Highways / Signs in Movies, TV Shows, and Videos

[NE2]

The MASH episode "Big Mac" has a logo welcoming MacArthur that's obviously based on the Interstate shield. But the shield wasn't designed until after the Korean War ended. Shame on them for historical inaccuracy. And shame on me for not making a highways in TV shows thread.

[Eth]

In the animated shows department...last night's episode of Archer was a roadgeek's paradise. Without giving too much away, it included a roadtrip from Montreal to NYC. The animators did an excellent job with the signage, using what looked to be pretty darn accurate renditions of the FHWA fonts, along with correct Ontario and Quebec provincial, autoroute, Interstate, and US route markers. Highways used were ON 417 (not sure why; this would've made sense if they were starting from, say, Ottawa), the A-15/QC-132 concurrency, I-87, and ultimately taking Exit 10 onto US 9W (which was shown with a "WEST" directional banner on the BGS, and the "EXIT 10" tab was attached to the bottom of the sign instead of the top - as near as I can tell, the only things that seemed off). All in all, very well done.

And shame on me for not making a highways in TV shows thread.

And shame on me for being lazy and not doing it either.

[PAHighways]

I rented The Perks of Being a Wallflower the other day since it was shot in Pittsburgh.

There were shots of the P.J. McArdle Roadway and Parkway Central, but perhaps the most iconic shot was one involving Emma Watson standing in the bed of a pickup as it traveled through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and across the Bridge.

She talked about her experience filming that scene, which required nightly closures of the Parkway West, when she appeared on Live with Kelly & Michael plugging the movie.  To be sure, the State Police reiterated the day it debuted that such actions are illegal.

[jeffandnicole]

The Hangover III movie trailer was released today.  Near the end of the trailer is a highway scene.  In that highway scene is a closeup of a highway sign (at about the 1:48 mark) . 

Doesn't get any more real than that!

[spmkam]

The Call features a car chase on the 170 freeway in LA. in part of the movie the freeway entrance signs are very prominent

[kphoger]

There's a Simpsons episode somewhere with a STOP sign in it.

[vtk]

We can't keep wasting time at every SOP, YELD, or ONE VAY sign!

[JMoses24]

How about Rain Man? I can cite a few examples:

• I-275 around Cincinnati, where, at the scene of a bad accident, Tom Cruise's character is so upset that Dustin Hoffman's character will not allow him to travel on the interstate
• US 60 in Missouri, as evidenced by Cruise's mention of "Bumf**k, Missouri"
• Route 66 further west

I'm sure there are others, but those three are the ones I could think of.

The Roebling Suspension Bridge was also in Rain Man.

And the I-471 exit 5 ramp southbound was featured for all of 5 seconds in Airborne, according to Cincinnati-Transit.

[theline]

I just went to see the movie "42" tonight, and I can't believe that no one has yet mentioned the obvious highway-related gaffe early in the film. Jackie Robinson and his Negro League team are traveling the South in 1945. The on-screen caption says they are on "Interstate 24."   

As we all know, the interstate system was over a decade in the future at that time.

Otherwise, the movie was excellent. 

[roadman]

There's a Simpsons episode somewhere with a STOP sign in it.

I give you the man who gave us the Stop sign (cheers), the Dip sign (cheers), and the twenty-five mile an hour speed limit on Main Street (boos).  Please welcome Homer Simpson!

from the Simpson's episode Homer's Odyssey - first aired on January 21, 1990

[formulanone]

From The Simpsons Movie:



"Look, we can't keep stopping at every "sop", "yeld", or "one vay" sign!"

[sdmichael]

Anyone know where the most boring car chase scene ever (from the terrible Joe Don Baker film "Mitchell") was filmed?  It looks to be the Hollywood Freeway, though I cannot figure out how they were able to get away with going a mere 25-30 MPH onto 101. 

Nope, it's the 405, from Sunset Blvd north to Mulholland Drive. 
Would not have known it was even a chase scene if not for MST3K! 
"Geez, these guys couldn't shake a trolley!" 
"This makes Driving Miss Daisy look like Bullitt!" 
"I've seen faster funeral processions!"

Were they on the Mulholland for the barely-more-climactic run-off-the-road scene?

Yes, "Dirt" Mulholland Drive was used for that portion of the "chase" scene.

[PAHighways]

Numerous Philadelphia streets and a scene driving down I-95 southbound with Lincoln Financial Field in the background and the Exit 17 guide sign for PA 611 in Silver Linings Playbook.

[oscar]

In the 1976 made-for-TV movie "Smash-Up on Interstate 5", the opening crash scenes were shot on a not-yet-opened new segment of another California freeway.  The International Movie Database says the smash-up scenes were filmed on I-210, though it seemed to me at the time that I-15 south of Devore was the more likely site.  That I-15 segment was built later than I-210, closer to when the movie was released, and the unpopulated surroundings in the crash scenes also looked like a closer match for I-15 than I-210. 

[sdmichael]

A portion of I-210 goes through the Verdugo Mountains, which would seem similar to I-15.

"Very Bad Things" had some freeway driving shots filmed on SR-14 between Via Princessa and Sand Canyon Road. I saw them filming with a van on a trailer. Strangely, they had also posted a mileage sign to San Bernardino, Barstow, and Las Vegas on NB 14 just north of Via Princessa. The "giveway" was the sign color, a bit lighter than standard Caltrans signage. That, and the fact it was a new sign and not accurate for that location at all.

[agentsteel53]

they had also posted a mileage sign to San Bernardino, Barstow, and Las Vegas on NB 14 just north of Via Princessa. The "giveway" was the sign color, a bit lighter than standard Caltrans signage. That, and the fact it was a new sign and not accurate for that location at all.

I had noticed that in the movie!  I was thinking to myself "what freeway are they filming on?" because I thought I had nailed it to 14, then realized that that sign would be on probably 215 in a much more urban area.

[sdmichael]

I have a photo of the sign, somewhere. It wasn't up for very long. Another scene in that movie was filmed at the Mobil station on Seco Canyon Road at Garzota Dr.

[vtk]

Watching Darkwing Duck on DVD, I saw this...



My first thought was, "That stop sign is atrocious!"   Then, in the very next shot...



That one's a bit better.  I think the reason for the difference is the first one was part of the painted background, while the second one is a cel-animated element.  But both are posted in very strange places.

[ET21]

This is from Transformers 3, during the Highway Fight. It is supposedly set in Washington DC, but poor camera positions by Michael Bay clearly show that this is not in DC. Now where is this actually located??? , because I do not believe US 20 ever crosses I-88 (And this is the I-88 in Illinois, as it's marked with Aurora and as a Tollway

[Big John]

This is from Transformers 3, during the Highway Fight. It is supposedly set in Washington DC, but poor camera positions by Michael Bay clearly show that this is not in DC. Now where is this actually located??? , because I do not believe US 20 ever crosses I-88 (And this is the I-88 in Illinois, as it's marked with Aurora and as a Tollway

And Business 20 is State Street in Rockford.

[Joe The Dragon]

This is from Transformers 3, during the Highway Fight. It is supposedly set in Washington DC, but poor camera positions by Michael Bay clearly show that this is not in DC. Now where is this actually located??? , because I do not believe US 20 ever crosses I-88 (And this is the I-88 in Illinois, as it's marked with Aurora and as a Tollway

mannheim rd in hillside IL is US 20 with a left split for I-88

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=mannheim+rd+in+hillside+IL&hl=en&ll=41.870559,-87.87532&spn=0.002952,0.006791&sll=41.329389,-87.234192&sspn=1.524137,3.477173&t=h&gl=us&hnear=N+Mannheim+Rd,+Hillside,+Cook,+Illinois&z=18&layer=c&cbll=41.870841,-87.875535&panoid=WN0GvYKsb8xS9GLzK3em2g&cbp=12,264.3,,1,3.27


I-88 west sign

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.873751,-87.904969&spn=0.002968,0.006791&gl=us&t=k&z=18&layer=c&cbll=41.873752,-87.905991&panoid=YuUavXXs0FWfcvbvKGfa2Q&cbp=12,262.22,,1,0.68

West I-90 Wisconsin and state st 2 miles

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=42.247168,-88.94999&spn=0.011802,0.027165&gl=us&t=h&layer=c&cbll=42.247166,-88.954781&panoid=dfHTAJa70MSSAK4y15WlkQ&cbp=12,283.55,,1,-5.49&z=16


Now parts of the movie where filmed on the borman expressway / Cline Avenue area.

alt universe where the 2 I-88 were one road?

[ET21]

This is from Transformers 3, during the Highway Fight. It is supposedly set in Washington DC, but poor camera positions by Michael Bay clearly show that this is not in DC. Now where is this actually located??? , because I do not believe US 20 ever crosses I-88 (And this is the I-88 in Illinois, as it's marked with Aurora and as a Tollway

mannheim rd in hillside IL is US 20 with a left split for I-88

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=mannheim+rd+in+hillside+IL&hl=en&ll=41.870559,-87.87532&spn=0.002952,0.006791&sll=41.329389,-87.234192&sspn=1.524137,3.477173&t=h&gl=us&hnear=N+Mannheim+Rd,+Hillside,+Cook,+Illinois&z=18&layer=c&cbll=41.870841,-87.875535&panoid=WN0GvYKsb8xS9GLzK3em2g&cbp=12,264.3,,1,3.27


I-88 west sign

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.873751,-87.904969&spn=0.002968,0.006791&gl=us&t=k&z=18&layer=c&cbll=41.873752,-87.905991&panoid=YuUavXXs0FWfcvbvKGfa2Q&cbp=12,262.22,,1,0.68

West I-90 Wisconsin and state st 2 miles

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=42.247168,-88.94999&spn=0.011802,0.027165&gl=us&t=h&layer=c&cbll=42.247166,-88.954781&panoid=dfHTAJa70MSSAK4y15WlkQ&cbp=12,283.55,,1,-5.49&z=16


Now parts of the movie where filmed on the borman expressway / Cline Avenue area.

alt universe where the 2 I-88 were one road?

It is a fictional road, so I do think it's an alt universe. US 20 does not cross I-88. Mannheim is an exit with I-290, with the 88 split about a mile past it

[formulanone]

Yellow stop sign in a TD Ameritrade ad:

(0:14 in, with cat-eyes.)

[Alps]

Yellow stop sign in a TD Ameritrade ad:

(0:14 in, with cat-eyes.)

ARTERIAL
STOP
HIGHWAY

That took effort! Impressive.

[NE2]

It's probably a prop that's been lying around since the old days.