Have you ever looked on in disbelief at some of the scenes in Hollywood films involving guns? You know — like watching the hero save the day by spraying the bad guys with a firearm that has unlimited bullets?
This won’t shock our regular readers, but it needs to be said: most of the stuff they do in action movies isn’t quite accurate with how a firearm really works in real life. Fortunately, that isn’t stopping some people from having a go at it anyway.
There’s a show on the Outdoor Channel that tests famous scenes from movies called “Hollywood Weapons.” Their fourth season just started now, and if you haven’t caught any of them, it’s a riveting show to watch. The concept of the show is similar to how “Mythbusters” worked on the Discovery Channel, where the hosts tested out scientific myths and legends to find out what was fact or fiction.
Let’s take a deeper look into our new favorite show to watch on TV.
The Hosts of Hollywood Weapons
Hollywood Weapons is presented by hosts Terry Schappert and Larry Zanoff.
Terry is a master sergeant in the United States Army National Guard Special Forces. He continues to serve in the National Guard along with his television hosting duties. As a martial arts expert, he has also hosted the television series “Warriors” on the History Channel, has appeared on Fox News as a commentator, and starred in an episode of the BBC television show, “Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week.” He put contestants through a variety of challenges that were inspired by the Green Berets. This guy is tough as nails, and is constantly engaging and entertaining.
Larry Zanoff is a veteran of the Israeli Army, and has worked in law enforcement as well as in private security before becoming a television host. He has multiple college degrees, including one in gunsmithing and firearms technology. If there is anyone that can test exactly what a firearm can or can’t do in a film, it’s Larry. He definitely knows the ins and outs of weaponry. He even owns the largest rental armory that caters to the film industry, renting out weapons, training actors, and providing consultating services to movies being made.
How the Show Works
The full name of the show is “Hollywood Weapons: Fact or Fiction?” In each episode, the hosts pick out famous scenes from movies and test out those firearms in real world scenarios. It’s a highly entertaining look at how movies can make weapons do the impossible.
Some Famous Episodes
The latest episode tests out three scenes from the movie starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Another episode features scenes from the movie, “The Equalizer” starring Denzel Washington. In other episodes they also test underwater scenes, silencers, and interview people in special effects.
With four seasons to look at, it’s fun to scroll through all of them to see if they test out one of your favorite movie gun scenes. Don’t miss the episode called, “Bond, Terry Bond” where the guys obviously test out some famous James Bond 007 movie scenes.
You can view the full watch schedule of “Hollywood Weapons” on the Outdoor Channel’s website. It airs new each week on Wednesdays at 7 and 10pm, but they repeat it at various times throughout the week.
Watch the trailer for the series below.
