Movie stars are usually the biggest draw to movies for fans. They are usually who get the most credit for the popularity of a movie (as well as the blame when a movie bombs). On rare occasions, there are objects or props in movies that become just as iconic as anything else in a film. These are necessarily the best MacGuffins, sometimes they are just famous props or pieces of wardrobe. Let’s get into it!
All The Dude wanted was his rug back. That simple rug, micturated upon by Woo, drives all the action in the movie, and while the audience doesn’t see much of the rug that The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is trying to replace, we do see the one that he (briefly) gets from the millionaire Lebowski in the Big Lebowski.
The DeLorean Time Machine
Back To The Future, we’ve longed for the same ability, in the same machine. Now those cars are as lost to time as Biff’s Sports Almanac.
Tom Hanks) has in Cast Away, and just like Chuck, the audience gets pretty attached to that silly ball with a face made of Chuck’s blood.
cool MacGuffin on this list is the briefcase from Pulp Fiction. We never actually see what’s inside, just that it is glowing gold. Maybe that’s why the prop has become so famous. If we knew it was just like a stolen Oscar statuette or something, we’d feel differently.
The Matrix have since taken political connotations in recent years, they were famous way before that. One will wake Neo (Keanu Reeves) up, and one will put him back to sleep. Honestly, I don’t care which is which, and any political connections are weird, so let’s leave it at that.
Lord of the Rings trilogy is a masterpiece, and without this one ring to rule them all, it wouldn’t exist.
Indiana Jones’ hat is the most famous prop in the Indiana Jones movies, but the whip that Harrison Ford’s character is just as iconic and let’s be honest, a little more interesting than a hat. So the whip gets the nod here.
ranking the MCU movies, we could almost do a list of props all its own. Things like the Infinity Gauntlet, or the stones that go into it, are iconic, but is there anything as iconic in the whole franchise as Thor’s hammer? Heck, it’s one of the famous objects in world mythology, much less Marvel’s corner of it.
A Christmas Story wins a fragile, major award, it turns out to be a lamp in the shape of a woman’s leg. He’s so proud of it that he wants to display it in the window, much to the chagrin of his wife. It doesn’t make it to the end of the movie, and there is another prop, the Red Ryder BB Gun, that is equally famous, but we just had to go with the leg. After all, it must be Italian.
best movie of the ’90s. The Stephen King story on which it is based is called, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. That’s how important the poster is that Andy (Tim Robbins) hides his escape tunnel. The moment when the warden tears it down is one of the most fun moments in any movie, ever.
The New Bluesmobile
The Bluesmobile in The Blues Brothers is not, actually, the original Bluesmobile, according to Jake (John Belushi). The original was a Cadillac, not the former Police Car that Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) shows up in to pick Jake up from prison. Elwood explains that he had to trade it for a microphone, which Jake understands. No matter what, the car is one of the most famous cars of the 1980s.
Reese’s Pieces
Oh, what a mistake Mars Candy made when they reportedly didn’t want Steven Spielberg to use M&M’s in E.T. That opened up an opportunity for the folks over at Reese’s Pieces, who did license their product, and now they are one of the most famous food items in any movie, ever.
Jason’s Hockey Mask
Of all the famous masks in slasher films from the ’70s and ’80s, there is none more iconic than Jason’s mask in the Friday the 13th franchise. We’re not going to get into who was actually wearing it in the original movie, because it doesn’t matter. It’s the mask that matters.
The Burn Book
Ahhhh, the “Burn Book” in Mean Girls. It’s the ultimate downfall of the titular click in the classic comedy written by and starring Tina Fey. It’s filled with all the evidence anyone would ever need to take those terrible people down, and eventually, they are dramatically brought down.
The Box In Seven
“What’s in the box?” is one of the most disturbing questions ever uttered in any movie, ever. Brad Pitt’s performance in the moment is some of the best acting work of his career. We certainly don’t want to go into detail with the answer to that question, but if you know, you know.
The Red Balloon In IT
Some people are scared of clowns. Some people are scared of balloons. IT finds a way to freak both groups out and in the process creates one of the most iconic props of all time. No words are needed to scare people, either. Like so many props on this list, one quick glance is all it takes to know exactly what movie it comes from.