Where Have I Seen This Tower Of Televisions?
December 17, 2016 10:52 PM Subscribe
Please have a look at these two stills taken from Cowboy Bebop (Session #23). They reminded me so much of an image (motif) I had seen before in some other sci-fi feature. Does it ring any bells with anyone?
Max Headroom? They'd often show people in the ruins gathered around irregular piles of televisions watching whatever thing was going on.
posted by rodlymight at 11:42 PM on December 17, 2016 [12 favorites]
posted by rodlymight at 11:42 PM on December 17, 2016 [12 favorites]
An image search on 'TV installation art' yields lots of possibilities.
posted by zippy at 11:59 PM on December 17, 2016
posted by zippy at 11:59 PM on December 17, 2016
Quite a Synchronicity 2 vibe, although that pile is untidier and mainly amps.
posted by hawthorne at 12:24 AM on December 18, 2016
posted by hawthorne at 12:24 AM on December 18, 2016
Not sci-fi, but a few companies have done this - I think Heineken got a lot of attention with theirs.
posted by Mchelly at 5:02 AM on December 18, 2016
posted by Mchelly at 5:02 AM on December 18, 2016
One of the Smithsonian's in DC (American History?) has an exhibit featuring a bunch of old 70s style TVs in a pyramid.
posted by COD at 5:52 AM on December 18, 2016
posted by COD at 5:52 AM on December 18, 2016
Johnny Mnemonic?
posted by disconnect at 7:29 AM on December 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by disconnect at 7:29 AM on December 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
Max Headroom (at least at 34:41 of that clip) I'm still scanning for more examples.
I'm also fairly certain that Serial Experiments Lain had a similar motif, but given the timing I couldn't say which anime did it first.
I'd also look at Brazil (early), and perhaps 12 Monkeys (movie) (late)
posted by sparklemotion at 7:33 AM on December 18, 2016
I'm also fairly certain that Serial Experiments Lain had a similar motif, but given the timing I couldn't say which anime did it first.
I'd also look at Brazil (early), and perhaps 12 Monkeys (movie) (late)
posted by sparklemotion at 7:33 AM on December 18, 2016
Maybe Mr. Universe in Serenity/Firefly?
posted by disconnect at 7:44 AM on December 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by disconnect at 7:44 AM on December 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Obscure film trivia: Godfrey Reggio filmed a tower of TV sets in a staged sequence for Koyaanisqatsi, but he decided that it didn't fit with the rest of the concept and edited most of it out. If you watch closely you can see a couple of seconds of the TV sets exploding that are mixed into a montage near the end of the film.
posted by ovvl at 8:02 AM on December 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 8:02 AM on December 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
The shot that I was thinking of in 12 monkeys is shown in the fifth (I think) image here.
posted by sparklemotion at 8:03 AM on December 18, 2016
posted by sparklemotion at 8:03 AM on December 18, 2016
Could it be a video game? I instantly thought of the television imagery for Persona 4.
posted by queseyo at 8:54 AM on December 18, 2016
posted by queseyo at 8:54 AM on December 18, 2016
Johnny Mnemonic? It's more a stalactite of TVs there, where as the one in your image is a stalagmite, but it was the first thing that popped into my head.
posted by radwolf76 at 9:17 AM on December 18, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by radwolf76 at 9:17 AM on December 18, 2016 [4 favorites]
Gah, I can picture another example but I can't place it. Wasn't there something like this in an MTV interstitial, or in some MTV program intro? Like a mountain / triangular pile of TVs?
posted by madmethods at 11:54 AM on December 18, 2016
posted by madmethods at 11:54 AM on December 18, 2016
it reminds me of a gorillaz video
posted by poffin boffin at 2:07 PM on December 18, 2016
posted by poffin boffin at 2:07 PM on December 18, 2016
Serial Experiments Lain or maybe Persona 4 (video game)?
posted by augustimagination at 5:36 PM on December 19, 2016
posted by augustimagination at 5:36 PM on December 19, 2016
More Johnny Mnenmonic, featuring the same face on each of the TVs, similar to the Cowboy Bebop image.
posted by zippy at 7:24 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by zippy at 7:24 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I really appreciate your help with all of these. Sadly none of them are ringing any bells for me. It definitely wasn't an art installation I was thinking of - certainly some film or other.
It could have been Twelve Monkeys, but that turns out to be more of a sphere than a tower. I'm liking the Serenity reference, but it didn't give me a, "That's it!" feeling. Johnny Mnemonic was a fine match too...but still no satisfaction.
If it comes to me I'll be sure to drop you a line. Thank you again.
posted by roryks at 1:09 PM on December 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
It could have been Twelve Monkeys, but that turns out to be more of a sphere than a tower. I'm liking the Serenity reference, but it didn't give me a, "That's it!" feeling. Johnny Mnemonic was a fine match too...but still no satisfaction.
If it comes to me I'll be sure to drop you a line. Thank you again.
posted by roryks at 1:09 PM on December 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Sara C. at 10:55 PM on December 17, 2016 [3 favorites]