The Witches - Formula 86 - What bottle?

[Howlrunner]

Anyone have any idea what type of bottle was used for the Formula 86 potion in the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's "The Witches"?

It's a small blue bottle (probably approx 10cm tall) which looks a bit like a perfume bottle (I've looked, but I can't find any screencaps online). I was wondering if it was a found item or specially made for the film?

Anyone know?

 

[Howlrunner]

I managed to get some decent screencaps from the DVD. Do these help? Any ideas?

 

[Howlrunner]

bump

 

[prototype7]

bump

Dude - I wish I could help you out. I spent a couple days last week trying to hunt this down for you.
I checked mostly ebay and google image search but I did searches for
"antique perfume bottle"
"antique purple bottle"
"vintage purple bottle"
"vintage perfume bottle"

I looked for a few hours each day easy. This one will be a tuff one to track down. I don't suppose there is any commentary on the dvd??? Maybe where someone mentions something about it? Another thing to do would be to figure out which company did the effects or props for this movie and try contacting them for info.

Good luck with it in any case!

 

[gnrlotto]

I did the same thing. I searched for cobalt bottles, and blue bottles, and purple bottles and even green ones (some of the light casts a slightly greeenish glow) and couldn't come up with a thing. But I am thinking it's old, the glass looks quite scuffed in one of the pics, moreso than would be added by a prop shop I'd assume. But yeah, this is a toughie.

 

[Howlrunner]

Thanks for trying guys! I've been trawling eBay as well, but haven't come up with anything. The DVD I have doesn't have a commentary, so no info there unfortunately.

 

[gnrlotto]

Supposedly, after the new Wonka came out, Alfonso Cuaron was set to produce a remake with Guillermo Hell-Toro-boy directing, but I've learned a while ago to take all news of Guillermo directing something awesome with a grain of salt as he's seemingly attached to every geek flick...

 

[Howlrunner]

I was just thinking about this again today, so thought I'd bump this old thread to see if maybe any of our new members had any leads. Ideas?

 

[Mike J.]

Have you considered the possibility that it might be a miniature liquor bottle with a custom stopper?


-Mike

 

[Shylaah]

It looks vintage, but not really antique. Maybe like mid-century modern, actually I was thinking 1950-ish Dime Store vintage. Perhaps a gifted boxed miniature for little girls?? Or out of a set of little miniature bottles of perfume. I had a reproduction set someone gave sometime ago that had 5 or 6 different size and shaped miniature bottles with different scent in each one. I don't have any of them anymore (curse the days before I found the RPF and learned to NEVER throw anything away!!)

Shylaah

 

[Howlrunner]

I'm trawling through everything on eBay for "blue glass bottle" but nothing even close yet. Of course, since they made giant custom versions of it (as seen in the pic with the mouse tail wrapped around it) - at least I'm guessing that that's been filmed large scale - it's possible that the small one is custom made too.

If it can't be found - or if no-one comes forward with some insider knowledge (did any mags cover the making of this movie?) - then maybe a 3D printed version might be the way to go? Shapeways only seems to do transparent (no colour tints), but maybe that with something like Tamiya transparent blue painted over the top?

 

[Shylaah]

Been scouring the web, and don't really see many that are close.
Maybe it's a medicine bottle, a miniature bitters bottle??

If you do a Shapeways 3D printed version, get it in the least expensive material then make a mold of it and cast it in the correct color transparent resin.

Shylaah

 

[AJLoCascio]

it could of been made for the production

 

[Howlrunner]

Been scouring the web, and don't really see many that are close.
Maybe it's a medicine bottle, a miniature bitters bottle??

If you do a Shapeways 3D printed version, get it in the least expensive material then make a mold of it and cast it in the correct color transparent resin.

Shylaah

If I knew how to make molds, how to tint resin or how to cast without getting air bubbles then I would. :lol

 

[Hazelrah]

I was thinking it was perhaps a nail polish bottle...so I googled and came up with this site...

Etsy :: Your place to buy and sell all things handmade[0]=tags&search_query=miniature+bottles&page=1

they have a ton of small bottles...didn't see an exact match but then I only got through page 7....lol

 

[Howlrunner]

I was thinking it was perhaps a nail polish bottle...so I googled and came up with this site...

Etsy :: Your place to buy and sell all things handmade[0]=tags&search_query=miniature+bottles&page=1

they have a ton of small bottles...didn't see an exact match but then I only got through page 7....lol

Thanks for the idea. I messaged the artist that makes all the hand blown miniature bottles that are for sale there asking about if he could make this shape. Unfortunately he is not making custom bottles in that size (only large ones starting at $1000 each). So that still leaves finding the exact bottle or making it in 3D (hopefully this will go ahead soon....).

 

[zenix]

you can 3d print into glass, too. i'll try to model it when i get time

 

[ThePromethean]

You can always check with a local glass blower or glass blowing studio. I have had a couple small items made for me in colored glass for under $25 each.

Cheers!

 

[Howlrunner]

I've checked through thousands of images of miniature blue bottles, but no luck yet. 3D printing might have to be the way to go.

 

[Shylaah]

Yeah, I burned a little midnight oil a couple of times, just ain't NOTHING fitting that profile.

Evening in Paris was that old 1950s perfume I couldn't think of the name of it the other day that came in little cobalt blue bottles, but there's not anything in that line that's the shape of this F/86 bottle.

So, yeah, I'd say 3D printing or sculpt it in fimo. It's tiny, what would you guess the dimensions are? My nearest guess is 1" wide, 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 high, 1/2 inch-ish deep......???

Shylaah