Chromatography Forum

Dear chromatographers,

I was inspired to start this thread/discussion from Sean Connery's movie "Medicine Man" that I watched some time ago. More details about the movie:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_Man_(film)

In short, Dr. Robert Campbell (Sean Connery) is a rain forest scientist hired from a pharmaceutical company to search for new medicines. At some point in the movie, Dr. Campbell uses gas chromatograph to characterize the compound he suspected to have antineoplastic activity. This was the first movie that I have ever seen to include any chromatographic equipment in the scenario/movie (apart from the movie series Crime Scene Investigation).

Do you know of any other movie that includes the chromatography at any point? Would be so kind to share it here?
I would be very happy to watch them if there are such.

Best regards

In 1984, I supplied LC equipment to Wolfgang Petersen. I do not recall for which film, but considering that this was the year of the filming of Enemy Mine, it must have been for that. I have never seen the movie, and I do not know if the HPLC ended up on the floor of the cutting room. Does anyone know more about this?

I remember watching Robocop (I think it was the first one), It had a Zymark robotic SPE sampler when the movie was showing the illicit drug production line, and whilst it wasn't doing chromatography. it was doing what it was meant to be doing.
As opposed to CSI (I know it's a series not a movie ), In which you can get a DNA profile apparently, by injecting it into a GC.
At least Abbey (Pauley Perrette) in NCIS, uses her instruments properly (most of the time )

Alex

If I remember correctly, in Medicine Man Sean Connery got a mass spectrum from an FID system, a really neat trick I've often wished I could replicate.

If not mistaken, Morgan Freeman in front of a 5890 with an autosampler in one of the Batman movies.

Best regards.

Wow, thank you for the feedback. Didn't know that there are so many scenes/movies that include chromatographic equipment. I'll take a close attention on this movies, thank you guys

If I remember correctly, in Medicine Man Sean Connery got a mass spectrum from an FID system, a really neat trick I've often wished I could replicate.

Well, Ron I admit that I can't remember correctly but surely I would watch the movie again to catch this silly mistake
So far, I haven't succeeded to obtain an MS spectrum from FID chromatogram, either
Thank you for pointing this fact here!

Have fun

I remember watching Robocop (I think it was the first one), It had a Zymark robotic SPE sampler when the movie was showing the illicit drug production line, and whilst it wasn't doing chromatography. it was doing what it was meant to be doing.
As opposed to CSI (I know it's a series not a movie ), In which you can get a DNA profile apparently, by injecting it into a GC.
At least Abbey (Pauley Perrette) in NCIS, uses her instruments properly (most of the time )

Alex

I want the GC that gives results immediately!

If not mistaken, Morgan Freeman in front of a 5890 with an autosampler in one of the Batman movies.

Best regards.

As far as I know, Morgan Freeman casts only in two movies from the "Batman" series: Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). So when I'll get the chance to watch them I'll pay attention on the HP's 5890 GC scene

Best regards

In 1984, I supplied LC equipment to Wolfgang Petersen. I do not recall for which film, but considering that this was the year of the filming of Enemy Mine, it must have been for that. I have never seen the movie, and I do not know if the HPLC ended up on the floor of the cutting room. Does anyone know more about this?

Well, Uwe this movie is a real legend, I admit. I cannot recall whether there is an LC system in some of its scenes, but thank you for pointing the film out. Although it is an old movie, I think it's worth watching it again (I love science fiction movies )

Best regards

If I remember correctly, in Medicine Man Sean Connery got a mass spectrum from an FID system, a really neat trick I've often wished I could replicate.

Actually, using that backpackable GC, Connery could pull out the exact structure of the compound in a crude plant extract that was responsible for the biological activity. I always thought that would be a nifty instrument to have

I saw the SF movie Enemy Mine years ago. Don't remember any chromatographic equipment in it.

It's been a really long time since I saw this movie, but I seem to rememeber a GC-MS scan in "Highlander."
I believe they used it to analyze the bad guy's sword (but I could be completely wrong).

If I remember correctly-I think this comes from a conversation with an Agilent representative, who I believe supplied some of the instruments for CSI, I never watch the show. They had to remove all of the internal parts becuase they were too noisy to get good quality sound. So basically it ended up just being a shell of an instrument.

If I remember correctly-I think this comes from a conversation with an Agilent representative, who I believe supplied some of the instruments for CSI, I never watch the show. They had to remove all of the internal parts becuase they were too noisy to get good quality sound. So basically it ended up just being a shell of an instrument.

That's what our local Agilent engineer told me, that the rough pump was too noisy for CSI Las Vegas, producers just wanted the MSD to sit there and really wanted to have the GC autosampler operating. I believe I saw the autosampler doing a DNA assay as well, the magic of TV. By the way, I stopped watching the CSI Las Vegas when Grissom left (loved the show where he was working in the field due to immediate need, and he was putting off doing the performance reviews, which he hated). I might start watching CSI Miami again if David Caruso learns how to act, and if the medical examiner ditched fashion and looked like she had more than 2 weeks experience on the job. I haven't seen CSI NY.

Don't forget that an HP GC results were cited in the courtroom scene from "My Cousin Vinny" - although not shown or used on-screen.

Don't forget that an HP GC results were cited in the courtroom scene from "My Cousin Vinny" - although not shown or used on-screen.

One of my all time favorite movies!