Marc Webb’s 2014 film, Peter Parker protects New York from formidable villains who try to gain access to a lever that will destroy a power plant.
  • Dr. No – In Terence Young’s 1962 thriller, James Bond follows a missing colleague to the island of Dr. No, whose underground complex can be destroyed with the touch of a button.
  • Cowboys & Aliens – In the 2011 Jon Favreau-directed film, an 1875 era gun-slinger fights marauders from the sky who smash a control, causing a star cruiser to self-destruct.
  • The Cabin in the Woods – In the 2012 Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard horror film, pressing a red button causes the release of monsters from a government laboratory.

For more fun on this topic, visit the website TV Tropes, which takes a funny approach to this topic in their “Self-Destruct Mechanism” blog post.