Below, our list of 30 Easter eggs that even die-hard fans miss.
The Shining in Toy Story Trilogy
In the world ofToy Storythe toys are living, breathing creatures who have to keep that fact a secret from the humans who care for them. And while eagle-eyed adults may have caught the reference toTim Allen’s sitcomHome Improvement, you probably missed multiple Easter egg references toStanley Kubrick’sThe Shining.
The first nod toThe Shiningappears in the first movie where the carpet in Sid’s house is identical to the carpet from the Overlook Hotel. But the references don’t stop there. The number 237 not only pops up multiple times over the trilogy, but it’s also Jack’s room number in the doomed hotel.
Pulp Fiction in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a treasure trove of in-universe Easter eggs, with connections to comics, characters who have yet to grace the screen, and small nods to original creators. ButCaptain America: The Winter Soldierlinks Nick Fury to another characterSamuel L Jacksonhas portrayed, Jules Winnfield.
At the end of the movie when Nick Fury stands in front of his grave, the headstone has a quote from Ezekiel 25:17. This is the same bible verse that Jules quotes inPulp Fictionright before he shoots a man. Are they actually the same person?
Starbucks in Fight Club
You know the first rule ofFight Clubis that you don’t talk about Fight Club. And we all know that the second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club. But one of the unwritten rules may be that you should never go anywhere without your Starbucks coffee.
If you watch the movie closely you’ll see thatDavid Finchermanages to slip a Starbucks coffee mug in nearly every scene of the movie. Which means it’s really not that weird that you end up craving a grande mocha every time you pop the movie in.
THX 1138 in Swingers
InDoug LimanandJon Favreau’sfeatureSwingers,two unemployed wannabe actors drift around Los Angeles in search of the swing club scene. The two friends club-hop in their cars, and it’s when they pull up to one of the clubs that you can read one character’s license plate: THX 1138.
It turns out that even in the world ofSwingers,George Lucasis a big deal.THX 1138, a reference to his first film is not scattered throughout his films and those of friend Steven Spielberg, but a dozen other movies that find ways to pay homage to this breakout film.
X Marks the Spot in The Departed
Martin Scorsese’s remake ofThe Departedis a twisted crime tale that tells the story of a showdown between the Boston Police and the Irish mob. Both sides plan moles in the opposing organization and the result is a complete bloodbath by the end of the film. But did you know that all of the deaths are foreshadowed?
Every single character who dies over the course of the movie appears early on with an X in the frame. The only character who doesn’t ever share a screen with an X isMark Wahlberg’s Sgt. Dignam, and he’s the only character that makes it out alive.
Oranges in The Godfather
As we saw in the case ofThe Departed, acclaimed directors can often be masters of imagery and foreshadowing. Once you know what to look for on screen, you’ll be able to amaze your friends at your ability to predict exactly which character will die.
WhileThe Departeduses X’s to mark a character for death, inThe Godfathertrilogy Francis Ford Coppola uses oranges to show that a character is due to meet an untimely end.Whether it’s fun a fruit bowl or simply a peel in a cocktail, a character holding an orange won’t be around much longer.
Tangled in Frozen
The wonderful world of Disney is vast, expansive and connected. Some of the connections are small, like the carpet from Aladdin showing up inBeauty and the Beastor Scar being used as a rug inHercules. However, there’s a lot of evidence that points toFrozenbeing close to the center of this complicated web.
Specifically, there’s one connection to another Disney film that’s right out in the open. When the castle gates are open for the first time prior to Elsa’s coronation, you’re able to see Rapunzel and Eugene fromTangledamong the first guests to make their way inside!
Fear and Loathing in Rango
In the animated movieRango,Johnny Deppplays a chameleon who finds himself in the small outpost town of Dirt, a place that’s in rather desperate need of a new sheriff. It’s a fun, family-friendly movie that ends up sharing a connection with another Depp movie that is far less appropriate for school-aged kids.
At one point in the film, Rango ends up flying through the air and lands smack on the windshield of a convertible. But it’s not just any convertible. Both the car and passengers that Rango stumbled upon strongly resemble those in Depp’s earlier movie,Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
