226
votes
Accepted
Why does Watney’s notebook in The Martian have four holes?
I've reached out to the film's Prop Master and the film's Senior Graphics Artist who both kindly responded to my (more than slightly odd) email.
I assume they won't mind my quoting verbatim.
I don't ...
- 608k
164
votes
Accepted
What is this painting on the Enterprise showing?
Here's a better capture of the context from "The Best of Both Worlds Pt I". In the capture, Riker is presenting the quarters to Shelby for the first time.
PICARD: Number One, why don't you ...
- 58k
89
votes
Accepted
How was Luke's prosthetic hand in Episode V filmed?
You can see the original prop here. Note that the metal collar has slipped down slightly.
The actor would sit under the table and reach up through a hole, then place their hand flat onto the table. ...
- 608k
82
votes
Accepted
Were McCoy's medical instruments Swedish salt shakers?
Yes, they were.
The following excerpt from an article quotes Gene Roddenberry himself (via the authoritative book The Making of Star Trek) as saying:
[Feinberg] went out and bought a selection of ...
- 109k
82
votes
Which ship has the most prolific "recurring" role in Star Trek?
The 'Nebula-Class' USS Leeds appears in no fewer than 104 episodes of DS9.
- 608k
58
votes
How was Luke's prosthetic hand in Episode V filmed?
If you look closely at the slope of the back of Mark Hamill's hand, you can see that it seems to turn a bit more toward the vertical as it approaches the metal clamp on his wrist. In fact, Hamill is ...
- 85.1k
55
votes
Which ship has the most prolific "recurring" role in Star Trek?
The USS Stargazer appears in at least 150 episodes of The Next Generation.
According to this interview with Rich Sternbach (a designer on TNG and co-author of the TNG Technical Manual), the model is ...
- 109k
50
votes
Which ship has the most prolific "recurring" role in Star Trek?
Here's a list of starships I recall being mentioned a lot, plus other people's suggestions, and how many times they appear in the transcripts.
USS Stargazer: 10
IKS Rotarran: 9 (Memory Alpha says 13, ...
- 13k
47
votes
Accepted
What is the prop for Thor's hammer (Mjölnir) made of?
There's an interview of Russell Bobbitt, Hollywood prop master, about that in this Screenrant article. There are actually several props, depending on the nature of the scene it's in. Rubber, ...
- 54.3k
47
votes
Accepted
Was the Batman statue in "Shazam!" a real piece of merch, or just a movie prop?
This appears to be a Big-Figs Colossal DC Universe Batman 48.5″ Gotham Guardian Action Figure with Bat Signal Light
- 608k
44
votes
Accepted
What was the gaudily coloured equipment on the Enterprise's corridor walls in ST:TOS?
They seem to be called "wall plant-ons". Christies had at least one for sale a few years back, which you can look at here.
According to the auction blurb, they're bits of wood that have been ...
- 7,259
42
votes
Accepted
How do people carry things in Star Trek TNG?
Pockets and Pouches
There's no evidence that Starfleet uniforms in TNG have pockets. Generally speaking, handheld equipment for away missions (phasers, tricorders) was stowed in fitted pouches. The ...
- 158k
35
votes
Which ship has the most prolific "recurring" role in Star Trek?
My guess would be the IKS Rotarran. According Memory Alpha it has 13 appearances in DS9 Episodes.
(DS9 Season 5)
"Soldiers of the Empire"
"Call to Arms"
(DS9 Season 6)
"A Time to Stand"
...
- 2,977
34
votes
Accepted
Where is the Whomobile now?
Privately owned by a man named Paul Buckland
According to a 2005 BBC article, it was sold at auction in the 80s:
So, what happened to the car? Well, it wasn't ever the property of the Beeb - the ...
- 158k
29
votes
Accepted
Where is this painting from the Enterprise now?
The painting is a reproduction. The original was sold at a convention before TNG aired.
I found this out by asking Rick Sternbach directly, via his professional web site.
In my email to him:
I'm ...
- 109k
27
votes
Accepted
Is the mosquito in amber inspired by a real object?
Your friend was perhaps thinking of The Amber Time Machine, a documentary that David presented, many years later, which did indeed talk about the creatures preserved in a block of amber he owned.
In ...
- 59k
24
votes
Accepted
What is "the prop" used in many Sci-Fi movies?
Per FITorion's earlier answer, the 'Mystery Object' referred to in the Crew Commentary for "The Gathering" is known as the Oscillation Overthruster
Voice of God (JMS himself) stated that John Navarro ...
- 608k
21
votes
What is the manufacturer/brand of the glass that Dr. Crusher breaks?
My good friend Alan Sims (Props Master for TNG) advises me via email that while he can't recall the specific glass used, given that it was used in a scene where it broke, it was almost certainly ...
- 608k
20
votes
Why does Watney’s notebook in The Martian have four holes?
The Martian was filmed in Hungary and Microsoft lists A4 as the default paper size for that country in its applications adding weight to the suggestion that it was just cheap to go and buy some ...
- 201
19
votes
Accepted
Was the original Death Star prop actually blown up for the movie?
According to the description in the last page of this article (pdf), it doesn't sound like they blew up the prop itself, since they describe creating the effect by filming the explosion of a "...
- 50k
19
votes
Accepted
Is there any significance to the licence plates on the Ford Anglia?
Yes (for some of them)
Seven is, of course, the most powerful magical number, and heavily associated with the Harry Potter books (of which, for example, there are seven). As such, 777 may be fairly ...
- 111k
19
votes
What the heck is Captain Styles carrying around with him?
I think you are close with your idea of a riding crop. From his attitude and context of military command I am pretty sure it is meant to be a swagger stick. In this case of the riding crop variation. ...
- 23.9k
16
votes
Accepted
What style of chair are Morpheus and Neo using?
This style of chair is called a Chesterfield Wingback Armchair.
Here is one on Ebay with a footstool.
- 113k
16
votes
Accepted
Where did they get the children's artwork used for Captain Picard Day?
According to the Star Trek TNG Companion, the artwork was sourced from two local schools and Alan Sims' children.
Contest winner Paul Menegay was named for a friend of Brannon
Braga’s, although ...
- 608k
15
votes
Which ship has the most prolific "recurring" role in Star Trek?
Another strong contender is Chakotay's Maquis ship, the Val Jean. Oddly enough, it's name is never spoken (making transcript searches much more difficult!), but it is seen on a computer screen in one ...
- 306
15
votes
Why is the Westeros map rotated?
I suspect it's because this is the sort of map meant for making military plans. Note the pieces (I think they are simply stones painted with symbols). These would be meant to be moved around the map ...
- 6,064
14
votes
Accepted
What was it that Emilia Clarke (Daenerys) was really eating in "A Golden Crown" (S01E06 )
It was made of a gummy bear-like material:
Around 1:50
GoT wiki:
According to actress Emilia Clarke (Daenerys), the prop she used for
the stallion's heart was ...
- 6,430
14
votes
Which ship has the most prolific "recurring" role in Star Trek?
Based only on googling
site:chakoteya.net Stargazer
It appears Capt Picard's previous command, the USS Stargazer, is mentioned in at least ten episodes:
"The Battle", "Relics", "The Wounded", "...
- 58k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible