Home Acting ‘High-Tech’ Movie Props That Are Actually Everyday Items

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‘High-Tech’ Movie Props That Are Actually Everyday Items

Monica June 2, 2022

49. Canon Container

Movie props can make or break a scene. If done correctly, they trick the viewer into thinking they’re some futuristic, high-tech item that can’t be found outside of the world they just created on screen. That’s what we’re continuously led to believe, anyway. In ‘The Mandalorian,’ Baby Yoda appears popping out of a U.S. Military marmite. At first glance, this looks like a vintage item from decades ago, preserved over time, savored for this very moment. It’s actually a current-day military item with some LEDs glued onto it (via TV Bee).

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48. Batman’s Boots

Apparently, Batman is a basketball fanboy. Michael Keaton showcased the Air Jordan 6s in ‘Batman Returns.’ That’s right! These sneakers cost a few hundred bucks. Movie props that take other famous people’s clothing styles and use them in their movies are impressive. Of course, the boots were modified with foam padding. This makes us want to buy a pair since we’d feel like we’d have a little bit of Batman in our step as we walk through the streets (via TV Bee).

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47. Star Trek Hand Dryer

The year is 2009. Technology is quickly advancing. We’re watching the new ‘Star Trek’ film, amazed at the intelligence of the creators for developing movie props beyond our comprehension. It’s only when we suddenly realize that we’re looking at a standard bathroom hand dryer that we feel let down. We’ve seen these hand dryers over and over again whenever we use a public restroom. They’re powerful and work a bit too well. If only we were creative enough to envision them as a prop for a movie (via TV Bee).

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46. SRB Gearbox

‘The Terminator’ is one of the most famous movies of all time. We’ve always wondered how they created such an impressive model face on Arnold Schwarzenegger, one that left an impression on viewers for decades. We imagined the design taking years to formulate and create. In the end, this is another one of those so-called high-tech movie props that surprised us. This piece is an SRB Gearbox, which comes from Tamiya, a Japan-based company that uses recycled parts to make props and toys. Nonetheless, we love when movies have the environment in mind (via TV Bee).

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45. Micropipette Extractor

In ‘The Expanse (2014),’ we see someone extracting a memory crypt from a corpse. It’s quite cringe-worthy since we never want to imagine our bodies getting poked at with something sharp to extract a memory. It’s actually not one of those high-end movie props that took years to create, it’s a micropipette, which are simply tools that handle liquids. That makes us feel a little bit better (via ostensiblyzero).

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44. Tripod Lantern

Going along with the ‘The Expanse,’ we see a mining charge. We think it’s one of those high-tech movie props that are impossible to replicate, but it’s quite simple. It’s a lantern attached to a tripod. This is something you can easily replicate at home. Maybe everyone’s dreams of becoming a director are becoming a lot more likely than we previously thought. Top movies take shortcuts. It certainly makes our big dreams feel a lot closer than we previously thought. It turns out you don’t have to have millions of dollars saved for props, after all. You can easily buy a tripod and lantern on Amazon, and bam, you have a high-tech movie prop right before your eyes (via TV Bee).

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43. Rock Salt Lamp

Many of us have salt lamps in our living room. They’re used to purify the air and create a sense of calmness and tranquility. But what if we told you that a salt lamp was used in ‘Supergirl?’ That’s right, one of their movie props includes something that’s probably sitting in your living room. It certainly matches the surrounding scenery. Now, every time we look at our salt lamp, we’re going to picture ourselves floating on a rock through the solar system, millions of lightyears away from Earth. This certainly helps us feel better when we want a break from life every so often. Maybe we should decorate our living room like a planet from another galaxy. That’ll get our friends talking (via TV Bee).

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42. Book Light

‘V for Vendetta’ is a great movie, but don’t be fooled by thinking they use high-tech movie props! Again, they used an item you probably have in your bedroom. When Inspector Finch uses a signal jammer, it turns out it’s a cheap book light you could find almost anywhere. All they did was simply turn on the red light they had a movie prop that looks like it costs hundreds of dollars. Again, this is just another example that inspires us to begin creating movies in the comfort of our living room (via TV Bee).

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41. Blood Glucose

We’re surprised by the creativity of some directors. Honestly, we’d never look at a blood glucose meter and immediately think of using it in a famous movie like ‘Resident Evil’ as a code cracker. All they had to do was dress it up a bit and stick an antenna to it. Apparently, movie props can be as simple as this. We’re not going to look at everyday items the same way ever again. For example, next time we see something like a vase, we’re going to think about using it as a grenade or weapon in a movie. Now we feel like we’re onto something (via TV Bee).

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40. Dog Movie Props

If you thought movie props were limited to inanimate objects, think again. In ‘Star Trek,’ they used a dog as one of their movie props. We think this is one of the greatest movie props ever. All they did was dress it up a bit and disguise it as a unicorn dog. This made us love Star Trek that much more, and this scene alone made us appreciate Star Trek. Now, we’re going to look at our pets in a different light. With a little bit of imagine and a costume, they could turn into an evil dinosaur that wants to take over the world (via TV Bee).

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39. Ice Cream Maker

‘Star Wars’ is constantly surprising us. We live for their secret movie props that we can find around our house. This makes us believe we could’ve created Star Wars all on our own. In one scene, Willrow Hood carried a Camtono. It wasn’t your typical Camtono, though, it was an ice cream maker posing as a Camtono. The next time we watch ‘Star Wars,’ we’re going to think about ice cream. This honestly feels like a win-win situation, since both are great (via TV Bee).

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38. Safety Fence

Even though ‘Airheads’ was created in 1994, that doesn’t mean they didn’t have access to high-end props. In one of the scenes, Michael Richards’ character is blown through a screen, which sits inside an air duct. At first glance, this looks like a carefully constructed fence. It turns out that the screen is simply made of a construction site safety fence. All they had to do was spray paint the fence to suit the movie (via MyMomSaysIAmCool).

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37. Nerf Guns

The year is 2149. Technology is more advanced than we could ever imagine. We can’t even fathom what sort of guns they use in 2149. In the movie ‘Terra Nova,’ the soldiers had guns. All soldiers need guns, especially high-tech ones that have a lot of power. Apparently, Nerf Guns are exactly what you need to make a tremendous impact and fight for your life. When they’re painted, they’re barely noticeable (via TV Bee).

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36. Car Stereo Remotes

The movie props in ‘The Fifth Element’ surprised us. They used a couple of Sony RM X4 car stereo remotes and glued them together to act as a futuristic cellphone. Even though it looks a bit odd, they certainly match the style of the movie. We never thought to glue car stereo remotes together and create something as phenomenal and futuristic as this, but they made it work (via TV Bee).

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35. Pterodactyl Ghost

Scooby-Doo is another one of our favorite all-time movies and shows. ‘Mystery Incorporated’ looks at all the lives of each of the characters from ‘Scooby-Doo: Where Are You?’ Little did we know that the image of The Pterodactyl Ghost in Indiegogo’s ‘Mystery Incorporated’ is an illustration from a Dungeons and Dragons book. If you’re also a fan of D&D, this was one of the best discoveries we’ve ever made. It’s like two of our favorite things, combined into one (via BigBongDonkeyKong).

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34. Plastic Shipping Pallets

They say plastic has many different uses. It’s malleable and used for many different things, from medical use to simple, everyday items. But what about in ‘Star Trek?’ As we’ve seen time and time again, movie props don’t need to be high-tech to leave an impression. In ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,’ the wall panels we see throughout the station are plastic shipping pallets. These are cheap and can be ordered online. Because of their futuristic look, Star Trek decided to use them in their movie. We’re certainly impressed. Now we’re getting some unique ideas for house decorations (via astrozuni).

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33. Starbucks In Game Of Thrones

If you were as obsessed with ‘Game of Thrones’ as we were, then you’ve probably already heard of this one. The Starbucks Cup in the ‘Game of Thrones’ was not exactly a hidden object that was placed as a prop, it was more likely left there by accident. But it still looks cool. Maybe they time-traveled to the future to get a delicious dose of caffeine. We’ll never really know, but it definitely makes the show feel more relatable, especially considering the fact we watched most of the ‘Game of Thrones’ episodes with a Starbucks cup in our hand (via TV Bee).

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32. The Sea Urchin

In the first episode of Season 2 of ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian,’ we see an interesting-looking vessel. At first glance, we can’t even imagine what it is. He’s expected to drink from it, and we’re left wondering if we would drink something from that vessel. It’s the empty shell of a sea urchin. It’s a beautiful, and tactful way to use props from our environment in movies. We’d love to see more movie props like this, considering creatures from the sea are quite beautiful, as long as they’re only using ones that have washed up on shore (via TV Bee).

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31. Tools To Escape Your Car

If you’re ever in a car accident and need to escape from your car, certain tools aid in your escape. Apparently, they also double as movie and television props. In ‘Lost,’ Faraday and his team attach GPS transponders, which are car escape tools, to themselves. They do this solely for safety. They’re not going to protect you the way they say they would in ‘Lost,’ but they serve a safety purpose. Either way, we wouldn’t want to rely on a tool like this to save ourselves, since they look more like a flashlight that you’d take camping (TV Bee).

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30. Car Topper

A lot of us have car toppers sitting on top of our cars. We use it for extra storage, which is convenient if we go camping or are moving. Or, if we have kids and they decide to bring tons of toys with them. Either way, they come in handy. But that’s not their only purpose, because, in ‘The Expanse,’ we see a car topper that’s used as a pediatric cryo stasis pod. That’s a mouthful to say! They made it look futuristic. We’d love to make our car topper look just like this. We’ll drive our car around as if we’re from the future. That’s one way to get a lot of jealous looks from our neighbors. Maybe we’d even start a trend (via Icansecretlyfly).

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29. Bulletproof Vest

You’d expect Netflix to use movie props that cost a fortune. That’s not always the case. In ‘Lost in Space,’ they used a $65 airsoft vest to keep their characters protected. That’s not something we’d want to wear to protect our lives. At least it looks like it’ll stop bullets from penetrating the vest and going right into someone’s body. It’ll only protect them if they’re being shot at with a paintball gun or airsoft guns. Nevertheless, next time we want to spice up our wardrobe and make us look like a rebel, we’ll jump onto the internet and buy an airsoft vest â€‹â€‹(via TV Bee).

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28. Blowtorch

We never looked at our creme brulee blowtorch and thought, “let’s cut into a metal locker with this.” That’s exactly what happened in ‘Alias,’ where one of the characters cut into a metal locker with a blowtorch. For the blowtorch, all they did was spice up a creme brulee blowtorch. These babies are great for making creme brulee, but apparently, they also come in handy when trying to melt metal. Although we wouldn’t actually suggest trying this at home, it’s still pretty interesting that they used this everyday item in their movie â€‹â€‹(via TV Bee).

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27. Medicine Tablets

Remembering to take medicine is one of the most frustrating things in the world. Suddenly, it’s been three days and we’ve forgotten to take our antibiotics and have to start the course all over. This actor in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ pinned his medicine tablets to his outfit so he remembers to take them. They look like they’re a part of his costume. This is genius. Next time we need a course of medicine, we’re going to tape our tablets onto our outfit, because it also doubles as a quirky, unique design (via Redciao).

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26. Makeup Compact

Makeup compacts have more than one purpose. With the right angle and lighting, just like makeup, they can double as a non-functioning high-end computer, just like they did in ‘Mutant X.’ That’s remarkable. We might steal this idea next time we need to make ourselves look a little bit fancier in a video or photograph. It really looks like something from the future. We’d never know this prop was actually something you could buy at the local pharmacy â€‹â€‹(via TV Bee).

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25. Nerf Mega Thunder Bow

Nerf Mega Thunder Bows already have ingenious designs that make us feel cooler whenever we use them. Whether we used them as a kid or as an adult, it doesn’t really matter. It’s fun to run around playing with them. That’s exactly what happened in ‘Guardians of Justice’ in Season 1 Episode 4. The Black Bow’s are Nerf Mega Thunder Bows, just redesigned and repainted to give them a grungy, otherworldly appearance. This is certainly inspiring us to repaint ours (via BigBongDonkeyKong).

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24. Logitech Joystick

Playing games on a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro is extremely fun. It’s half the reason some of us would put up with our annoying friends and spend hours in their basement. The rapid-fire triggers, programmable buttons, and contoured grip brought playing games to an entirely new level. But that’s not all they’re used for. In season 6, episode 4 of ‘The Expanse,’ one of the characters is spotted piloting a spacecraft with the joystick. Next time we use that thing, we’re going to imagine ourselves controlling a spacecraft. It’s about as close as we can get since we’ll never actually pilot a spacecraft (via bouche).

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23. Thermometer

Nowadays, thermometers are not like they used to be. They’re way more tech-savvy and some of them even resemble guns. It’s fun taking the temperature of your friends since you get to point the gun at them to read their temperature. The pandemic helped with their advancement. They also double as movie props. In ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 1, the mechanic’s tool is a thermometer gun. At first glance, it doesn’t look like a thermometer gun, but if you stare at it long enough, you can tell what it is (via TV Bee).

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22. Bubble Wall

Adding a bubble wall to your living room is one way to add some character and pizzaz to your space. They’re simple to make, and if you have enough time, you can make one yourself. Bubble walls use small, powerful motors to pump air through a wall and distribute it evenly. Add some LED lights, and you have a cool design. In ‘Eagle Eye,’ they used a bubble wall in one of their scenes. It looks futuristic and eerie (via SavingsTask).

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21. Gillette Comlink

We see Gillette Razors all over the place. In the stores, online, and on television commercials. But it doesn’t stop there. In ‘Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace,’ the Comlink is a Gillette women’s razor. We never thought to use it as a microphone to practice our singing skills, but that’s what they did in Star Wars. It’s one of those surprising, everyday movie props we had in our bathroom all along (via TV Bee).

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20. Calculators

Films released in the 1990s were some of the greatest of all time. They were ahead of their era and developed ways of filming and thinking that were unlike many other movies done before. The original ‘Total Recall’ from 1990, is one of those films. In the movie, they had fancy wrist communicators. If you take a closer look, it turns out they are calculators. We never thought you could use calculators as movie props, but it turns out that you can. The film even won a Special Achievement Academy Award, solely for its visual effects. It’s interesting to see how far one simple item can go (TV Bee).

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19. Escalator

We’re loving these ‘Star Wars’ movie props. It turns out they used a lot more everyday items than we previously thought. This is Canary Wharf in London, which has been used for a myriad of different purposes. It was also used in the movie ’28 Days Later.’ In Star Wars, it was used as a transport hub. All they did was cover the escalators and decorated them to give them more of a futuristic look. That’s impressive. We’d love to visit Canary Wharf, just to see what it’s like to stand in a place used in so many famous movies (via TV Bee).

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18. Microphone

At first glance, we recognize this device, but can’t really put our finger on it. ‘Star Trek’ has a way of tricking us with their movie props. They’ve made it look so futuristic and retro, that we wouldn’t give it another thought. We’d chalk it up to one of those expensive movie props we’ll never figure out. What if we told you it’s a microphone? Journalists might’ve picked up on this one quickly, but it took us a bit of time. Our phones have microphones, but we can’t see them. We love these sorts of movie props (via TV Bee).

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17. Coffee Machine

‘Back to the Future’ is another one of our all-time favorite movies. We can’t get enough of them and have watched all three of them a multitude of times. They’re not immune to using everyday items like movie props. ‘Doc’ Emmett Brown is a brilliant scientist that uses a Krups coffee machine for the Mr. Fusion on the DeLorean. It uses garbage to make fuel, but it also makes great coffee, too. We love a two-for-one item that doubles as a movie prop (via TV Bee).

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16. Dog Toy

Dog toys are items that have a multitude of purposes. ‘Star Wars,’ yet again, uses everyday items like movie props. We’re impressed with their creativity and ability to see a random item for their movies. This one is a dog toy. They’ve painted it over in silver, to give it a space-age look. It’s extraordinary if we do say so ourselves. To be honest, it looks more like an item from another galaxy than a dog toy (via TV Bee).

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15. Ice Cream Bowl From The Future

We’d love to eat from a futuristic ice cream bowl. Maybe it’d give us superpowers, or some secret to life we can use for our benefit. In the end credits for ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy,’ Taneleer Tivan drinks his martini out of a “Big Love ” ice cream bowl. We feel inspired to drink our martinis out of an ice cream bowl from now on. Not only do we feel cool, but we feel like we’re from the future. Or in some famous movie. Whatever makes us feel better about ourselves (via TV Bee).

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14. Nintendo DS

Many of us grew up playing Nintendo. We’re not the only ones who used Nintendo. In the TV series ‘Stargate: Atlantis,’ we see one of the characters, Colonel Shepherd, using a microcomputer in bed. Except it’s not a microcomputer like we’re led to believe. This is one of those movie props that tricks our eyes. It’s a Nintendo DS. Finally, something we can relate to. We’ve all spent hours in our bed with a Nintendo DS. Now we can pretend we were in the world of ‘Stargate: Atlantis.’ That makes us feel a tiny bit better (TV Bee).

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13. Stage Light Lightsaber

Luke Skywalker is one of the greatest movie characters of all time. If you don’t know who he is, we believe you’ve been living in a bubble. But that doesn’t make him immune to using everyday items as movie props. His lightsaber is nothing more than a simple stage light. Head backstage, grab a stage light, and you have yourself your very own lightsaber. Decorate it with some paint and monochromatic sheen and you have a beautiful, futuristic weapon to fight all your enemies in the galaxy (via TV Bee).

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12. Snorkeling Gear

Snorkeling masks already look like items from future planets. They’re a bit eerie and paired with a wetsuit, make you look like an alien. Pretty much everyone who lives near the beach nowadays owns a snorkeling mask. If you’re not sure, go and check in your garage – there’s probably one buried in there somewhere. In ‘The Expanse,’ they use a snorkeling mask, without the top, as an oxygen mask. Even though it’s more related to its actual use than many of the other movie props we’ve seen on this list, it’s still cool (via TV Bee).

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11. A/C Remote

This obvious household product in ‘Watchmen’ is an A/C remote. This scene gave us the chills, and now we know we can blame it on the A/C temperature. Jokes aside, the controller was used to control the chamber. Maybe our A/C remotes have more than one use, as we were led to believe. Either way, it’s a clever way to make use of an everyday item (via TV Bee).

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10. Windows 2000

The show ‘Firefly’ takes place in the year 2517. You’d think that by then they’d have technological advancements we can’t even begin to imagine. In five hundred years, we expect to be able to teleport from one country to the next. That’s not what’s happening behind the scenes here, because the computer in front of this guy is using a Windows 2000. Now we’re cursing ourselves for throwing away our monitor. Maybe it could’ve teleported us to another dimension (via TV Bee).

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9. Sawed-Off Nintendo Zapper

These shooting light guns are used at home for arcade games to shoot at the TV and target ducks, cowboys, and criminals. Unfortunately, we didn’t own one of these when we were younger, but that doesn’t make them any less cool. They’re an electronic light gun used by Nintendo. They’re apparently also used as movie props. In ‘Stargate,’ the weapons we see are sawed-off NES Zappers. Now we’re cursing ourselves for not thinking outside the box and realizing we could’ve created some epic fighting scenes out of our NES Zappers (via TV Bee).

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8. Barcode Scanners

It seems like both ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Star Trek’ use the most everyday items for movie props out there. It doesn’t matter what era it is; they don’t shy away from their creativity. In 2009, they used barcode scanners in the captain’s quarters. We’re not sure why they’re there. They do look impressive and otherworldly, so we give them props for their imagination (via TV Bee).

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7. Coleco Bowlatronic

If you grew up in the ’80s, then you might’ve had a Coleco Bowlatronic. It’s a vintage handheld video game, advanced for its time. Apparently, that’s not its only use, since it can double for use as movie props. In ‘Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett,’ the majordomo uses this communications tablet, which is a 1980’s Coleco Bowlatronic. If you’ve never seen a Coleco Bowlatronic before, you’d never know what it was. But some of you might’ve caught on straight away (via Therealbuckles).

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6. Handheld Video Game

We love ‘The Fifth Element,’ especially after finding out that it uses everyday items as movie props. It’s a sci-fi, action movie that’s both absurd and wonky. If you take a close look at the ZF-1 remote control, you might notice what it is. It’s a vintage handheld video game, of the Game & Watch system. All they did was paint it black. We love the innovation here â€‹â€‹(via TV Bee).

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5. Ear And Nose Hair Trimmer

We’ve seen a Gillette Razor used as movie props, but what about an ear and nose trimmer? In ‘Stargate,’ the device the doctor uses is a nose and ear trimmer. It looks like the most sophisticated, futuristic movie props are everyday items we can find in our bathroom. It’s a shame we didn’t think of doing this first. We could’ve been rich and famous by now (via TV Bee).

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4. Fuel Injection Rails

If you work at a car repair shop, you’ll know exactly what this is. To us everyday folk, we had to look at it for several minutes, and probably search the internet for an answer. It’s seen with the Jawas in ‘The Mandalorian’ a multitude of times. They were recalled at one point, so Volkswagen probably found joy in giving them a new home with famous actors (via TV Bee).

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3. Mercury Vapor Bulb

Growing up, we might’ve used mercury vapor bulbs in science class. That’s not their only use. They’re used as movie props, too. In ‘The Saint,’ a hydrogen power device is a mercury vapor bulb. We never would’ve spotted that one, so thankfully, this Reddit user pointed that out. It might even bring back horrible memories if science class was your least favorite subject. It wasn’t our favorite (via SavingsTask).

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2. Scientific Calculators

In ‘Total Recall,’ Martian Security wears scientific calculators on his sleeve. They look like they’re a part of his costume and were strategically placed on his sleeves. In fact, we love the look so much, that we might consider taping our calculators to our sleeves. It gives it a futuristic look you can’t get anywhere else. Whoever thought calculators had more than one purpose? (PedroTPete).

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1. Hair Dryer

Movies seem to use a lot of props that are found in our bathroom. We’ve seen razors and nose and ear trimmers, and now we’re seeing a hairdryer. We think that these movies might be onto something. In this ‘Z Nation’ scene, a character uses his radio. The microphone of the radio is a hairdryer’s intake lid. That’s quite clever. Honestly, we think it’s cheaper to use than an actual microphone. It’s eerie how similar they look. Maybe they were inspired by a girl using her hairdryer as a microphone (TV Bee).

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