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How have you seen model building depicted on TV & Film?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Somewhere in MN
Posted by El Taino on Monday, September 26, 2011 8:50 AM

Star Wars Episode IV- Luke plays with a Skyhoper T-16 model while the real thing can be seen parked in the background.

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Posted by mitsdude on Monday, September 26, 2011 8:42 AM

Twilight Zone- Sounds and Silence

Eccentric model ship builder

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  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
Posted by castelnuovo on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 2:13 AM

I think there is a sceen in The Battle of Britain where some kids are playing with a Spitfire models.

Cheers...

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  • From: Hobart, Tasmania
Posted by Konigwolf13 on Monday, September 12, 2011 9:40 PM

Top Gun, some of the characters play with models when pretending to "work".

Lovely Bones, The murdered daughter builds ships in bottle with her father.

Butterfly Effect, one of the characters builds models (and has a room full of) models

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  • From: Ohio
Posted by B-17 Guy on Monday, September 12, 2011 9:01 PM

I remember an episode of "Tales from the crypt" where an old guy loses his wife and the annoying but well meaning neighbor keeps bringing him model kits. I vaguely remember the episode itself but remember thinking how much I would love to have the pile of kits he had.

 

EDIT: The episode is "Collection completed". Guy works 6 days a week, every week for 47 years, never home. Wife becomes crzy cat lady from being alone for so long. Guy retires, grumpy as hell about it and has to spend his time with his wife who has animals all over the place and treats them very well. Neighbor tries to get him into model airplanes, he's not interested, loses his mind about the animals everywhere and takes up taxedermy instead. Wife doesnt like that kills husband.

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  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Monday, September 12, 2011 5:48 AM

Tom Hanks in Big. After he's become an adult, Josh has a model ship (aircraft carrier?) in his Manhattan apartment that he tells his "date" not to touch because the glue's not dry..

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  • From: Green Bay, WI
Posted by redraider56 on Sunday, September 11, 2011 11:19 PM

I remember seeing it in a CSI I believe, I think the victim was a kid who built models and there was a room with filled with hanging planes.  I've also seen a couple episodes of That 70s Show that has had models......one was a Revell Memphis Belle was a prize at a church carnival and the other one was Fez was given a Revell P-51 to occupy himself

-Matt

On The Bench: 1/48 HK B-17G "Man-O-War II"

On Deck: 1/48 Tamiya P-38H, 1/48 Revell PV-1

 

 

 

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Posted by mitsdude on Sunday, September 11, 2011 11:05 PM

RESlusher

On CSI a season or two back there was a wack-job who was building exact models of the crime seasons of people that were being killed.  Wierd, freaky stuff!

 

 

I remember that one. Super detailed dioramas. Turned out to be some girl who's father commited suicide and she blamed the CSI team.

The scene where they showed her workstation was really awesome. Something resembling a dental chair with modelling tools hanging off of it instead of dental tools. It was in the middle of a workstation with paint and other supplies within arms reach.

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Carmel, CA
Posted by bondoman on Sunday, September 11, 2011 10:47 PM

"Walter Wickland".

"In The Line of Fire" where they are tracking down leads on Leary, and they visit a long haired professional model builder in a chair.

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  • From: New Zealand
Posted by Scorpiomikey on Sunday, September 11, 2011 10:13 PM

Tool time had a scene where Tim and Mark were building a model together that ended up a monster truck plane. Also seem to remember seeing something about a half plane half car and the comment "we need to coordinate a bit better"

"I am a leaf on the wind, watch how i soar"

Recite the litanies, fire up the Gellar field, a poo storm is coming Hmm 

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Posted by carsanab on Sunday, September 11, 2011 9:59 PM

Rodney Dangerfield....Easy Money.....

...Theres a Messerschmitt in the kitchen....

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  • From: Austin, TX
Posted by DoogsATX on Sunday, September 11, 2011 9:52 PM

The King's Speech features a model biplane during a key sequence.

As mentioned, Super 8 (I LOVED the depiction of childhood in that movie).

Admiral Adama in Battlestar Galactica spends his downtime building an elaborate wood sailing ship. The he gets drunk when something awful happens and beats the tar out of it. 

On the Bench: 1/32 Trumpeter P-47 | 1/32 Hasegawa Bf 109G | 1/144 Eduard MiG-21MF x2

On Deck:  1/350 HMS Dreadnought

Blog/Completed Builds: doogsmodels.com

 

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  • From: Fort Worth, TX
Posted by RESlusher on Sunday, September 11, 2011 9:46 PM

On CSI a season or two back there was a wack-job who was building exact models of the crime seasons of people that were being killed.  Wierd, freaky stuff!

 

 

Richard S.

On the bench:  AFV Club M730A1 Chaparral

On deck:  Tamiya Marder 1A2

In the hole:  Who knows what's next!

 

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  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, September 11, 2011 8:31 PM

That one was FUNNY! and what happens to one of those builds...

In The Good Shepherd, the main charecter builds ships in bottles.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

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  • Member since
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  • From: Edmonton, Alberta
Posted by Griffin on Sunday, September 11, 2011 8:27 PM

In the TV show, Our House, Shannen Doherty's character built model jets because she wanted to be a fighter pilot.

  • Member since
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Posted by gonavycv64 on Sunday, September 11, 2011 8:25 PM

2 1/2 men had Allen building models during one episode including the Mystery Machine and smokey and the Bandits Trans Am.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, September 11, 2011 8:06 PM

In Sunshine Cleaning, the one armed owner of the cleaning supplies store is a model builder.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Miami, FL
Posted by Felix C. on Sunday, September 11, 2011 7:42 PM

The miniature painting reference reminds me of two more:

Ronin, of the characters is painting/detailing the Ronin Samurai diorama as he explains what Ronin are to Robert De Niro's character.

Also Wesley Snipes has a pool table sized diorama of the Battle of Bull Run in Murder at 1600.

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
Posted by ajlafleche on Sunday, September 11, 2011 6:49 PM

This has been discussed before.

Some notable modeling references in the movies and TV:

Three Days of the Condor: a control/contact (possibly Max von Sydow?) for Redford's character is painting a Napoleonic miniature.

40 Year Old Virgin: Steve Carell'scharacter is painting a Zouave figure in one scene

In the Line of Fire: Eastwood's character picks up a Scale Auto magazine

Chuck Norris: one of his 80's films has him tutoring ther kid next door on building model airplanes

Sopranos: there's an episode where one of Tony's antagonists has a bunch of scale model cars

Leave It To Beaver: there was a model ship on the shelf in Wally's and teh Beave's room (TV show)

Tool Time: Tim had a bunch of model cars in his living room

 

 

Remember, if the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

  • Member since
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  • From: Long Island, New York
Posted by Chris2504 on Sunday, September 11, 2011 6:46 PM

I seem to remember the man in "Moon" having quite an elaborate model town.

In Progress:

Revell F-15I

Accurate Miniatures A-36

 

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Sunday, September 11, 2011 6:40 PM

In 40 days and 40 nights,Josh Hartnett's character built models to keep his mind off his"problem"

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Sunday, September 11, 2011 6:33 PM

The child who stars in this past summer's movie, Super 8, built models and even talked about dry brushing to the girl he was sweet on. They used a train he built as a prop for the movie they were making during the movie.

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Miami, FL
How have you seen model building depicted on TV & Film?
Posted by Felix C. on Sunday, September 11, 2011 6:26 PM

Watching a film now titled Employee of the Month and note the nearly blind optometrist shows a mangled plastic aircraft model after he is asked by one of the character how the P-51 Mustang is coming along. It was quite funny. 1/48 scale from the size.

I also recall Morgan Freedman is building wood ship model kits in Along Came a Spider as therapy following the death of his police partner.

Any others?

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