Starring the Computer

Starring the Computer is a website dedicated to the use of computers in film and television. Each appearance is catalogued and rated on its importance (ie. how important it is to the plot), realism (how close its appearance and capabilities are to the real thing) and visibility (how good a look does one get of it). Fictional computers don't count (unless they are built out of bits of real computer), so no HAL9000 - sorry.

Please let me know if you spot any mistakes, or have any tips about films not mentioned here that feature computers.

James Carter <james@starringthecomputer.com>

News

2025-03-09 22:47 A Pile of Powerbooks

Here's a collection of films that include Apple Powerbooks. The Don's Analyst has a 5300 and Hitman's Run has a 520c (and an incidental Commodore PET 2001 keyboard in a prop that has appeared in a number of places). Finally, The Omega Code and Town & Country both have Powerbook G3s.

2025-03-01 21:50 Ted K's Computers

The film Ted K about the life of the Unabomber has a scene set in a computer store. In that you can see an Apple Macintosh, a Commodore Amiga 1000 and an Amiga 2000 and an IBM PC XT, PC AT and PS/2 Model 50/70. Later there is a scene in a library where an Apple Macintosh SE can be seen.

2025-02-09 15:13 All Apple IIs

Here is a collection of Apple II appearances. Armageddon Time has a classroom of Apple IIs and "The Goldbergs" episode Crazy Calls also has a classroom full, this time of Apple II plus machines. An Apple II makes a brief appearance in Bones and All and acts as the TXL Series 4 computer in Today's Special.

2025-01-26 16:20 Laptop debutantes

Continuing the laptop theme, here are some first-time appearances of laptops. Jungle 2 Jungle sees the first Compaq LTE Elite in the database, along with a Compaq Prolinea 3/4. Ghostbusters: Afterlife offers two new comers: the Dell Latitude E5520 and HP Stream (as well as the classic Casio PB-100). Finally the Acer Extensa 5620 makes its first appearance in Bad Ass.

2025-01-18 16:58 Laptops Laptops

Here are some laptops. Shadow Conspiracy has a couple of Compaqs - an LTE and a Prolinea 3/4 and Interstellar has a Dell Latitude E6420 XFR. The "Murder, She Wrote" episode Family Secrets gives us our first Toshiba T3300SL and Easy A has a collection of Sony machines including two Starring-the-Computer debutantes, the Vaio CS and Vaio FW, as well as a Vaio JS.

2024-12-20 14:44 Somewhat Christmassy

Here are a couple of films with tenuous links to Christmas. Abominable (snowmen... Christmas?) has an important role for an Apple Powerbook G4. Like the first film, Die Hard 2 is set on Christmas Eve and has a glimpse of an Apple Macintosh SE and a Starring-the-Computer debut from the Psion MC.

2024-12-01 14:57 Some PCs and a Mac

Here's a selection of IBM PCs and an errant Mac. Look Who's Talking Too has a PS/2 in one scene and a PC AT plays a critical role in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Season 7, Episode 7. The PC XT makes a very brief appearance in Cape Fear and also Rivals (which also gives us a glimpse of a Macintosh Plus).

2024-11-10 20:48 60's Machines

Here's a small collection of 1960's computers appearing in the 70s and 80s. Frankie and Johnnie... Were Lovers has some nice shots of a IBM System/360 model 30. Brief library shots of an RCA Spectra 70 appear in "The Bionic Woman" in the episode Jaime's Shield. Finally The Cannonball Run offers us shots of a panel from a GE 635.

2024-11-03 23:53 Various Commodores and a couple of others

There is are Commodore 64 in an episode of Grange Hill and the "Wandavision" episode On a Very Special Episode.... There's an Commodore Amiga 1000 in Les visiteurs and an Commodore Amiga 500 in Robot Ninja. The "Pennyworth" episode Many Clouds has a PET 2001 and an Amstrad PCW 8256, and the "Halo" episode Reach has a 64C, a CBM-II and an Apple eMac.

2024-10-20 18:04 IBMs, an ICT and UNIVACs

Here's a small collection of big iron. Charly has a couple of IBM machines: a 7094 and a System/360. There's a really hard to spot ICT 1301 panel in the "Doomwatch" episode No Room for Error. Finally the "Blake's 7" episode Space Fall (for which we had already recorded an ICT 1301) also has panels from a Sperry Univac 9400 and, making its Starring-the-Computer debut, the Sperry UNIVAC 9200/9300.