20 Incredible Movie Easter Eggs You Never Noticed

Who doesn’t love a good movie? Whatever the genre, whatever the time period, movies give us a sense of satisfaction unlike any other form of media. Increasingly, films are becoming more savvy to contemporary times, trying to trip us up at every twist and turn. Over the years, a number of films have left a bunch of hidden messages that only the most alert of viewers have managed to spot. Until now. Easter eggs in movie are no longer just for film detectives and, as long as you’re willing to pay attention, you can spot any number of them in the films you watch. But which are the best? Read on; we think you’re going to like what we’ve got to show you.

Aladdin

Aladdin is a Disney classic, profiling a rags-to-riches tale with a magical twist, but did you know that there’s more to film than meets the eye? When evil Jafar transforms Jasmin’s tiger Rajah, it is up to the genie to change them back. As he becomes bigger, Rajah takes on the form of Mickey Mouse for a split second, referencing the movie company’s most lucrative character.

Die Hard With A Vengeance

The fact that the Die Hard movies are some of the best action films around is undeniable and in Die Hard With A Vengeance, there’s something else to love, too. When star McClane is asked what he’s been doing with his time, he responds “smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo”, which is directly lifted from Bruce Willis’ character in Pulp Fiction. Clever!

Tron

Tron might seem to be all about the latest technology and innovation but look a little closer, and you might be shocked as to what made it into the film. On the digital diagram located in Sark’s battlecruiser, a lone Pac-man can just be seen, making its way through a line of dots. Clearly, Sark has a playful side.

Predator 2

Featuring a creepy and definitely not friendly mutant predator, Predator 2 is not one to watch if you don’t like gore. In the predator’s trophy room, the skulls of Alien monster xenomorph can be seen, a clever trick that enabling producers to create a cross-over world between the two movies.

L.A. Story

Funny man Steve Martin finds love in L.A. Story and shows his crush his affections in the only way he knows how — through poetry. Not just any poetry, however, and the opening lines “Oh pointy birds, oh pointy, oh pointy” are actually taken from another film, The Man With Two Birds in which it acts as the protagonist’s favorite poem.

Iron Man

Iron Man might just be the best hero from the Avengers group and in the very first film, he more than shows us what he’s made of. After a particularly tricky battle, Tony Stark can be seen removing his suit in front of a bench which briefly shows Captain America’s shield. Clearly, the film anticipates what was to come for the Marvel empire later down the road, getting fans everywhere very excited.

Godzilla

Everyone’s favorite mega-lizard movie, Godzilla is a sci-fi classic and is always worthy of a watch. In the 1998 version, The Simpsons’ fans might be particularly interested to learn about a brief easter egg. In a brief moment of madness, Matthew Broderick flings an ID card into the path of a military man. On closer inspection, the card seems to belong to a “Armin Tamzarian”, the real name of The Simpsons character Principle Skinner.

Watchmen

A comic book spin off movie from the DC comics empire, Watchmen has a few links to its wider comic book universe, with one film turning up time and again. In the opening montage, there are a ton of Batman references, from posters to links to Gotham city. In one particularly brief scene, Mr and Mrs Wayne can be seen looking on in horror at what is happening around them.

The Mist

Taken from author Stephen King’s creepy book of the same name, The Mist is all about building dread and tension, and is definitely not one for the faint of heart. The painting shown at the beginning of the movie references another work in King’s empire, showing Roland Deschain, a character from King’s The Dark Tower.

Death Proof

Death Proof is a stunt fan’s dream and, featuring a whole number of out of control car tricks, will really get your blood pumping. The main stuntman Mike can be seen driving two different cars in the movie; one has the same number plate as Steve McQueen’s mustang in Bullitt while the other matches the car in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. Blink and you’ll miss them.

X-Men 2

X Men 2 is also not immune to the easter egg craze which runs throughout cinema and in its narrative, plants a few different clues and messages for the most perceptive of viewers. TV presenter Hank McCoy finds fame in a single scene but when he is referenced by the nickname “Beast”, fans are actually being redirected to the only X-Men character Bryan Singer couldn’t find room for in the film.

Wall-E

As well as being one of Pixar’s most popular films, Wall-E is stacked to the brim with easter eggs. In one scene, Hamm the pig from Toy Story makes a brief appearance, something which adds to the long line of hidden messages planted across all Pixar movies.

Kill Bill Vol. 1

Despite its bad reviews, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is packed with hidden messages and easter eggs, which fans painstakingly uncovered after its release. In the first film, savvy viewers might realize that The Bride’s name is actually already revealed, written on a plane ticket as “Beatrix Kiddo”.

Back To The Future

Despite being 30 years old, Back to the Future is still an incredibly popular movie for all ages. When Marty crashes back into the 1950s, the filmmakers reference another time-traveling show. The father and son of the confused family are named Sherman and Peabody, which were also the names of two cartoon characters who had their own time machine on a separate program.

Anchorman

Chronicling the fictional life of one of the most confident news people of all time, Anchorman is a comedy classic. The film has more to it than meets the eye, though, and in the scene before Ron Burgundy gets royally kicked out of KVNW, we see Veronica Corningstone eating at Mexican restaurant “Escupimos en su Alimento”, which translates as “we spit in your food”.

Batman

Before Batman became the slick film franchise we know today, Tim Burton took his camera upon the story. The 1989 film has an easter egg that many people miss, referencing the story’s original creator. When an early sketch of Batman is made, the signature clearly reads Bob Kane, who was the mind behind the superhero.

Evil Dead 2

While you might have been too busy laughing to realize it, Evil Dead 2 is actually filled with hidden messages. In the film’s tool shed, the glove of Freddy Krueger is clearly visible above the door, referencing the hugely popular A Nightmare On Elm Street.

Monty Python’s Life Of Brian

Just one part of the Monty Python comedy empire, Life of Brian satirizes the life of Jesus Christ, revealing what he could have been like as a normal man. In the famous healing scene, a bearded George Harrison makes a surprise appearance in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. The Beatle was famously a huge fan of the Python films, and wanted to do his bit in the film.

Army Of Darkness

The third in the Evil Dead franchise, Army of Darkness blended the same kind of horror and comedy, to very popular results. When Ash is searching for a book in his car trunk, a much loved copy of horror magazine Fangoria is clearly displayed, nodding to creator Sam Raimi’s creation of the tale in the publication.

Return Of The Jedi

One of the best loved films in the Star Wars franchise, Return of the Jedi has a few easter eggs of its own guaranteed to leave you shocked. Most famously, three of the aliens who work on Jabba’s barge are named Klaatu, Nikto and Barada, which are also the robot-crashing codewords in The Day The Earth Stood Still.