Mcguffin
 

Main Entry: McGuffin
Part of Speech: n
Definition: in film, a plot device that has no specific meaning or purpose other than to advance the story; any situation that motivates the action of a film either artificially or substantively; also written MacGuffin

Can ya name some

Repo-Man

The glowing object in the trunk of the 1964 Chevy Malabu

Pulp Fiction - The contents of the briefcase.

North by Northwest - unknown secrets of the government.


I ll think of more...

The case in "Ronin".

Good one.

The one person who drives off into the night in Friday the 13th II from the town cafe. Can that be considered as a legitimate McGuffin?

Heh, funny you would mention that, Harrison Ford just said that all the Indiana Jones movies had a McGuffin that propelled them to a fantastic and over the top ending.

Read about it.

Ark of the Covenant - Raiders

Sankara Stones - Temple of Doom

Holy Grail - Last Crusade

Crystal Skull - Crystal Skull.


Odd coincidence. Or deliberate?

There's another one

Monty Python & The Holy Grail

the grail



Hitchcock was notorious [ no pun intended ] for McGuffins

Good Times....Thats some funny shit!!!! :D

isnt the ultimate one The Maltese Falcon ?

Definitely. :cool:

The Jewels in Reservoir Dogs.

The cannibalistic incidents at the start of Dr Butcher MD :-)

The Case of uranium in Kiss me Deadly.

The Cure in Doomsday.

The books in Ninth Gate.

The 'lament configuration' in some of the Hellraiser sequals.

the jewel of the nile, in The Jewel of the Nile

I used to know the guy that was the jewel of the nile. He was a Vaudeville performer- a clown- who toured the West coast as Avner the Eccentric. He went to New York, got a successful one man show on Broadway and ended up in the movie, It also included his friends The Flying Karamatzov Brothers, a troupe of jugglers.

Neo in the Matrix. he is even inanimate :)

would the ring in Lord of the rings count?

I would guess not as its properties are used by many characters to influence situations (ie its invisability etc - the evil influence it has etc). just my take.

thats what i was thinking. mcguffin's are more an indirect impetus than an actual player, it would seem.

in that case, the clit in south park: deeper longer and uncut is a mcguffin for stan.
Manbearpig is one for al gore
kyle sucking his balls is one for cartman (imaginationland)

Yeah like the objections of desire in the Malestese Falcon, the suit case in Pulp fiction and the plans in North by Northwest could be pretty much inter changeable with really affecting the plot much.. (except the Maltese Falcon might have to be called a different title :-)

However the One Ring in LOTR has (by its power/natural) direct influence on the characters and plot.

Pretty much the whole plot of Vanishing Point

The large bunny rabbit in Donnie Darko ?!