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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

2023-03-26 23:05 All 80s TV
Here's a collection on machines appearing in 1980s television. In "The Twilight Zone" episode Quarantine there in a hacked-up Epson QX-10 and an IBM PC XT and the "Miami Vice" episode Better Living Through Chemistry has a Commodore Amiga 1000 and a Kaypro Robie. Next are two parts of an "Alf" story with Someone to Watch Over Me: Part 1 having an IBM PS/2 Model 50/70 and Someone to Watch Over Me: Part 2 a brief shot of a Commodore Amiga 500. The "Dallas" episode Fringe Benefits sees J.R. using an NEC PC8001. And finally, two episode of "The Beachcombers" with Silicon Smith and the Wall of Death featuring a Zenith Z-181 and Computer Error also having that machine plus the Starring-the-Computer debutante GRiDcase 1520.
2023-03-18 12:10 Very Different Debutantes
Two very different machines make their first Starring the Computer appearance. The Dell PowerEdge R730 appears in Sniper: Ghost Shooter (along with a Panasonic Toughbook), and an episode of The Avengers called "The Nutshell" has some great shots of the NCR 315.
2023-02-24 00:01 Four by G4
Here's a collection of four appearances of Apple G4 machines. There is a Powerbook G4 in Close Range and the "ER" episode April Showers, and there are iMac G4s in Without a Paddle and the "Sex and the City" episode Catch-38.
2023-02-19 22:56 Three PCs
The IBM PC XT appears in Baby Boom and Flashback and there's a AT&T PC 6300 in Wise Guys.
2023-02-05 17:16 Wang WLTC
The not very imaginatively named Wang WLTC makes its Starring-the-Computer debut in Dick Francis: Twice Shy.
2023-01-01 12:29 New Year, Old Computers
We see in 2023 with some more big iron appearances. Mission Mars features an IBM System/360 system and there are panels from an IBM 1620 in the "Invisible Man" episode Pin Money. There's a panel from an ICT 1301 in the "Doomwatch" episode You Killed Toby Wren and the Face Off episode of "The Event" has panels from the IBM AN/FSQ-7 (as well as a modern interloper - the Apple Macbook Air).
2022-12-24 01:20 Apple Christmas
Here are a couple of festive Apple appearances. There's a Powerbook G3 in Jack Frost, and an iMac G5 in Holiday in Handcuffs.
2022-12-04 13:30 Two new laptops
A couple of laptops make their Starring-the-Computer debut: The IBM Thinkpad R60 in Green Zone and the Compaq Presario 1600 in the "Bette" episode Big Business.
2022-11-19 16:35 A British and a Swedish newcomer
Two 1980s computer make their debut appearance in this update. The Swedish Luxor ABC 800 plays a vital role in The Ninja Mission, whereas there is just a tiny role for an Apricot Xi in Defence of the Realm.
2022-11-06 20:08 A Random Collection
Here's a random collection of appearances. The "Remington Steele" episode Red Holt Steele has a Tandy TRS-80 Model III and a Vector Graphic Vector 4. The first episode of Dekalog has shots of an Amstrad CPC 6128 and there is a brief appearance of an NEC PC8001 in the "Misfits of Science" episode Three Days of the Blender. And finally we have a couple more Apple appearances: a Powerbook G3 in Frequency, and an iMac G5 in Tomb Raider.