History Main / WhenPropsAttack

[[folder:Films – Live-Action]]

[[folder:Films – Live-Action]]

** The severed Auton arm attacking the Doctor in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS1E1Rose Rose]]".

[[folder:Web Comic]]
* ''WebComic/ThePropDept'': Main plot of this work is that props from a prop department come to life and have to be defeated by the main characters.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment'''s video on ''VideoGame/UltimaIII'', there's a skit about fighting the floor outside Exodus's castle. In it, WebVideo/BennettTheSage fights with his square of carpet in a very unconvincing manner.
[[/folder]]

* In one episode of [[Series/VanPires]] the Motorvators' fight against [[ItMakesSenseInContext a living electric guitar]] is half the actors waving around a very obviously inanimate prop guitar pretending it's attacking them and half [[SpecialEffectsFailure a really cheaply rendered CGI guitar]] just kinda flopping around.

Usually this involves something small strangling someone or biting someone's throat, which allows the actor to stagger around holding the prop to their neck and occasionally wiggling bits of it.

* The unused US ending for ''Film/FrankensteinConquersTheWorld'' has Frankenstein fight a giant octopus. The effect looks okay for the most part, but it’s noticeable in a few shots that Frankenstein’s actor, Komi Furuhata, is moving the prop’s tentacles himself.

* The unused US ending for ''Film/FrankensteinConquersTheWorld'' has Frankenstein fight a giant octopus. The effect looks okay for the most part, but it’s noticeable in a few shots that Frankenstein’s actor is moving the prop’s tentacles himself.

* The Japanese movie ''Film/FrankensteinConquersTheWorld'' has Frankenstein attacked by an obviously fake octopus walking through the woods. He's obviously moving the tentacles himself.

* The non-CGI parts of the fight between Buffy and the giant enchanted snake in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Shadow", which reverses the usual by having a small actor clinging onto a very large almost-inert prop.

** Aversion: The "organism" in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E1TheThreeDoctors "The Three Doctors"]]. It ''would'' have been a case of this had the effects team not had the idea to render the blob-like thing ''electronically'', eliminating the need for a risible physical prop.

[[caption-width-right:350:Some fights come with strings attached.]]

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' had several examples, including Calvin's dad pretending that he was being attacked by a poltergeist to scare Calvin. It's implied that this is what onlookers see when Calvin and Hobbes "fight".

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/{{Beethoven}}'', the crooked vet simulates an attack by the title dog by smearing fake blood on his arm, then grabbing Beethoven's face and shaking it.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* The original KillerRabbit in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''.

* The fight between the Skeleton and the Mutant in ''Film/TheLostSkeletonOfCadavra''

''Series/DoctorWho'':

** When unshelled Daleks attack people in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks Genesis of the Daleks]]" and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks Resurrection of the Daleks]]"

** The Cybermat attacking Sarah in "Revenge of the Cybermen."
** Aversion: The "organism" in "The Three Doctors." It ''would'' have been a case of this had the effects team not had the idea to render the blob-like thing ''electronically,'' eliminating the need for a risible physical prop.
* The non-CGI parts of the fight between Buffy and the giant enchanted snake in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Shadow", which reverses the usual by having a small actor clinging onto a very large almost-inert prop.

* In a sketch on ''Series/TheBennyHillShow'', Benny plays a TV nature presenter parodying Creator/DavidAttenborough. One of the animals he shows is a giant spider, which is really a prop that Benny slips onto his hand and his fingers are the spider's legs. While Benny is holding the "spider" and talking about it, the spider crawls up Benny's chest towards his neck. Benny drags the spider back down to abdomen level, and it starts crawling up again. He also gets attacked by an offstage "elephant", which is somebody's arm in a gray sleeve simulating the elephant's trunk.
* In a section of the ''Ancient Prophecies'' series, we see an Aztec family being attacked by their own wooden tools, and a modern family attacked by their kitchen and IT equipment, both done like this.
* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', J.D. imagines a demon baby launching out of Jordan and attacking him. The baby in question is a lumpy plastic doll.

!Examples

[[folder:Film]]

[[folder:Film]]

** The scenes with Nestene-possessed objects in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS8E1TerrorOfTheAutons}} Terror of the Autons]]".
** When unshelled Daleks attack people in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks}} Genesis of the Daleks]]" and [[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks}} Resurrection of the Daleks]]"
** The bat attacking the Doctor in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS18E4StateOfDecay}} State of Decay]]".
** The severed Auton arm attacking the Doctor in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoNSS1E1Rose}} Rose]]".
** The Cybermat attacking Craig in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS32E12ClosingTime}} Closing Time]]".

* In a sketch on ''Series/TheBennyHillShow'', Benny plays a TV nature presenter parodying Creator/DavidAttenborough. One of the animals he shows is a giant spider, which is really a prop that Benny slips onto his hand and his fingers are the spider's legs. While Benny is holding the "spider" and talking about it, the spider crawls up Benny's chest towards his neck. Benny drags the spider back down to abdomen level, and it starts crawling up again. He also gets attacked by an offstage "elephant," which is somebody's arm in a gray sleeve simulating the elephant's trunk.

!!Examples

!!!In-universe

!!!In real life

* ''Series/DoctorWho'':

* In ''Film/Beethoven'', the crooked vet simulates an attack by the title dog by smearing fake blood on his arm, then grabbing Beethoven's face and shaking it.

* Parodied in the ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' "Scott of the Sahara" sketch, in which Scott wrestles a lion which is partially StockFootage, partially a guy in a lion costume, and partially this.

!!In real life

* A particularly notorious example is the fight between Creator/BelaLugosi's character Dr. Vornoff and a giant octopus in ''Film/BrideOfTheMonster''. Allegedly, the prop was stolen from a bigger studio's store, but a vital electric motor was left behind. The filming of the scene was dramatised in ''Film/EdWood''.
* The original KillerRabbit in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''.
* The Japanese movie ''Film/FrankensteinConquersTheWorld'' has Frankenstein attacked by an obviously fake octopus walking through the woods. He's obviously moving the tentacles himself.
* The fight between the Skeleton and the Mutant in ''Film/TheLostSkeletonOfCadavra''
* The fight between George and the lion in ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'', partially.
* Happens during the "Make 'Em Laugh" scene in ''Film/SinginInTheRain'' when Cosmo "flirts" with a headless mannequin, which proceeds to slap him and they tussle for a minute or two off screen.

* Many examples in ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** In the classic series, the scenes with Nestene-possessed objects in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS8E1TerrorOfTheAutons}} Terror of the Autons]]" are made of this trope. Other notable cases include unshelled Daleks attacking people in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks}} Genesis of the Daleks]]" and [[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks}} Resurrection of the Daleks]]", and the bat attacking the Doctor in "State of Decay".
** The revived series has had a couple of examples, although more tongue-in-cheek, notably including the severed Auton arm attacking the Doctor in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoNSS1E1Rose}} Rose]]" and the Cybermat attacking Craig in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS32E12ClosingTime}} Closing Time]]".
* The non-CGI parts of the fight between Buffy and the giant enchanted snake in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Shadow", which reverses the usual by having a small actor clinging onto a very large almost-inert prop.

* PlayedForLaughs in an episode of ''Series/TheGoodies'' where Graeme is supposedly being attacked by a bat.
* In a sketch on ''Series/TheBennyHillShow'', Benny plays a TV nature presenter parodying Creator/DavidAttenborough. One of the animals he shows is a giant spider, which is really a prop that Benny slips onto his hand and his fingers are the spider's legs. While Benny is holding the "spider" and talking about it, the spider crawls up Benny's chest towards his neck. Benny drags the spider back down to abdomen level, and it starts crawling up again. He also gets attacked by an offstage "elephant," which is somebody's arm in a gray sleeve simulating the elephant's trunk.
* Parodied in the ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' "Scott of the Sahara" sketch, in which Scott wrestles a lion which is partially StockFootage, partially a guy in a lion costume, and partially this.
* In a section of the ''Ancient Prophecies'' series, we see an Aztec family being attacked by their own wooden tools, and a modern family attacked by their kitchen and IT equipment, both done like this.
* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', J.D. imagines a demon baby launching out of Jordan and attacking him. The baby in question is a lumpy plastic doll.
* In ''Series/SapphireAndSteel'', "Assignment 3" features a series of poltergeist attacks by animal spirits, leading the spectacle of David [=McCallum=] being "attacked" by a pillow that's supposedly animated by the ghosts of the birds whose feathers it's stuffed with.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment'''s video on ''VideoGame/UltimaIII'', there's a skit about fighting the floor outside Exodus's castle. In it, WebVideo/BennettTheSage fights with his square of carpet in a very unconvincing manner.

!Examples
[[AC: Comic Strips]]
* A late 2011 ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' strip had Garfield eating cookies in the cookie jar, but when Jon catches him, Garfield pretends that the cookie jar is eating him. Of course, Jon isn't fooled one bit by it:
-->Garfield: Help! I'm being eaten by a cookie jar!
-->Jon: Get out of there!

[[AC: {{Film}}]]

[[AC: LiveActionTV]]

[[AC: Web Original]]
* In ''WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment'''s video on ''VideoGame/UltimaIII'', there's a skit about fighting the floor outside Exodus's castle. In it, WebVideo/BennettTheSage fights with his square of carpet in a very unconvincing manner.

* Parodied in the ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' "Scott of the Sahara" sketch, in which Scott wrestles a lion which is partially Stock Footage, partially a guy in a lion costume, and partially this.

* In ''Series/SapphireAndSteel'', "Assignment 3" features a series of poltergeist attacks by animal spirits, leading the spectacle of David Mc Callum being "attacked" by a pillow that's supposedly animated by the ghosts of the birds whose feathers it's stuffed with.

* Happens during the "Make 'Em Laugh" scene in ''Film/SinginInTheRain'' when Cosmo "flirts" with a headless prop, which proceeds to slap him and they tussle for a minute or two off screen.

* Back in the very early days of ''ComicStrip/Peanuts'' when Charlie Brown was more mischievous, he once made it look like a snowman was chasing him by towing it around in a wagon.

* A particularly notorious example is the fight between BelaLugosi's character Dr. Vornoff and a giant octopus in ''Film/BrideOfTheMonster''. Allegedly, the prop was stolen from a bigger studio's store, but a vital electric motor was left behind. The filming of the scene was dramatised in ''Film/EdWood''.

* Many examples in ''Series/DoctorWho'', but the scenes with Nestene-possessed objects in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS8E1TerrorOfTheAutons}} Terror of the Autons]]" are made of this trope. Other notable cases include unshelled Daleks attacking people in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks}} Genesis of the Daleks]]" and [[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS21E4ResurrectionOfTheDaleks}} Resurrection of the Daleks]]".
** The revived series has had a couple of examples, sometimes possibly tongue-in-cheek, notably including the severed Auton arm attacking the Doctor in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoNSS1E1Rose}} Rose]]" and the Cybermat attacking Craig in "[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS32E12ClosingTime}} Closing Time]]".
* The fight between Buffy and the giant snake in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Shadow", which reverses the usual by having a small actor clinging onto a very large almost-inert prop.
* The second episode of ''Series/GarthMarenghisDarkplace'', "Hell Hath Fury", in which the characters are fighting AnimateInanimateObjects. Including Sanchez struggling with his own gun, then battling a kitchen whisk trying to stab him in the neck, and then wrestling a garbage can.

* In a section of the ''Ancient Prophecies'' series, we see an Aztec family being attacked by their own wooden tools, and are modern family attacked by their kitchen and IT equipment, both done like this.
* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}, J.D. imagines a demon baby launching out of Jordan and attacking him. The baby in question is a lumpy plastic doll.