Michael Bay Explains That Making A Big Explosion Is Just Like Making A Salad
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
If any director out there is known for giant explosions, it's Michael Bay. From the "Transformers" films to "Armageddon," to "Pearl Harbor," the man sure likes to blow things up. I may not have had any idea what was happening in some of the "Transformers" films, but I love a good on-screen explosion. There is something so cathartic about it. Knowing a few pyrotechnicians who do this sort of thing for a living, I know how much work goes into it, if not a single one of the details. It's best if I keep my fire usage limited to a candle or two that I put in the sink because I'm a worrier.
Michael Bay's next film is "Ambulance," starring Jake Gyllenhaal ("Spider-Man: Far From Home"), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ("The Matrix Resurrections"), and Eiza Gonzáles ("Baby Driver"). As you can see in the Super Bowl teaser below, there are explosions even in the 30-second video. The man loves blowing stuff up! He's very good at it. Bay recently told Empire in their upcoming "Moon Knight" issue (on sale now) about how doing them is like making a salad.
Michael Bay explosion salad is the best band name
Bay's work might be an issue for critics, but people do love them. I've certainly had fun with them, even when I know they're not for me. Bay's success has a formula, and according to this interview, so do his pyro people. He told Empire:
"There's a special sauce for explosions. It's like a recipe. I see some directors do it, and they look cheesy, or it won't have a shockwave. There are certain ways with explosions where you're mixing different things, and different types of explosions to make it look more realistic."
He concluded, "It's like making a Caesar salad."
Sure! One time my cat jumped into my salad bowl, and I suppose if I squinted my eyes a bit, it would sort of look like the explosion from "Pearl Harbor," just a little greener. I kid, I kid. Speaking of "Pearl Harbor" though, Bay also mentioned in the interview that he doesn't believe that the Guinness World Record for most high explosives detonated in a single take belongs to the destruction of Blofeld's base in "Spectre." "Bulls***," he said. "Ours is," in reference to "Pearl Harbor." He explained that this took three months of rigging on seven boats, 20 planes, and stopping a freeway three miles away.
Whoever won, I love that this contest even exists. I give Michael Bay films a hard time, but they're a blast. Get it? Blast? These are the jokes, friends. I make no apologies.
"Ambulance" will hit theaters on April 8, 2022.