69 Hilariously Random Things Used As Props, Sets, And Costumes In Movies And TV Shows, Including A Snorkling Mask, A Gum Pack, And A Gillette Razor

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The people who create sets, costumes, and props for movies and TV shows are nothing short of magic-makers. They create the world the characters inhabit, but sometimes, they have to get creative when working on a shoestring budget or trying to create a sci-fi or futuristic item that doesn't yet exist. This can lead to a bunch of...odd items to use as props, to say the least. Here are some of the silliest things viewers spotted onscreen!

1. Star Wars has a LOT of these. Those things on Luke's shoulder pads in The Empire Strikes Back? I'm pretty sure that's just bubble wrap.

Person in cockpit wearing a helmet and flight suit, reminiscent of a sci-fi pilot

2. And this medical droid from The Empire Strikes Back has a microphone grill for a mouth.

A retro-futuristic robot stands next to a vintage microphone, set against a laboratory backdrop

3. This guy's just in the background of The Empire Strikes Back, but fans spotted him carrying an ice cream maker with no adjustments and found it hilarious.

Person holding an object next to an image of a Hamilton Beach 4-Quart Ice Cream Maker

4. Star Trek shows and movies are also pretty bad. A big, massive "YOU TRIED" (but did they, though?) award to the people who tried to make this dog look like some futuristic creature on Star Trek: the Original Series.

Two people in sci-fi uniforms; one holds a fluffy dog on a rocky, extraterrestrial-looking set

5. This doesn't just apply to the old stuff, either. There's literally just a Dyson hand dryer that you could find in any modern bathroom in this Star Trek scene.

Two men walking together in a futuristic setting. One is supporting the other, who appears concerned. They are dressed in casual, sleek outfits

6. Speaking of Dyson fans...the remote for the interrogation chamber in the Watchmen TV show is a remote made for Dyson fans:

Hand picking a remote from a chair next to an image of the remote, which has multiple buttons, including blue and red

7. Anyone with a vagina might recognize this lil' "scanning tool" from Galaxy Quest: it's a speculum you'd find at the gynecologist's.

A surprised woman looks at a mechanical arm with claws in a futuristic setting

8. This guy from Dune is just wearing washing machine tubing on his helmet.

Bathroom fixture resembling the helmet's design

9. Alien: Resurrection features a control pad that's actually the old handheld electronic game Lights Out.

Person holding a vintage Lights Out electronic puzzle game in front of a screen showing a TV or movie scene featuring the same device

10. Firefly also features some cool sci-fi tech, like an automated trash bin! Except it's running Windows 2000.

Person in an industrial setting interacts with an old computer terminal displaying a Windows interface

11. It's not just sci-fi shows and movies that repurpose items. The famous Michael Myers mask from the Halloween films is a Captain Kirk mask for Star Trek, spray-painted white, with the hair combed out.

Two Halloween masks side by side, resembling human faces with emotionless expressions and blank eyes, often used for horror or costume events

12. Remember the nanny cam from Meet the Fockers? It's a pen. Specifically, a Uni-Ball pen.

Top, a man opens a crocodile toy to reveal a pen. Bottom, two black pens with caps

13. You'd expect Bruce Wayne to have some cool, expensive, specially crafted shoes to wear as Batman, right? Well, in Batman Returns, they're just Air Jordan 6s with some adjustments. You can even see the logo on the bottom.

14. And in Gotham, Batman's got PlayStation glove controllers lyin' around 'cause you never know when you might need them!

Assorted rock climbing gear, including a belay device, carabiners, and camming devices, laid out on a surface

15. In this scene from The Fifth Element, this "phone" is just two Sony RM X4 car stereo remote control units cobbled together.

A group of people in military-style outfits look serious, one holding a device, possibly in a tense or dramatic scene

16. The Fifth Element clearly multipurposed multiple ordinary items, given that the detonator in one scene is just a combination lock like hte ones you see on high school lockers.

A gloved hand turning a combination lock dial with a glowing red dot indicator on the lock

17. The ZF-1 remote in The Fifth Element is one of those old handheld electronic games you may have had as a kid, painted black.

A vintage handheld football video game is displayed over a Star Trek device as data cards are being inserted

18. Similarly, in the first Spy Kids, Carmen uses a locator device that's just the handheld electronic version of Battleship.

Person looking at a futuristic handheld device, combined with an image of an electronic Battleship game displaying gameplay elements

19. The hologram device from an episode of Community is just an upside-down Hungry Hippos game spray-painted silver.

Rock band performing on a cassette tape stage, with dynamic lighting and a misty backdrop. Members play guitar, drums, and sing energetically

20. This Bollywood movie scene features a doctor using Scotch-Brite bathroom scrubbers as defibrillator pads.

Hospital scene showing a doctor holding a green scrubber, resembling a restroom cleaning tool, over a patient, with a bystander watching

21. This "moice stress analyzer" from Monk is just a PSP.

A person outdoors holds a handheld gaming device, wearing a striped shirt under a plaid jacket

22. I'm obsessed with the fact that Luke Skywalker is a Levi's guy.

Tweet by Mark Hamill about wearing bleached-out Levi jeans with back pockets removed for the first Star Wars film. Includes a reply and image of Luke Skywalker

23. This bomb timer from a S.W.A.T. scene is literally a calculator.

57" on its screen, placed on a cylindrical object with a gauge

24. Similarly, in Resident Evil, there's a transmitter for hacking access codes that's just a glucose monitor that someone glued an antenna onto.

Two glucose meters display readings of 104 and 0 next to a digital clock showing "217." The scene suggests a medical or scientific context

25. And the keypad in this Dark Matter episode is just a kitchen scale.

A hand holds a small digital scale in front of a TV screen displaying "Dark Matter, Season 3, Episode 5."

26. This is literally just a nose and ear hair trimmer on Stargate SG-1 — not the ~super futuristic~ medical device it seems to be.

A person is having their ear examined using a medical device. Another person's hand is gently holding their face during the procedure

27. One of the tools Baby Anakin's got in The Phantom Menace is a dog toy spray-painted silver. This person's got the same one at home.

A person holds a toy, matching its design to a similar object seen in a sci-fi movie playing on a screen

28. Another dog toy can be seen in Lost in Space. It's meant to be a futuristic version of a soccer ball, but it's actually the Holee Roller dog toy spray-painted a different color.

People wearing rugged, casual clothing in a desert-like setting, with one person in the background in bright attire

29. Also in Lost in Space, members of the military are wearing cheap foam Airsoft vests.

Black and Desert

30. This oxygen mask from The Expanse is just a snorkeling mask.

Person looking at a full-face snorkel mask, with an additional image of the mask shown from the side

31. The 2000s sci-fi show Mutant X used an eyeshadow palette as a futuristic-looking device in one scene.

A comparison of a makeup compact in a TV scene on the left and a real compact on a table on the right

32. The "energy bow" Jannah uses in The Rise of Skywalker is pretty sick, right? Well, turns out it's just two regular bows put together.

Archer in medieval costume aims bow from horseback; adjacent online listing features a similar bow for sale with price

33. People are pretty convinced the things (grenades, maybe?) on one of the Knights of Ren in the sequel series is a kids' Echo Mic.

Armored character holding a weapon in a desert setting

34. As a fan of Lost, it definitely went over my head that these "GPS transponders" were tools for car emergencies — like if you need to break a window, or whatever.

Person wearing a vest looking at a Travelon 4-in-1 Emergency Car Tool online listing, showing features and price

35. Bones featured a dexterity test in one episode that's actually the bane of my childhood: the anxiety-inducing kids' game Perfection.

Person playing with electronic device; Perfection board game with yellow shapes

36. The Guardians of the Galaxy, like many Marvel films, features a post-credits scene. This one features the Collector drinking from a chalice. Except it's not a chalice at all...it's the Alessi "Big Love" ice cream bowl.

Person with head bandage sips from green cup; right side shows the same cup and a spoon

37. In The Spy Next Door, Jackie Chan's high-tech satellite programmer is just a label maker.

A person in a dark outfit holds a device. Below, a screen shows the word "MPLETE," implying a task is completed

38. Oakley Over the Top sunglasses made appearances in a number of futuristic TV shows and movies, including Spy Kids 3, Blade II, and Spider-Man.

A collage of various futuristic and sci-fi goggles designs, some worn by figures

39. I realize this is SNL, so it's probably part of the joke, but it's funny to note that the Kylo Ren Undercover Boss skit features a subordinate wearing what seems to be buttons or a rank pin or something, but is actually just a pack of gum.

A man identified as Lieutenant Colonel Zack wears a dark uniform with colorful badges, set against a futuristic, geometric background

40. Picard's stylus from this TNG scene is a box cutter.

A man in a futuristic uniform is holding a wooden stick. Below are close-ups of the wooden stick and a similar yellow utility knife

42. A fan met Hollywood car designer George Barris and claimed he told him the lower lenses on this Jurassic Park car were made of 7-Eleven Slurpee lids.

Tour jeep from a dinosaur-themed movie, with colorful patterns and logos, on a road surrounded by palm trees. Passengers are visible inside

43. Star Trek: Picard features a Mars colony replicator that is actually just a 3D printer.

Images show a futuristic meal station with trays and a white 3D printer, suggesting advanced food preparation technology

44. In Z Nation, the speaker on this radio is actually the back of a hair dryer.

A hand operates vintage dials on a control panel; below, a close-up of a microphone

45. James Bond's watch that spits out messages in The Spy Who Loved Me is spitting out a label from the Dymo LabelWriter, spray-painting silver.

"007 to report HQ. Immediate."

46. In an unexpected Star Wars-related example, The Dark Crystal used an Imperial fighter toy for the eye on this creature.

a detailed creature head and three close-up shots of mechanical elements and toy parts used in its design

47. This ship control board in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is a drum machine.

Image of a Star Trek character by a control panel next to a drum machine. Text jokingly references Kim Cattrall controlling the Enterprise

48. The control board in this scene from Loki is a Volca Keys entry-level synthesizer:

A person with shoulder-length hair stands in a room wearing a prison jumpsuit and a collar device, next to an inset of hands using a small electronic music device

49. The Cybermen in this Doctor Who episode appear to be wearing cricket gloves spray-painted silver.

Two individuals in futuristic, metallic robot costumes, featuring helmet-like headpieces and detailed chest plates

50. Another Star Wars one – Qui-Gon's communicator in Episode I is a Gillette Razor.

one hand-held with visible gears, the other with a smooth, ergonomic design and a textured grip

You can see it more closely here:

A razor modified to resemble a Star Wars comlink is displayed on an open magazine page with related text and images

51. In this scene from Andor, this one guy's just holding a Cymbal case.

People carrying various objects walk in a tunnel. Below, an ad for a Hardcase 20" cymbal case is displayed with a five-star rating

52. Not really a prop, per se, but this "leopard sub" from Zoo is a serval, a much smaller wild cat that is occasionally kept as a pet (but I wouldn't recommend it).

A small cheetah cub sits beside a rock, partially hidden by vegetation, looking to the left

53. This is just a barcode scanner in Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Futuristic laboratory with scientists working at various stations; in the foreground, a device resembling a barcode scanner

54. The 1982 movie Forbidden World uses to-go boxes as wall panels in one scene.

Two people in white robes walk barefoot in a futuristic hallway with metallic walls

55. This toy from The Expanse is an IKEA octopus clothes hanger.

on a table, held in hand, and hanging with clips extended

56. Also in The Expanse, this device used to scan plants is actually a mosquito repeller.

Hand holding a portable mosquito repeller in a garden; two repellers shown with black grilles

57. This is from a music video, but I'm still counting it: In My Chemical Romance's video for "Na Na Na," you can see a "security camera" that's actually a Polaroid camera. Specifically, the Polaroid SX70.

Side-by-side images of a vintage instant camera in use and a close-up of its design, showing its retro aesthetic and folding mechanism

58. To "analyze" a substance from a crime scene in one episode of Arrow, Felicity (the "man in the chair" of the show) uses a cheap pill-cutter. The razor's just been removed, and there's an LED in it.

"I noticed something tacky on the palm print our guy left on the windshield."

59. Sci-fi B-movie Star Slammer, aka The Adventures of Taura: Prison Ship Star Slammer, uses part of a steamer basket as an eyepatch.

A woman appears distressed, wearing a silver eye patch, while another person is close, possibly offering comfort

60. This Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "bomb" is actually an air cooler.

Television screen showing a blue prop bomb from "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." with a caption about Disney

61. Sorry to do yet ANOTHER example from The Expanse, but this thing on the side of a spacecraft is a notebook cooler.

Film scene with a person in a spaceship; zooms into a device resembling the depicted laptop cooler ad below

62. One more from The Expanse: this mining charge is actually a tripod-mounted camping lantern.

one mounted on a wall with a tripod, the other on a surface, unmounted

63. Fans are pretty sure the thing this droid is holding in The Mandalorian is a rotisserie skeer.

Science fiction robot and a kitchen whisk attachment, shown separately

64. Andor's pilot episode uses a regular ol' bungee cord as a belt.

A hand holds a toy hook in front of a scene from a medieval-style TV show or movie, featuring a person in rustic attire in a forest setting

65. This medical injector/tranquilizer from the 1989 film Robot Jox is a hot glue gun.

A person in a futuristic costume holds equipment; inset shows a glue gun

66. This tool from The Book of Boba Fett is actually a torch.

Two hands holding flashlights in different settings, suggesting comparison or demonstration

67. Also in The Book of Boba Fett, one droid is just a 100-liter water butt.

People dressed as water butts in a marketplace setting with an inset showing a real water butt

68. Greef Kargas's belt buckle from The Mandalorian is a folding pocket knife.

A person in a futuristic leather outfit with a small device attached to the chest, featuring a superimposed image of a multi-tool

69. And finally, I'm sorry to tell you this, but...this creature from The Return of the Jedi is, indeed, a taxidermied deer anus with teeth in it.

Behind-the-scenes look at the Star Wars creature, revealing the prop's use of a white-tailed deer with added fake teeth

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