Photography in Films: Hello Kitty Leicas
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View The ChannelPreviously in my series of photograph in films, I posted about sightings of Leica cameras in movies and films. This time I am going to take that same lens and zoom in a little further.

Many models of the Leica camera have had their fair share of screen time in various movies over the past fifty years. There is one model however which is yet to make it to the silver screen is the always popular Hello Kitty Leica. The Hello Kitty Leica has never made the final cut, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been trying.
The story of the Hello Kitty Leica in movies is much like the story of Eric Stoltz being cast as Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Some scenes were shot with Stoltz and they weren’t working so well. McFly got recast with Michael J. Fox, and the scenes were shot over.
At great risk to my own physical well being, I’ve managed to track down some stills from various films depicting the original use of a Hello Kitty Leica.
The Caveman’s Valentine (2001)
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The earliest attempted use of the Hello Kitty Leica was in 2001’s The Caveman’s Valentine starring Samuel L. Jackson & Colm Feore.

The first scenes were shot with the Hello Kitty Leica, but are rumored to have been scrapped after director Kasi Lemmons realized what a mismatch it would be to have the Hello Kitty Leica in the same scene with a major bad-ass like Samuel L. Jackson.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
DVD @ Amazon
The pink Hello Kitty Leica seemed like a shoo-in for 2008’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Hell, Penélope Cruz was even wearing a matching pink top!

The Hello Kitty Leica ended up being cut out of Vicky Cristina Barcelona as well. While there is no official reason given why it was removed, word on the street is that actress Scarlett Johansson still hadn’t recovered from the Japanese culture shock she experienced during the filming of Lost in Translation. I was told that the presence of the pink camera was affecting her ability to act. Some sources also stated, and I quote, “That there was a lot of blood.”
Eurotrip (2004)
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2004’s Eurotrip is one of the modern powerhouses of the Leica camera being depicted in motion pictures. Actor Travis Wester fondles and talks about his Leica M7 throughout the film in a manner that feels so authentic that I have no difficulty believing that his script was lifted straight from an internet camera forum.
The Hello Kitty Leica was originally placed in Eurotrip, however, it was cut after it was revealed that it would be used in a nude beach scene which also featured a copious amount of naked man ass. It was agreed on that the Hello Kitty brand image wouldn’t be enriched by such use, and it was pulled from the movie.
Unrelated to Hello Kitty, the same scene was also to be the one where the character of Jaimie would show us the true depths of his Leica dedication. When he takes his shirt off to approach the nude beach, we were originally suppose to see his amazing Leica chest tattoo. Being that the temporary tattoo used had the Leica logo on it, it was far too costly to purchase another for the re-shoot and it was cut from the plot.
Yes. This post is satire. The Hello Kitty Leica doesn't exist.

“This time I am going to take that same lens and zoom in a little further.”
Explain to me this concept of “zoom”.