Blatant Disregard 

"coelacanthist" (coelacanthist) 10/27/2015 at 13:05 • Filed to: None

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A major pet peeve of mine is out of place automobiles in period pieces. I’m talking about cars produced after the supposed timeframe of a movie or tv show. Normally I notice 1970s volkswagens passed of in 1960s settings. I let these go, most non car people don’t even realize the bug ever changed, the shape is so iconic that they get away with it, no harm, no foul.

I recently watched the new Amazon series, Red Oaks. If you have Amazon prime, it’s worth checking out the ten 30 minute episodes. It’s sort of a Caddy Shack meets Wet Hot American Summer meets every John Hughes movie. Set in 1985, it follows the lives of the college aged kids working at an east coast country club. All and all, pretty solid little show I hope they bring back. Now, my gripe...

Jeeps, like old VWs get no respect, to most people a Jeep is a Jeep. In 1985, even if you had the latest and greatest Jeep gifted to you by your country club set parents, you would have wound up with a cj7. As a former jeep owner myself, I was a bit miffed when this thing rolled itself into 1985. I might have let this go if it just rolled through the background in soft focus, but the thing is featured rather prominently in several episodes. Could you really not find a nice looking cj for this role?

Please share your favorite out of place vehicles from movies or tv shows.

Your boy, BJR > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:08

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Dem jersey blue plates doe

RallyWrench > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:12

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This is why Goodfellas pisses me off.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:12

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Here you go. Now, just imagine that each time you watch the show and you should be okay.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:18

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sad thing is 9/10 people would not know that, that isn’t a 1985 Jeep. Worst sin is it looks like it has (it’s hard to tell from this angle) some pretty modern, bigger aftermarket wheels.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:22

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I also can’t stand that. Ugh..

coelacanthist > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/27/2015 at 13:23

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My friend and I were having lunch at a little taco joint the other day. I decided to use the restroom and told my buddy to go out and meet me at the car. I come out to find him standing by a 4 door mk4 golf. I drive a 2 door mk5. I get that we are all a little sick here, but the general public is so disinterested in cars these days, you can get away with just about anything.

TheJWT > RallyWrench 10/27/2015 at 13:24

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Same with Wolf of Wall Street. I don’t think Scorsese is a car guy...

mazda616 > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:26

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There is a 1988 or ‘89 Chevrolet Cavalier in the background of the opening credits of “The Wonder Years.” The show was set in the 1960s and premiered in 1989. So, they let a brand new car (at the time) slip through and end up parked in the shot. Really?

RallyWrench > TheJWT 10/27/2015 at 13:27

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He’s undoubtedly good at several other things, but casting the correct cars is not one of them. I’ve been watching The Last Waltz , his documentary of The Band’s last show, and that’s pretty cool.

CalzoneGolem > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:33

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Unless you’re into Jeeps the Wranglers all look kinda the same. That’s something they share with 911’s.

Azrek > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:34

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I am like this with firearms. I will sigh when a gun in a period piece is totally wrong. So I will immediately question the amount of thought they put into the rest of the movie.

I am getting better with cars, license plates and other items.

coelacanthist > CalzoneGolem 10/27/2015 at 13:37

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At least they don't ever really show the dash. I'm saying this as a lover of tjs, that instrument panel is just a cheap mess.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 13:38

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When I was about 19, and I had my red 91 Civic hatch my then girlfriend saw a red Geo Metro hatchback and said “Hey look that’s the same as your car.” You can see why our relationship didn’t work out. The only thing the two cars had in common was they were red, and had unpainted plastic bumpers.

Ross Kraz > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/27/2015 at 13:53

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YES. This. My fiancé says “that looks like your truck” to every black truck we see, no matter the make.

Rico > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/27/2015 at 14:06

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I heard my current GF telling her friend that I drive a BMW. I drive a Merc and it was 3 months after I got said Merc. She’s still my GF and she’s slowly learning but I had to correct her on that one!

fhrblig > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 14:07

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In the beginning of the movie Sid and Nancy, when Sid and Johnny are walking up to an apartment there’s a 3rd generation Honda Civic parked on the street. I only spotted it because my mom drove one. (The movie is set in the late 70s.)

Übel > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 14:18

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I GOT THIS

Watch the background

Also, bonus screengrab of a better version of the opening:

Everything else on that street is also pretty much universally late-90s spec, too.

Mattbob > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 14:39

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hahaha, those plastic bumper ends in ‘85? come on. This is a ‘96+ model, right?

coelacanthist > Mattbob 10/27/2015 at 14:44

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TJs are 97-06. The fender turn signals are a sore thumb too. Funny they went back to the grill mounted signals for the 07+

Rainbow > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 15:09

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The Wonder Years had some ‘80s cars in the background occasionally, but I was pretty impressed by how accurate they kept everything otherwise.

What’s really amazing is Mad Men. I never watched it, but they were so into keeping things period correct that if someone was going to have ice in their drink, that ice would be made in a real antique ice tray to match the time period.

Rainbow > mazda616 10/27/2015 at 15:10

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There are a lot of modern (for the time) cars in the background of that show. I think those are all just random people who happen to live there and ended up in the shot.

Sir Classy III > TheJWT 10/27/2015 at 15:10

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What about Wolf of Wall Street was wrong?

Mattbob > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 15:10

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oh, I thought YJs ended with the 95 model year.... Weird, i didn’t realize there was no ‘96 model year.

Rainbow > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 15:14

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Also, this is why I mostly prefer things that run on Comic Book Time; no matter how long the events take in the story, it is always right now.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 15:38

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There’s been lots of debates about the cars in the show Gotham. Have you seen it?

They have this weird ambiguous era they are in.

Cell phones, but the newest cars have been 80’s or older (last weeks featured and old 50’s Ford van I believe). Then there was a random Escalade in one episode in the first season. It’s all over the place.

I was also watching the show The Goldbergs and there was a car way too new for their 80’s set, can’t remember which but I called it out to my wife (who probably rolled her eyes)

coelacanthist > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/27/2015 at 15:43

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I like the Archer approach.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > coelacanthist 10/27/2015 at 15:46

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I don’t watch Archer, so what’s the approach?

coelacanthist > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/27/2015 at 15:51

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They just never address what time period they are in, it’s sort of an ultra futuristic 70’s vibe. They have video conferences but also use fax machines, drinking scotch at work like madmen, all the cars are 60s and 70s just all over the place.

TheJWT > Sir Classy III 10/27/2015 at 18:50

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New Crown Vic police cars, and a few of Jordan’s cars were from after the movie took place (Ferrari 512tr, later model Mercedes R129)

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > coelacanthist 10/28/2015 at 10:29

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Intentionally ambiguous.

Gotcha haha

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > coelacanthist 10/28/2015 at 13:40

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So they find a friggin Dodge/Mitsubishi Colt yet can’t get the Jeep right?

And, just to be a PITA, having lived through this era I’m certain that’s the wrong font for the NJ license plate.

The one movie that I noticed it with and bugs me is the Blair Witch Project. It was supposedly based off of footage that was lost and found a few years later, yet the scenes where they're driving around town has car that are apparently from the future. I'm sure I've noticed other things, but that's the first one that comes to my mind.

coelacanthist > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 10/28/2015 at 13:42

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So glad someone noticed the colt. It is like insult to injury.

DrScientist > Sir Classy III 10/28/2015 at 13:47

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perhaps the 25th anniversary countach, an ‘89 model, when its supposed to be set in the 90s?

and clearly our protagonist wouldve been driving a diablo.

Stephen the Canuck > coelacanthist 10/29/2015 at 23:52

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In the Man from UNCLE, the off road vehicle has BFG All Terrains on it, which was not available when the movie is set.