Big Electric Switch: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:
When you want to activate a [[Weapon of Mass Destruction]], a [[Mad Scientist]]'s invention, an electricity-based method of execution (especially an electric chair), or other badass electric device to be suitably dramatic, you have two options. One of them is the [[Big Red Button]], and the other is the old-fashioned electric switch with a huge handle, which sends sparks flying when activated. Called a "knife switch" in supply catalogs and [[wikipedia:Knife switch|that other wiki]].
While the '''Big Electric Switch''' is obviously common in [[Steampunk]] and period pieces (including neo-retro [[Film Noir]] pastiches like ''[[Sin City]]''), it can make surprising appearances even in technologically advanced contexts, despite the obvious anachronism.
{{examples}}
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* ''[[The Addams Family|Addams Family Values]]'': evil nanny Joan Cusack has the entire clan (minus baby Pubert) wired up to electric chairs with an enormously-handled electric switch. Gomez and Morticia have a marital-torture nostalgia-fest whilst Pubert does some handy re-wiring.
* The ''[[Ghostbusters]]'' have one attached to the containment-grid that holds the captive ghosts.
* A
* ''[[The Rocky Horror Picture Show]]'' features Frank N. Furter throwing two
* In the 1939 ''[[The Wizard of Oz (film)|Wizard of Oz]]'' film, the "wizard" uses these to create the thunder and lightning effects in his throne room.
* In ''[[Cats Don't Dance]]'', Darla tries to stop the animals' big musical number by pulling "The Grandaddy Of All Switches". It only makes it more spectacular.
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** "Catwoman's Dressed to Kill". One of Catwoman's henchmen throws one to activate the pattern cutter saw that is supposed to slice Batgirl in half.
** "The Duo is Slumming". One of the Puzzler's henchmen pulls one to activate a shower of balloons on the Dynamic Duo, which allows the Puzzler and his henchmen to escape.
** "A Riddle A Day Keeps The Riddler Away". One of the Riddler's henchmen throws a switch to drop a net on Batman and Robin, and one is later thrown to start the spinning [[Death Trap
== [[Professional Wrestling]] ==
* The infamous opening bout of the 1991 edition of [[WCW]]'s Halloween Havoc pay-per-view, an eight-man "Chamber of Horrors" match pitting the team of [[Wrestler/Sting|Sting]], [[The Giant|El Gigante]], Rick Steiner, and [[Scott Steiner]] against the team of [[Scott Hall|Scott "Diamond Studd" Hall]], Big Van [[Vader]], [[Mick Foley|Mick "Cactus Jack" Foley]], and [[The Butcher|Abdullah the Butcher]]. The match took place in a steel cage filled with weapons; the object of the match was to place a member of the opposing team in the electric chair in the center of the ring and pull the
== [[Theater]] ==
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* When the KTLA TV station [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvGkE6azzWQ#t=1m04s switched from analog to digital], it was done with a deliberately anachronistic Big Electric Switch.
* Though obsolete today, knife switches are still in use in older installations.
** Knife switches and other [[
{{reflist}}
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