Top 10 Movie Sets Ever Built

[@Aethgeir]

That entry into Hobbiton still gets me every time. I think Christopher Lee said it best in the commentary track for Fellowship of the Ring, it's not until Gandalf's cart roles into Hobbiton that fans of the books truly began to relax in the realization that they were in good hands for the telling of this story.

[@VRichardsn]

Yes, yes...

[@BugoyTV]

Don't forget the background music for that scene 💖

[@jurassicpork]

The set for ALIEN was also quite impressive. It was essentially a complete spaceship that the actors lived in for a while.

[@CineFix]

+jurassicpork I know, right? Check out our Art of the Scene: Alien for some other fun background on the film kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZOxg5eHerGhn8U (Shameless Plug)

[@theolamp5312]

+jurassicpork - I agree - What impressed me most was the alien spaceship that felt organic, rather than something built out of metal. It was nominated for best art/set decoration.

[@moodyplus]

+jurassicpork Your name is game-chonging.

[@theolamp5312]

+moody - Jurassic Pork is actually the genetically engineered Boarasaur that will appear in Jurassic Park VI - The Barn of no return. I think the Boarasaur will devour all the dinosaurs and eliminate all future sequels. But, no confirmable info is available yet. It is in pre-pre production. (No disrespect to jurassicpork - I liked your comment)

[@moodyplus]

Theo Lamp Your description of the sequel gives me a lardon.

[@pleonic]

How could you miss the Discovery set in 2001: A Space Odyssey with the turning artificial gravity ring that the astronauts jogged around in. Amazing for 1968!

[@SAHogan-ih3bo]

p: Took the words out of my mouth!

[@davewilson7092]

pleonic, Exactly what I was thinking. There's no way those sets could compare to the Discovery!

[@ffuukkyootoobffuukkyootoob1411]

Amusing element: It was 1965 when they were shooting it. Computer monitors DID exist in computer labs. Yet Kubrick missed that. The only "video" item in the movie was the notion of a videophone. There are no computer monitors, though they would be the standard by 1985, much less 2001.

[@kingrobert1st]

08:40 scene from 2001. The floating pen.

[@painkillerjones6232]

@@SAHogan-ih3bo Me too!

[@RedJet-bq6fq]

It’s crazy what old hollywood was capable of. Some of these sets are spectacular and must have been great back in the day

[@lindybeige]

Hollowed out volcano for You Only Live Twice.

[@renderize69]

1st like!

[@michaelfiedler1642]

You read my mind...this is the first impressive movie set I thought of!

[@JamesSmall-i6u]

Love the monorail

[@kylersyring1020]

I personally believe that the entire set from Titanic should have made a spot. Not only was it built on a real scale and was actually practically sunk, the interior sets were the most detailed historical movie sets in film history next to a few sets who could beat it. An example was the Grand Staircase set, which was built out of solid oak and gold, only to be destroyed by the sinking and glass dome crashing scene. But that's just my opinion.

[@garrettabben9261]

Thank you.

[@plisskenetic]

I found it BS apollo13 can top titanic!

[@titibebe2510]

They even build a whoe new studio named "Foxploration", now owned by Disney

[@idrinkmilk282]

H

[@ashleyklotz3762]

I agree!! That would be a cool tourist attraction

[@marnixvandermost3219]

Got goosebumps when the shire theme started playing....such a quality movie by giving me goosebumps in 2 seconds

[@Richard_Nickerson]

Howard Shore is the man

[@Tacktickle]

@Gappie Al Kebabi dont put yourself down like that.

[@BadWebDiver]

@@pwareham61 Make that a separate comment, it's a good suggestion.

[@harshithbj3647]

marnix van der most watch this trailer kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4nKd2Cff8SYsKc to get goosebumps new Indian Kannada language film K.G.F

[@89CrazyAl]

I love Hobbiton! If you want a home built in a similar vain, go to Compassgreen.com Your welcome!

[@MagicSwordKing]

Wanted to mention Edoras from Lord of the Rings, mostly for how it was built and then painstakingly UNbuilt. The hill they turned into Edoras was considered protected ground under New Zealand's incredibly strict conservation laws, so the production had to photograph, catalogue, and preserve every single plant, patch of grass, and stone that they moved, and then replace them all after the set was no longer needed. If you were to visit today, you wouldn't find any trace of the production.

[@mycroft16]

And they had to build entire roads just to get to the hill, and then unbuild the roads as well.

[@ashleyklotz3762]

That's dumb that they would even consider filming or doing anything on protected land, they may have done what they were supposed to but why use that extra for that instead of just filming somewhere else

[@ivechang6720]

That is awesome!

[@ivechang6720]

@@ashleyklotz3762 Wrong question. Why don't we treat every piece of Earth as the sacred responsibility it is???

[@ashleyklotz3762]

@@ivechang6720 oooh yea, that's the better one, they more we use, the more we destroy, the earth should be left alone to do its beautiful thing... good catch 🙂

[@mariakelly5]

That scene when Cleopatra comes into Rome on the Sphinx is one of the coolest things of all time!

[@michaelmcgregor6126]

Jacques Tati's 1967 movie Playtime with it's awesome futuristic city of Paris set was incredible, especially when it was built on a total movie budget of just 17 million francs and he had to keep the set maintained for movies scenes for 3 years from 1964 to 1967.

[@joancarlestomas]

I need to see that

[@DesertRockfall]

2001: A space Odessy.....The rotating set making it seem like Dave is jogging on Discovery.....brilliant, and Classic Kubrick

[@scottmantooth8785]

not to mention it was filmed on location...in space... Kubrick demanding such authenticity in his films at all times

[@ohbeast8869]

I was legit just about to comment 2001 aswell

[@ElDaumo]

the bladerunner sets where very cool too. the miniatures as well as the city environment. also it was a pain in the butt to film it.

[@CtrlSaltDelete]

karottenkoenig Indeed. I personally wouldn't have put Bladerunner over Metropolis in the miniatures section, but it probably deserved a mention.

[@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg]

George Can'tstandya There's a great documentary on the making of Blade Runner called Dangerous Days... after watching that and seeing exactly what went into the Blade Runner sets and miniatures, I'd absolutely put it over Metropolis. It was nothing short of a miracle.

[@CtrlSaltDelete]

TJP77 It's a personal thing, particularly given the time metropolis was made, and although I haven't seen said documentary, I did see a behind the scenes short showing how they made the buildings, putting fiber optics in to act as lights on massive (small, but large, kinda weird to think about) for Bladerunner, so I definitely have a healthy respect for what they achieved, but I found Metropolis to be more impressive myself (particularly with the sense of scale they achieved). Again, it's fairly subjective.

[@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg]

George Can'tstandya Yeah it's definitely subjective, and Metropolis was a tremendous achievement for its time, especially since so much of it still holds up. I'd definitely recommend seeing Dangerous Days though, it's extremely detailed and actually longer than the movie itself was.

[@CtrlSaltDelete]

TJP77 I am intrigued, I may well check it out.

[@phoebexxlouise]

I like you guys because you don't make the popular choice, you make the choice you believe in

[@frederickburke9944]

Holy shit! Phoebe, I love you. I am The Poetry Man. Call me!

[@teddyroth1514]

@@frederickburke9944 Smooth.

[@BurtonBoyz715]

Terry Roth.........."It's A GIRL ! ". HAHAHAHAHAH....(good grief.)

[@skywalkerhunterarchive]

what's wrong in selecting popular choice if it was objectively accurate?

[@XO_HighIights]

The Abyss is a great movie. There is an awesome documentary about the set

[@gregcampwriter]

The submarine in Das Boot and the HMS Surprise in Master and Commander deserve at least a mention for their attention to historical detail.

[@atlantistdc1976]

The hospital scene in Gone With The Wind where the camera slowly pans back to take in the enormous scene of wounded on the ground until it reach the Confederate Flag. Breathtaking.

[@Jinseual]

wow about every minute i was like "WOOOOW they actually did that?!?!?"

[@abdoesper3908]

This are the best and most informed top ten's any website makes about movies.

[@mrevilducky]

Seconded

[@angeloszormpas8427]

It's so much better than WM

[@niasboiii]

+Abdo Esper Everyone needs to check out: TASTE OF CINEMA

[@alexuribe4851]

Centrifuge of the Discovery One in 2001 a Space Odyssey.

[@insanebase8883]

I was missing that, too.

[@peterthegrape]

Definitely

[@exposfan94movies]

Completely agree! Discovery One has a lot going on in terms of tranquility and mystery and coldness, etc that these other sets can't touch.

[@TorontoIam]

Well put :) +Joseph Weber

[@iseeolly9959]

Yes sir, I also came down to look if anyone had thought of it.

[@austinbaker8042]

You didn't mention Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory?! The one where everything was completely edible?! Where they filmed the actors' first impressions of the set they had never seen before?! What?!

[@mulemule]

Reposted from above ... "As an owner of one of the only surviving "Golden Tickets," I enthusiastically second Austin Baker's shout-out for the legendary Wonka "Chocolate Room" set. The film had a bare-bones budget so the production designers had to be especially creative making Dahl's fanciful depictions seem utterly real in their surreality. (By contrast, the cringe-worthy Johnny Depp remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" boasted a $150-million budget yet remains memorable only for its forgettableness.) Fun fact: after filming wrapped, the primary soundstage harboring the "Wonka" sets was frantically cleared to make way for the big-budget extravaganza subsequently shot there: "Cabaret." For this reason (and because Paramount didn't think it a particularly noteworthy work) virtually all of the "Wonka" sets and props were destroyed and almost no original memorabilia from this mega cult-classic survives. ..."

[@rockinresurrection6542]

@@mulemule Lmao. The remake was much better than the old film. The look of the 2005 one was the design and set Gene Wilder would have deserved for his performance as Willy Wonka.

[@mulemule]

@@rockinresurrection6542 Unfortunately/Fortunately, Wilder himself would've vehemently disagreed with you ... www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11702691

[@rockinresurrection6542]

@@mulemule Well, since Gene Wilder doesn't seem to like Burton's work in general I should rethink my opinion on Wilder

[@mulemule]

@@rockinresurrection6542 Yes, you should ;)

[@LAvaHeatz]

6:21 damn it, the music made me want to watch lord of the rings again..

[@chrisperry7963]

I can't believe 2001 and Blade Runner were not even mentioned here; and what about The Spy Who Loved Me?

[@Omnicient.]

Agree re TSWLM but an more impressive set and even larger was constructed at Pinewood for You Only Live Twice and was 425 feet in circumference which still ranks as the biggest interior set ever built.

[@billcame6991]

I was going to mention You Only Live Twice.

[@OutandAboutwithTrev]

Blade Runner 2049 won an Academy Award for "Visual Effects" just saying....

[@Xurrah]

THIS

[@B4kerG]

Brilliant video

[@CineFix]

baker. Thanks!

[@tianapitesr8553]

+CineFix love learning from yeah

[@DinoWolf123gaming]

+Tiana Pi Tesr i hate learning to much to take in rather just sleep and eat

[@howardjohnson6584]

+Elliott Lubrin The person who proof read Hitlers speeches was a grammar nazi. You, on the other hand, are just a tool.

[@GroundhogDayisAWESOME]

"Groundhog Day" (1993) is a brilliant one to see too.... ;-)

[@MarkHyde]

Dark City and their sets. A forgotten gem that movie.

[@tardiskeeper6]

Mark Hyde never heard of it

[@MarkHyde]

Do a Google search - Dark City movie.

[@behemothokun]

got it on BluRay. :) Must be one of the dozen people that actually own this, in a sense forgotten, movie on a recent release.

[@papaquonis]

I own it too. I always wondered why it never got more praise. It's a fantastic movie.

[@SteveSmith-wk9dx]

Not to mention that it pre-dated some of the themes of The Matrix which re-used some of the sets.

[@bigginsd1]

The Dagobah set from Empire Strikes Back should have got a mention. Building a large indoor swamp, complete with fauna, was in itself an achievement. Building it several feet off the ground so that puppeteers could control Yoda comfortably standing below the set it something that boggles my mind. I’m not a die hard Star Wars fan, but I have to admire the practical effects.

[@MrJedi359]

Oh boi

[@jeffbaer5851]

I still remember Mark Hamill talking about the stench of that stagnant, fetid water he had to JUMP INTO and act around. I have a strong gag reflex for certain smells -- that would have been a deal-breaker for me. I think the smaller scale of that set disqualifies it from this list, but I like your choice.

[@oton5373]

Yall forgot when the NASA shot Neil Armstrong Jumping on the moon Amazing set that was

[@bbigd0]

Fooool

[@optimisticoutreach1236]

That's on the episode for top 10 sets for people with drug abuse issues.

[@cameonashipleftonaplane698]

Epic

[@markfenlason6737]

Greetings! I was on the "ABYSS" , I was there , Thanks for the shout out, and the love! It, remains the most amazing set that I have ever seen. And was was also on "Titanic", and "Water World", but nothing beats the "Abyss" on the "Big Balls Factor!!!!" Thanks again, we all worked hard and at times risked our life, just to "get the shot"!!!!

[@nigelft]

Mark Fenlason As a big fan of 'The Abyss', can you share any personal, stand-out moments, from that shoot? And yes, that set was /epic/ ...

[@trekkiexb5]

I loved Abyss! I love when people give it credit! Good job for making an awesome movie!

[@BadWebDiver]

Was it filmed 100% on the actual set? No interior studio shots?

[@mattikaki]

Mark Fenlason, Hello from Finland. You have done very interesting jobs. You’re one of those who can be called multitalented person. Especially propmaster is the job I would like to do. My son is a cinematographer and I have made some gadgets for his projects which has been really interesting and challenging. I was in MTV Finland as a senior service engineer taking care of studio cameras and video tape recorders 1975-2001 and I’m interested in all kind of movie making systems too.

[@Songbirdstress]

Love the Abyss. Similar feeling to Alien. Wasn't keen on the end, I'll have to rematch.

[@MajorSuperstar]

I was hoping for one of the "Alien" movie sets or "Nightmare before Christmas" to be on this list. But still very good!

[@caridadchang7895]

***** oh man I wish something from a Stop Motion film was here... oh well damn good list

[@Solarstar10]

+Caridad Chang If we're gonna talk about Stop Motion sets then Fantastic Mr Fox would be my pick. Just a gorgeous looking film with stunning sets.

[@robertzerep91]

My top ten: 1. Isengard in Lord of the Rings 2. Theatres des vampires from Interview with the Vampire 3. The Five Points from Gangs of New York 4. The Forest from Jet Li Hero 5. The Amish village in Witness 6. The Inventor's Mansion in Edward Scissorhands 7. Shaw shank Prison in The Shaw Shank Redepmtion 8. Mos Eisley in Star Wars 9. Lair of the Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth 10. Water world from Interstellar

[@JackBouchierr]

I really dislike the overuse of cgi in recent blockbuster films. Physical sets are so much more natural and connected to the art of filmmaking and to the audience. I'm glad there is appreciation for it

[@empressfreya9872]

this is why Christopher Nolan is such a good director imo. He made his mission to only use CGI if completely unavoidable but for everything else, he uses practical effects.

[@MarkNorville]

cgI has improved so much over the past few years. Which is why it is faster and easier than model building. If you watch a top end movie you have to question what is real, but if you watch a low end movie, the cgi will be bad.

[@AmourEtRespect]

I didn't even notice that Blade Runner 2049 had physical sets by Weta Worshop. Honestly I don't care, CGI is good enough today. It's not a matter of physical vs digital anymore. It's more about restraining it and focusing on composition and storytelling, rather than just shoving a maximum amount of polygons and particles in people's faces

[@remc70]

One of the ones you miss was Waterloo 1970 with Rod Steiger.[To recreate the battlefield authentically, the Soviets bulldozed away two hills, laid five miles of roads, transplanted 5,000 trees, sowed fields of rye, barley and wildflowers and reconstructed four historic buildings. To create the mud, more than six miles of underground irrigation piping was specially laid. Most of the battle scenes were filmed using five Panavision cameras simultaneously - from ground level, from 100-foot towers, from a helicopter, and from an overhead railway built right across the location.[11][12]] From Wikipedia,

[@davejacob5208]

now this really shows how much money is involved in this industry...

[@davejacob5208]

Kazza FDM i know.

[@mumblic]

Or lost sometimes !,-))

[@lukago677]

exactly ridiculous

[@watchlaterofficial5884]

@@lederp42 😂🤣😅

[@liquidbraino]

Especially these days since everything's gone digital and anybody with a good idea can pitch that story on blcklst.com and/or raise their own budget on indigogo.com and then get distro through Netflix, Redbox or KZbin - anybody can be a film maker these days and the only way the studios can compete any more is by making movies that are WAY above the budget of indie film makers. Most of the stories that are coming out of Hollywood these days suck; everybody reads "save the cat" and produces the same CGI heavy crap. Which also means that the studios can't afford to fail so now they're looking even MORE for movies that use the same old formulas they're used to - formulas that worked in the past. They don't want anything new anymore, they want the same old shit (with bigger budgets) because it worked before and the unions DEMAND it. This is why the best story telling is now on Netflix; Amazon; Redbox & even some of the KZbin Red series like "Cobra Kai".

[@ryanbarker5217]

my only issue with this list is the inclusion of a digital 'set.' if we're to consider that, we should also consider animation. i simply don't consider them sets.

[@timlepo7080]

ryan barker Why? you need set designer to design it and someone has to setup it's lights and plan camera angles. Digital design takes just as much skill as physical. It's only cheaper because there's no material costs.

[@ryanbarker5217]

Tim Lepo because by definition a set is a physical location, eh? while i'm not sure a set designer is the one working with the CGI any more than grips, riggers, electricians, etc., ostensibly all these effects are achieved with a push of a mouse button. i wouldn't say a guy at his computer pushing buttons requires as much skill as the actual guys what do the real thing, in real life, and on location. since the CGI folk need to know how to light a scene and whatnot doesn't mean he knows how to set up lighting equipment. i'd venture to say that anyone that's picked up a camera will tell you that real life can be challenging, but it's also full of opportunities you'd otherwise miss sitting in a closet with a computer. obviously the CGI guys are most likely to work directly with the director using the production script than, say, a cinematographer. CGI is fancy animation... but, they're not sets....

[@fixitfeilix5051]

ryan barker To be fair the one they chose was the lego movie, and it stated the whole thing was made using legos you could actually buy, so if they wanted too they could re-make the whole set in real life using bits of plastic, its about the same challenge as making it with bits of code. Your opinion that CGI is easier than real sets is pretty wrong, I can get some guys in and they can set up some walls even if they have no idea why they are placing those walls or any thing, they can build with brute strength but not with mind. In CGI the person has to be very smart to make the set You also say animation should be counted, but no matter what I can't take an animated movie like the little mermaid and make its set in reality, its drawn in a 2-d space, but literally every thing made ever with cgi is 3-d and so I could use a 3-d printer to re-create it, that's also why cgi is harder than animation, not always but often, because its working with more than just a sheet of paper. tldr; CGI is just as hard as making a real set

[@ryanbarker5217]

Fix it feilix were i set builder i would probably be pretty offended by someone saying my job requires no mind to put togetherm just brute strength. were i rigging the set, choreographing, doing carpentry, electronics, cinematography, lighting, blocking, real f/x, and the list goes on, this is all very planned out ahead of time and takes a massive commitment to detail and management to accomplish for some major films. no difference in animation than CGI. i could build anything from an animated film using the cad/cam software (or whatever they technically use) just as easily as it is to supposedly build CGI on a 3D printer. but, with the tools these guys have now (fractal landscaping, for instance), people can easily render locations and sets with a few pushes of a button. in real life, if you want to age the walls, you have to actually work. with CGI, you can be done with it before the art department gathers their shit and reaches the set. c'mon, now, let's get real here, yeah? it's getting to the point where children can do CGI. ask that child to build you a frame for a removable wall that looks like real brick and see how far that goes, lol.

[@fixitfeilix5051]

ryan barker Were I a computer animated I'd feel pretty offended by some one saying my job is just pressing a button. Again, the actual construction of the sets is not so difficult; it takes a long time and you have to be strong, but the person who actually came up with the idea simply tells you where to put the walls and what not. Animated films like the little mermaid are not 3-d, you can't make them 3-d without the whole team Is it technically possible for any one to make CGI? sure, but its also technically possible for any one to make a real set. I alone would have to put years and years and years of effort to make the lego movie, not only that but just because I /can/ does not mean its good. Any one can take a shitty camera and record them messing around outside, that does not mean the movie they make is any good. It still takes a smart person to properly think out what the digital set should look like to be both visually appealing and effective at the story telling. Any one can type up words on XL and call it a story, but the story won't be good. You're an idiot if you think making some thing easy to use makes it easy to do. An artists simply sits down and draws on paper, any one can draw on paper, not every one can draw the mona lisa. Any one can type into HTML, not every one can make the next facebook. If its so bloody easy, go make a fucking CGI movie, or are you more retarded than a child? lol.

[@MunirHamdan]

Surely the five points from Gangs of New York deserved a mention somewhere.

[@crashburn3292]

I was once hired to redraw the actual blueprint of the set of Ben Hur, then did the same to the list of props that were still being stored at the MGM movie studio. Or old studio. Anyway, I was surprised not to see it not mentioned. The amount of work that went into that set was mind-boggling. - It took me 4 months to complete the 4.5 x 8 foot blue print.

[@tomvalveede6808]

And the Dark, Futuristic, New York in Blade Runner. I remember that when l saw the multistorey advertising screens thinking, Those can Never be! And now, they are everywhere!!

[@suzannetodaro5494]

Yeah thy probably got inspiration for doing so from this classic amazing film....progress inspired by TV/movies. Like the flip phone from the original Star Trek.

[@bearcb]

Los Angeles, actually

[@Mayoxs]

Ummmm..... Jacques Tati's Playtime? He created an entire city and only used about 10% of it in the actual film. It bankrupted and retired him and bankrupted everyone else involved too.

[@ohauss]

I would have expected the set of "Das Boot" on the list. Together with Jost Vacano's revolutionary camera work, it made the cramped conditions almost physically experiencable - and still exists today.

[@rhagedorn]

You forgot the Spectre volcano rocket launching site for the James Bond flick "You'll Only Live Twice" designed and built by production designer Ken Adams. "Metropolis" was an inspired choice however, especially considering that it was done way back in 1927.

[@FireBirdFilmsAssemble]

+Rick Hagedorn Yeah Ken Adam was an incredible set designer, and the "You Only Live Twice" set was definitely one of his best if not his best.

[@Visuwyg]

No love for Kubriks Rotating 2001 set? The jogging scene blew my mind the first time I saw it, I just couldn't figure out what I was seeing! Also, for being made in the 60s, the production design still holds up! The astronauts use iPads ffs!

[@mayday3836]

The Dark Crystal (1982). Handbuilt masterpiece

[@winstonsmith9533]

And very strange story

[@craig69420]

I think 2001: A Space Odyssey should have been mentioned because that has some of the best sets and visual effects ever. Well in my opinion. They spent $750,000 on the rotating Discovery set. Maybe not as good as some of these on the list but still worth being here.

[@michaelbradley7595]

+Hi Im Craiggerz They were some of the greatest sets ever. That set would be hard to do right even today. The list is a wacked out collection of the writers fantasy.

[@kenshinx2730]

+Michael Bradley You talk as if you somehow were in the position of being more objective than the guys who made this list. You aren't.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

I just made the same comment {before reading yours}. The rotating Discovery I centrifuge - ESPECIALLY since it was built in the 1960's, and AFAIK costing close to 10% of the film's entire budget - was IMPRESSIVE....

[@craig69420]

RocKiteman_ _2001 I agree. Decades ahead

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

+Hi Im Craiggerz -- YUPPERS!!!

[@beuschman]

Good list, but a Ken Adam set should be included -- the War Room in Dr. Strangelove, Fort Knox in Goldfinger, the volcano rocket silo in You Only Live Twice, the submarine Bay in The Spy Who Loved Me, etc.

[@russellcampbell9198]

Agreed.

[@ffuukkyootoobffuukkyootoob1411]

Included? No. Mentioned? Sure. As with the Fifth Element sets, they deserve shout-outs.

[@chrisparkes2179]

You'd think that sets that required a new studio (it's even called the 007) to be built to accommodate them would make the list.

[@mashek331]

Loved the Abyss, and actually glad to see it get number 1. Even from a very young age, I was always hugely intrigued with the set. Brilliant work.

[@maestroclassico5801]

Kubrick should have gotten at least a mention for 2001 and The Shining. Barry Lyndon had pretty upscale sets as well!

[@ericolmeda9150]

Or Full Metal Jacket

[@maestroclassico5801]

@@ericolmeda9150 Yes since 2/3 of it WAS actually shot inside!

[@JorgeGomez-um9qb]

Agree with most of the selection, but the one of the vehicles is basically a category made for Titanic, like come'on, that shit was incredible, and more than 20 years have gone since the movie was released and it still holds as excelent effects.

[@MrEab2010]

Blofeld's hollowed out volcano in You Only Live Twice; Fort Knox in Goldfinger, rendered entirely from imagination (they were not allowed inside in 1964) but apparently still accurate.

[@mshara1]

That Egyptian set buried in the California desert will mind-screw future archaeologists.

[@mastermclovin0]

This was an awesome list, not only did you give ten awesome sets, but you pointed out so many runner ups, all of which were pretty cool

[@LukeLovesRose]

Life-size Titanic is definitely one of the best! And so is the set in The Abyss! Now WHERE THE HELL is the Blu-ray, Jim!

[@-yourandyoureare2different612]

What?

[@LukeLovesRose]

@@-yourandyoureare2different612 James Cameron has been holding out on us on the Blu-ray release of True Lies and The Abyss for far too long

[@-yourandyoureare2different612]

@@LukeLovesRose there is dvd

[@LukeLovesRose]

@@-yourandyoureare2different612 Those DVD copies are fucking terrible

[@tomvalveede6808]

What never gets mentioned is Cameron's total disregard for the people of Mexico where the huge water tank was filled with Clorinated water. After filming, the clorine-filled water was Dumped into the Ocean, killing off all kinds of fish. Japan would import $millions in seafood from the West coast of Mexico. Wonder if he paid any of the millions made on Titanic to the fishermen who lost their livelihood because of Cameron's negligence?

[@gravesclayton3604]

What was dug up in the CA desert were portions of the the "1924 Ten Commandments" set, not the 1956 film set.

[@Riskmangler]

Modest suggestion: The Sad Hill Cemetery at the end of the The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Built for the movie.

[@snolan12534]

The sets from any Tim Burton stop motion film would have been amazing. The scale of these sets along with their amazing lighting and effects are something worth seeing.

[@ThomasHaberkorn]

what about the rotating set in 2001 Space Odessey

[@JohnDoe-qx3zs]

Wasn't that just ingeniously cheap for the results it produced?

[@idrinkmilk282]

@@JohnDoe-qx3zs no it was still hella expensive

[@keithalexander6881]

No Bond sets? The ones from You only live twice and especially the Spy Who Loved Me were immense

[@thelegendinhisownmind7038]

Definitely deserves at least a shout out.

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

You Only Live Twice volcano was giant too.

[@TvTrollByIvy]

The mansion from "Crimson Peak" was something. They've built the majority of the internal area and it was breathtaking. It was such a hard set to built, it came out so beautiful and it's almost it's own character in the movie.

[@WittyDroog]

While it may not be Top 10 material, I'm really particular to the sets in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Brazil, and Bladerunner.

[@nigeltocknell3093]

You missed the volcano / secret space rocket launch site from You Only Live Twice. Cost $1m to build - the same amount as the total cost of the first James Bond film. Also the tanker interior from The Spy Who Loved Me - so basically any set designed by Ken Adam!

[@pwareham61]

So True

[@theamazingspider-man9792]

Excellent video, as always! The crew at Cinefix really know how to do great top tens!

[@MrDask14]

The set of the Ridley Scott's Alien was pretty awesome too .

[@cjimcook]

A couple additional sets worthy of mention: 1. The interior of the rotating space wheel portion of the spaceship to Jupiter in the movie "2001 - A Space Odyssey". Stanley Kubrick built a rotating structure weighing tons. 2. The town in Wales built in California for "How Green Was My Valley". I also disagree with your choice of Dogville for #6. Star Trek - The Original Series did exactly this back in the 1960s in the episode "Spectre of the Gun".

[@Mike-0201]

Really thought the Titantic would have made the list, not just a mention. Seeing you went back to the old days of Hollywood, not even a mention of The Wizard of Oz or the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

[@RCassinello]

+Michael Morelli I was gonna complain about Titanic not being in the list until Abyss made No.1. There's only space for 1 Cameron set in such a short vid!

[@JesusSuckedGayPenis]

Building stuff with CGI Legos is far more impressive than building a replica Titanic apparently. LOL

[@michaelsmith3533]

That's why you should make your own lists, and include what you feel belongs on said list! While you're right that the Titanic wasn't on the list, it was mentioned.

[@lukdub]

I believed to the end that Titanic will win the list with no.1

[@williambleeker7214]

No Munchkinland....

[@Daniel-Rosa.]

I think we need more *screenplay-oriented* top 10s of yours. The internet itself needs more screenplay material, there's just so much about directing, editing and cinematography already. And there are tons of different lists you can do when it comes to plot-lines, dialogues, character arcs, structure...!

[@CineFix]

Daniel Rosa we're working on a screenplay focused show right now... we'll see if you like it!

[@Daniel-Rosa.]

CineFix *My prayers!!*

[@Daniel-Rosa.]

CineFix By the way, I think your top 10s should be included in CineFix High. I've learned so much (and even apllied what I learned) from the "Sound Design" one.

[@CineFix]

Daniel Rosa hm... good point! maybe we will....

[@OldEarthChaos]

The set from Jacques Tati's "Playtime" - "Tativille"

[@sweetmaggie2566]

they could've at least metion it :)

[@daniel_j_a]

absolutely - I was sure this would be #1

[@denissweet6639]

I was going to say the same thing but wanted to check and see if anyone else mentioned it first. Seriously, how can you not even mention Tati's Playtime on a video about movie sets.

[@joed9491]

The set for Saving Private Ryan which was expanded for Band of Brothers, should've been included. A lot of work and detail went into that set.

[@kwantoon]

They turned a T-34 into a Tiger tank for Pete's sake.

[@seanborghei5005]

Ken Adam must be somewhere laughing at this video. Any single shot from Goldfinger manifests his craft.

[@clancepants8006]

The Paris opera set from the 1920's Phantom of the Opera is still incredible

[@Moosetta]

Ruins of the DeMille Egyptian set buried in California were for the silent 10 Commandments, not the Technicolor version.

[@NyuuMikuru1]

Moosetta Someone remembered.

[@MichaelLeroi]

USS Discovery from 2001 Should have been on there...

[@exposfan94movies]

Completely agree! Deep Sore is #1, no way.

[@WanderfalkeAT]

True, but that was one big Wheel, spinning around the Camera - Compared to Deep Score a small Creation. Not to say that the Tricks and the Model Work weren't amazing especially for the time.

[@leemendham4788]

Definitely should have included the Discovery Centrifuge set, at least.

[@jobsingames]

Totally agree. Some groundbreaking sets.

[@TheJayrockerr]

Agreed!!

[@brianlawton8172]

I'm surprised the volcano set from "you only live twice" wasn't listed. Also honorable mention to those wonderful folks at "Toho studios"

[@IvorPresents]

Did you leave out any? First and foremost, from 2001 The Discovery. In the movie Outland (1981) there was an incredible chase scene, across the whole of the Space Mining operation. through the living quarters, the Dining hall, the storage areas and more. An amazing set. More recent, I love the cavernous interior of the space transport in Passengers. (2016). The entire underground alien city of the Krell from Forbidden Planet(1956) knocked me out, as a kid.

[@Hereticked]

I would definitely have the burning of the castle from Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985) on this list. They literally built a castle and burned it to the ground for the shot. Tatsuya Nakadai had to get the scene right on the first take, because he wasn't getting a second chance.

[@WrenchingOnCars]

What about Fantastic Voyage? Giant sets in 1966 without any computer effects.

[@IvorPresents]

Good Call.

[@pwareham61]

Spot On

[@TheJayrockerr]

I agree. Great sets, and visual effects for the time.

[@jimslancio]

A quick mention of Bedford Falls from It's A Wonderful Life wouldn't've been amiss.

[@andrewlewis414]

Overlook Hotel from The Shining would have been a good one to mention. As well as the 4077th in Altman’s MASH

[@brianjcavanaugh]

A set of grassy hills and trees with little Hobbit homes gets in your top 10 but the spinning set of the Discovery ship in 2001: A Space Odyssey doesn't? Incredible.

[@Frektelfilms]

So eh, what happened to the batman set ? Is it still there?

[@Mike-0201]

It was posted just recently on Yahoo news that it was just removed after 25 years!

[@TheRubberStudiosASMR]

What a waste!

[@amykoleske4517]

yeah, its still there, looks pretty run down these days

[@TheRubberStudiosASMR]

Really, where abouts? Can you visit it?

[@Nemoticon]

I think it was more of a waste to have it sitting there, do nothing. If its not making money as an attraction, better off use the site for housing or business or something benefiting the local community.

[@meee6836]

Totally agree with Abyss as the greatest.

[@2beatnik]

Irwin Allen's 1972 "The Poseidon Adventure" could have been an honorable mention.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

I was thinking of "The Poseidon Adventure" too! That dining room was spectacular and then there was the engine room. Not only that even the small sets were remarkably detailed and accurate.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

Also: I wanted to mention "The Last Voyage" from 1960, not a well-known movie but very unusual. The sets of the sinking liner Claridon were REAL. The movie was filmed aboard the Ile de France justs before she was broken up and parts of the liner were blown up and the ship was partially flooded and down at the bow.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

I'd like to recommend the dining room from the 1972 "Poseidon Adventure". It was a spectacular room that I wish existed so I could go there. It was designed so that the different sections/levels of the floor matched the ceiling. That way the furniture and fittings could be installed upside-down for the post-capsizing action scenes.---Also I'm a big fan of the Glass Tower in "The Towering Inferno", another Irwin Allen production. The Glass Tower was one of the most beautiful buildings never built though it did exist for a time as nine-story model. It was inspired at least in part by a design by Frank Lloyd Wright for a structure called the Mile-High Skyscraper that was also never built.

[@mulemule]

As an owner of one of the only surviving "Golden Tickets," I enthusiastically second Austin Baker's shout-out (see his posting below) for the legendary Wonka "Chocolate Room" set. The film had a bare-bones budget so the production designers had to be especially creative making Dahl's fanciful depictions seem utterly real in their surreality. (By contrast, the cringe-worthy Johnny Depp remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" boasted a $150-million budget yet remains memorable only for its forgettableness.) Fun fact: after filming wrapped, the primary soundstage harboring the "Wonka" sets was frantically cleared to make way for the big-budget extravaganza subsequently shot there: "Cabaret." For this reason (and because Paramount didn't think it a particularly noteworthy work) virtually all of the "Wonka" sets and props were destroyed and almost no original memorabilia from this mega cult-classic survives.

[@stevenjohnson7442]

what about the James bond sets from the Spy Who Loved Me and You Only Live Twice?

[@georgepapapostolou5992]

"Das Boot" had a quite impressive set too!)

[@FierceWill]

If you go to the island of Malta you can still visit the village set from Robert Altman's Popeye (1980).

[@tylerkochman1007]

David Marshall I thought of that too when they mentioned still-standing village sets

[@jackcarter6629]

They're not my favourite movie sets but a lot of the Bond films had huge famous sets built, no CGI involved. Thunderball comes to mind with the volacano that opens. The original Star Wars films are obvious movies glaringly missing.

[@SnowDaulphin]

Jack Carter volcano was you only live twice

[@jimslancio]

The exterior street set of Bedford falls, from It's A Wonderful Life, could've rated a mention.

[@TheAmberh44]

I think that the ministry of magic from harry potter deserved at least an honorable mention

[@Lario64]

I've always wanted to live in the walls 1930's Paris trainstation from the movie Hugo. I fcking adore that movie.

[@brunodent8843]

The Volcano Lair from James Bond - 'You Only Live Twice' should be on this list

[@TheFeralBachelor]

No mention of Kubrick's 2001 sets? Blade Runner 2049? Still a good list though.

[@patrickrichterrr]

Blade Runner 2049 wasnt even out when this video got released

[@sclogse1]

Tony Masters' interior sets for 2001 have a versimilitude that no orher film before had. The pod bay, the centrifuge, the command room on the Discovery, the pods themselves, all were just as fabulous as the exterior imagery. More real than real.

[@HULLGRAFFITI]

Gangs of New York 5 points set with harbour ship church ect... all built real size was pertty impressive

[@jimmeskimen7779]

Agree on most of these, good compilation... but what about Kubrick's round space ship from 2001? And how about that Ed Harris, he's in two of these! And nearly died on the DeepCore set.

[@jamesthomas3756]

The sets from Shawshank Redemption needed a shout out. They were so impressive that some of the cast believed at first that it was an actual abandoned prison.

[@rudranroy2109]

Wait ! It was not ? Oh my goodness ! Oh god !

[@dennisloniak8774]

After nearly a century of use, the Ohio State Reformatory closed its doors on New Year's Eve 1990. The massive prison on the outskirts of Mansfield is a combination of three architectural styles: Victorian Gothic, Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne. If that doesn't mean much to you, let me put it this way: It's gorgeous - and terrifying. Which may explain why Hollywood thought it would make a perfect Shawshank Prison.

[@syno1230]

Although I adore The Shawshank Redemption,I have to disagree bcs The Shawshank Redemption's set take place at Ohio State Reformatory which has already been built..

[@elleeats2701]

The abyss one is so cool. To be honest I never realized how many crazy cool sets there are. Always thought most stuff was shot in a location closest to what they needed. So cool to learn behind the scenes stuff.

[@zyaravie911]

Don't forget about Poseidon. The whole ship is built on set too including the upside down rooms when the wave hits it, burnt rooms etc

[@philrabe910]

Kubrick's sets for 2001 were pretty epic film history wise.

[@nitpicker9406]

Waterworld: Had a great set...and that's it.

[@idrinkmilk282]

Nit Picker lol here's to the biggest most expensive piece of shit ever created

[@randymarsh5088]

I didn’t think it was that bad

[@BadWebDiver]

Spawned a top ranking stunt show tho. That gets performed multiple times a week.

[@gideonMorrison]

Fun film actually

[@Mario_Gillette]

I don't know why people hate that movie, I didn't think it was that bad.

[@maajkemii]

the forest set from Ridley Scott's Legend deserved a mention imo

[@spartan2188]

I was thinking about that one! I remember hearing that the forest set was amazing! I love Legend.

[@benmcfee]

The snow fortress from Inception wasn't only a miniature. It was also a full-size set built from plywood in the middle of the Alberta Rockies. I know; I ate lunch in it twice..

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Missing though, is a movie set one can not only describe as amazing, but also a work of forward looking genius. Those sets were of the Kubrick masterpiece, 2001. NO CGI. Just unbelievable detail and realism. Just watch that movie, and consider the era from which it was made. Many people still only had b/w TVs! Bakelite rotary dial telephones! Seatbelts were not even mandatory equipment yet! Even now, 50 years later, 2001 is still without a doubt the technically greatest sci-fi movie of all time.