MovieChat Forums > Star Trek: Voyager (1995) Discussion > Flashlights on their wrists

Flashlights on their wrists

posted 3 years ago by aavfreak (3385)
7 replies | jump to latest

One thing that always bothered me when I first watched Voyager was the way they wore the flashlights on their wrists. It was always so awkward for them to have to move their entire arm and point their whole arm at whatever they were looking at.

It didn't seem to serve any purpose. There's no technological limitation that prevents us from mounting them this way now, yet no one wears a flashlight this way. That's because it makes little sense to do so.

I can't see how this was even a thing in this show.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Well, it sort of leaves the hand free, which is a sort of advantage.

Just not as much of an advantage as the head lamp I wear for biking at night, which totally leaves the hands and arms free, and which shines on whatever you're looking at with no effort on your part.

[–] aavfreak (3385) 3 years ago

There are much better options for "hands free" as you've pointed out. I could see having a built in light to the tricorder, so they could use the light at the same time as they are taking readings or scanning the area, but the wrist mount light just seems forced.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

The wrist lamps probably photograph better than a head lamp, a head lamp would either make the actor's face look darker by comparison or cast weird shadows on the face.

Head lamps are definitely the way to go in real life, though.

[–] aavfreak (3385) 3 years ago

This is another common thing in movies. Any time a character is wearing a helmet or mask - space suit, SCUBA, hazmat, whatever - they always have lights on the inside of the mask or helmet.

In reality, having lights on your face would be a terrible thing for your vision, but I understand why the need on film.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I hadn't noticed that, but I will from now on! It's also why good guys always go into combat without helmets, even though it would be suicide in a real fight that involved bullets or bladed weapons, it's so the camera can see their faces clearly.

Ever notice that? In almost every battle ever filmed, the good guys are wearing no helmets at all, and the bad guys are wearing helmets that cover their faces. It's so you can see the good guys faces and empathize with their feelings, and the bad guys don't seem sentient.

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/polls/252000/252478_1244993835479_full.jpg?v=1244993842

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Never bothered me, I aways thought the 21st Century cop flashlight held up with one arm with the other arm pointing the handgun in close proximity to the flashlight always looked impractical to me.

[–] TandyMan (11327) 2 years ago

the flashlights have always been dumb. Star Trek flashlights would just be hovering orbs of daylight.