Highways / Signs in Movies, TV Shows, and Videos

[gibranalnn]

I saw:

• A road sign on the beginning of a Pixar movie BOLT. I forgot what exit number is that sign but the BGS said "Airport"
• At 1:50 on Fall Out Boy's "Centuries" hyperlapse version video clip a Clearview sign (below) is shown. Where is this sign located? And, Please REDESIGN!!!
  
• A scene on 2014 version of RoboCop. At what elapsed time is that sign shown? And REDESIGN!

[myosh_tino]

At 1:50 on Fall Out Boy's "Centuries" hyperlapse version video clip a Clearview sign (below) is shown. Where is this sign located? And, Please REDESIGN!!!

What exactly is wrong with the sign in the above screenshot?  I don't see any reason to redesign it.

[Brandon]

That sign is on the inbound Eisenhower Expressway near Morgan in Chicago.  It is very much real, and requires no redesign.  The Ike turns into Congress past the Circle Interchange, and goes to the Chicago Loop (aka Downtown Chicago).

[Zeffy]

I've merged gibranalnn's topic with this one, while updating the title to be a broader topic (with Alex's permission, of course). Also, the Road Related Illustrations board is primarily for hand-drawn or computer-generated images of roads, signs, etc.

[kurumi]

So Sin City is in New Jersey:

[Zeffy]

So Sin City is in New Jersey:

Or New York. 

[freebrickproductions]

I've merged gibranalnn's topic with this one, while updating the title to be a broader topic (with Alex's permission, of course). Also, the Road Related Illustrations board is primarily for hand-drawn or computer-generated images of roads, signs, etc.

We should merge this thread into this thread as well then.

[Zeffy]

I've merged gibranalnn's topic with this one, while updating the title to be a broader topic (with Alex's permission, of course). Also, the Road Related Illustrations board is primarily for hand-drawn or computer-generated images of roads, signs, etc.

We should merge this thread into this thread as well then.

I remembered another topic like this, but my searches were coming up empty. Merged!

[kurumi]

This font from "The Island" chase scene makes Clearview look good:



(That scene is the only one I know of in cinema featuring a Michigan-style 8-axle trailer.)

[kurumi]

Somewhere in Arizona...

[mapman1071]

Somewhere in Arizona...

State Route 186 (SR 186) is a highway in Cochise County, Arizona that runs from its junction with Interstate 10 in Willcox to its junction with SR 181 west of the Chiricahua National Monument. It is a northwest-southeast diagonal route.

[adventurernumber1]

Somewhere in Arizona...

State Route 186 (SR 186) is a highway in Cochise County, Arizona that runs from its junction with Interstate 10 in Willcox to its junction with SR 181 west of the Chiricahua National Monument. It is a northwest-southeast diagonal route.

Then US 39 simply doesn't exist 

And if it did, it surely wouldn't run through Arizona 

[adventurernumber1]

Double post!!

I do not know if the 2006 Pixar movie Cars has already been mentioned, but that movie has a lot of road-related stuff, and it's pretty cool too. I've had the movie since it came out, and I always loved it as a kid. I hadn't watched it in a very long time until today when my brother decided to put it in, which got me thinking yet again about how much road-related stuff is in that movie. Here are some pics of some cool road-related stuff in the movie:

A button-copy US 66 Shield! 



An in-movie map of the US 66 & I-40 in the movie near Radiator Springs:



Some guide signs at the beginning of the movie when Mack (Lightning McQueen's truck) heads west to California (Disclaimer: I apologize for the rather blurry pic, but it's the best shot I could get):



Some personal notes on the movie:

As a kid I always wondered where the locations (including ones on the road) in the movie were based off of in real life. I highly think the place with the guide signs I showed y'all takes place in Nashville. Why? Because the guide signs include I-24, US 41, & US 231, and the control city "Truckville" could be Nashville. Some more notes on those BGS'ses is that they're slightly off from being completely realistic but I have to admit they're pretty impressive, and I also laugh that they include a Circle-shaped state route shield & a California state route shield (neither of which are in Tennessee), as well as laughing at the rather "creative" High Road & Low Road. Nonetheless, once again, quite impressive for such a movie. Another note is that I think Radiator Springs may be based off of Peach Springs, Arizona. Reason why is because the routings of I-40 & AZ SR 66 (assuming that was historically US 66) are decently similar to the routings of US 66 & I-40 shown in the map on the movie, and that "Springs" are in both town names, as well as both cities being located/based in Arizona. 

A final note is that the movie also features a resurfacing job on US 66 in Radiator Springs as a large part of the plot, which is pretty cool (but interestingly the resurfaced version has no white edge stripes, while the original pavement does). 

[Zeffy]

What's astounding is the use of all FHWA fonts as well as that incredibly nice looking US 66 button copy shield. I remember seeing that and letting my jaw drop in school. No one else understood why. Figures.

[keithvh]

In the movie Ransom (Mel Gibson/Rene Russo flick from the mid-1990s), you can clearly see all the overhead signs at the NJ-4/NJ-208/Saddle River Road interchange, heading westbound on NJ-4.

45:28 mark of the YouTube video below:

http://youtu.be/IWRzNMIzyE4?t=45m28s

How it looks today, from Google Maps:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9266281,-74.0931609,3a,75y,278.74h,93.95t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1scUAJ44xZtJfYG75-vBk7tw!2e0

-------------------

Also in the movie, less than a minute before (at the 44:35 mark), there's a much-less-easy to make-out overhead road sign.  It APPEARS (though I am not sure) to be at the NJ-4/NJ-17 intersection, heading east on NJ-4

http://youtu.be/IWRzNMIzyE4?t=44m34s

How it looks today (the intersection I think it is), from Google Maps:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9249556,-74.0869053,3a,75y,97.42h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1ssZgJezfHlW0a8jF6REuIow!2e0

------------------

Anyway, there does appear to be a bit of a disconnect here.  The Mel Gibson character is pulled off to the side of NJ-4, then appears to merge onto traffic heading east.  Less than a minute later, he is heading west.

[Pete from Boston]

In the movie Ransom (Mel Gibson/Rene Russo flick from the mid-1990s), you can clearly see all the overhead signs at the NJ-4/NJ-208/Saddle River Road interchange, heading westbound on NJ-4.

45:28 mark of the YouTube video below:

http://youtu.be/IWRzNMIzyE4?t=45m28s

How it looks today, from Google Maps:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9266281,-74.0931609,3a,75y,278.74h,93.95t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1scUAJ44xZtJfYG75-vBk7tw!2e0

-------------------

Also in the movie, less than a minute before (at the 44:35 mark), there's a much-less-easy to make-out overhead road sign.  It APPEARS (though I am not sure) to be at the NJ-4/NJ-17 intersection, heading east on NJ-4

http://youtu.be/IWRzNMIzyE4?t=44m34s

How it looks today (the intersection I think it is), from Google Maps:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9249556,-74.0869053,3a,75y,97.42h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1ssZgJezfHlW0a8jF6REuIow!2e0

------------------

Anyway, there does appear to be a bit of a disconnect here.  The Mel Gibson character is pulled off to the side of NJ-4, then appears to merge onto traffic heading east.  Less than a minute later, he is heading west.

This movie annoyed the crap out of me when I saw it around 1997–the characters, the plot... everything.  When the completely illogical driving sequence happened I couldn't contain my contempt.  The people I was watching it with weren't amused.  In hindsight, I probably was expecting too much.

[keithvh]

This movie annoyed the crap out of me when I saw it around 1997–the characters, the plot... everything.  When the completely illogical driving sequence happened I couldn't contain my contempt.  The people I was watching it with weren't amused.  In hindsight, I probably was expecting too much.

LOL, I do share your sentiments here.  I myself, I saw this as a "date movie" when in college.  Date was with a relatively new gal. 

Anyway, toward the end when the Gary Sinese character has the gun to Mel Gibson's head, my date got all scared and worried.  I just looked over, rolled my eyes and said: "come on.  They're not going to kill off Mel Gibson.  There's no suspense here."

Same as you, my date wasn't amused.  That relationship didn't last too long.   

[kkt]

This movie annoyed the crap out of me when I saw it around 1997–the characters, the plot... everything.  When the completely illogical driving sequence happened I couldn't contain my contempt.  The people I was watching it with weren't amused.  In hindsight, I probably was expecting too much.

LOL, I do share your sentiments here.  I myself, I saw this as a "date movie" when in college.  Date was with a relatively new gal. 

Anyway, toward the end when the Gary Sinese character has the gun to Mel Gibson's head, my date got all scared and worried.  I just looked over, rolled my eyes and said: "come on.  They're not going to kill off Mel Gibson.  There's no suspense here."

Same as you, my date wasn't amused.  That relationship didn't last too long.   

Hey, John Wayne's character got killed in movies a few times.  You don't think Mel Gibson is tougher than John Wayne, do you?

[PHLBOS]

In Psycho (the original 1960 version, of course); one sees an assortment of road signs while Marion (Janet Leigh) is driving out of town in her recently-purchased '57 Ford.

Check out the style of the speed limit sign and accompanying 50 pavement advisory in 1:27 in the below-video clip.

[gibranalnn]

Double post!!

I do not know if the 2006 Pixar movie Cars has already been mentioned, but that movie has a lot of road-related stuff, and it's pretty cool too. I've had the movie since it came out, and I always loved it as a kid. I hadn't watched it in a very long time until today when my brother decided to put it in, which got me thinking yet again about how much road-related stuff is in that movie. Here are some pics of some cool road-related stuff in the movie:

A button-copy US 66 Shield! 



An in-movie map of the US 66 & I-40 in the movie near Radiator Springs:



Some guide signs at the beginning of the movie when Mack (Lightning McQueen's truck) heads west to California (Disclaimer: I apologize for the rather blurry pic, but it's the best shot I could get):



Some personal notes on the movie:

As a kid I always wondered where the locations (including ones on the road) in the movie were based off of in real life. I highly think the place with the guide signs I showed y'all takes place in Nashville. Why? Because the guide signs include I-24, US 41, & US 231, and the control city "Truckville" could be Nashville. Some more notes on those BGS'ses is that they're slightly off from being completely realistic but I have to admit they're pretty impressive, and I also laugh that they include a Circle-shaped state route shield & a California state route shield (neither of which are in Tennessee), as well as laughing at the rather "creative" High Road & Low Road. Nonetheless, once again, quite impressive for such a movie. Another note is that I think Radiator Springs may be based off of Peach Springs, Arizona. Reason why is because the routings of I-40 & AZ SR 66 (assuming that was historically US 66) are decently similar to the routings of US 66 & I-40 shown in the map on the movie, and that "Springs" are in both town names, as well as both cities being located/based in Arizona. 

A final note is that the movie also features a resurfacing job on US 66 in Radiator Springs as a large part of the plot, which is pretty cool (but interestingly the resurfaced version has no white edge stripes, while the original pavement does). 

Also, at the end of the movie (at the beginning of the end credits phase) I saw a gantry BGS which is roughly like this--followed by an exit gore sign:

Radiator springs exit - Cars by GibranalNNHQ, on Flickr
And a blue sign that said "NEXT TRUCKSTOP AT 30 MILES" before Mack reached the Top Down truckstop.

For your information, yes, Radiator Springs was based-off Peach Springs. And that button-copy cutout US 66 shield is wrong (the "ROUTE" on the shield MUST be dropped or replaced with "US" rather than "ROUTE")

[sdmichael]

Somewhere in Arizona...

Or Nevada. Specifically, Rhyolite, NV near Beatty, NV. This is looking south toward the Amargosa Valley next to the former Rhyolite Bank (would be to the right). This was never a signed route.

[PHLBOS]

Early on in the 1981 movie Bustin' Loose; there are shots of I-95 at/at the Besty Ross & Bridge St. interchanges where one sees the 70s-vintage button-copy BGS' that have long since been replaced.

[theline]

Here's a Fiat commercial full of signs from American communities that share their names with famous Italian cities:

Here's a link, which may work better for some: http://youtu.be/HA4qtKKrKzI

I strongly suspect that many of the signs were fabricated for the ad, because one near the beginning reads "Rome, Indiana." There is no such city. They were probably thinking of Rome City, Indiana.


I'm guessing the "Rome" water tank might be from Rome, NY or Rome, GA. Anyone care to guess where the others are from, if they're not totally fabricated?

[gibranalnn]

^ I dunno

But from Disney's BOLT movie...

^^ This one uses Lucida Grande (?), but that generic SR shield is correct with FHWA.

[briantroutman]

This could go under a "worst signs"  thread if it wasn't a prop in a TV commercial. And it's also on the wrong side of what appears to be a lesser two-lane highway.



It's a shame because another commercial in the same series catches a glimpse of this beautiful (albeit neutered) I-80 shield. This time it is on the right side of the road; it's the truck that's going the wrong way.



These came from an early '70s series of commercials for Old Home Bread, based in Sioux City, IA. Written and voiced by an Omaha ad exec named Bill Fries, the ads followed the saga of fictional truck driver C.W. McCall and his favorite truck stop waitress Mavis Davis. The commercials became so popular that Fries combined a few Old Home spots into a single titled "The Old Home Filler-Up An' Keep On A-Truckin' Cafe"  and released it under the pseudonym "C.W. McCall" . The record was an unexpected hit, and several more followed–most notably the 1975 #1 record "Convoy" . Fries probably holds the record for most Interstate numbers mentioned in song lyrics.

In the Old Home ads, Fries did a good job of dropping obscure local geographical references that would resonate with audiences between Omaha and Sioux Falls–including I-80, I-29, Pisgah, Ute, and at one point, a band named "Roy McCoon from Fort Calhoun and his Nuclear Power Plant Boys" . (I had to look that one up.)



The ads (same actors and scripts) were also adapted for Kern's Bakery in Knoxville, with the lyrics changed and new obscure Knoxville-area references–towns like Pine Knot and Etowah–added. In one episode, A.J. (the name of the trucker in the Kerns version) and Mavis drive to Knoxville together, and they pass this also-neutered I-75 shield. Wrong side of the road again...