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45 Hidden Jokes and References That We Shook Out of Hollywood’s Pockets While Holding It By the Ankles

We haven’t blinked in days, but the burning sensation is well worth it

45 Hidden Jokes and References That We Shook Out of Hollywood’s Pockets While Holding It By the Ankles

January 03, 2025

Be honest, Hollywood. You wanted us to find these. Sure, they were “hidden,” but finding them felt a lot like finding a toddler playing Hide-and-Seek. They were giggling behind a curtain with fully-visible little feet, but we had to search around the room and pretend we didn’t know where they were at first.

We definitely mean to sound cocky when we say, “Give us a challenge next time, would you?”

45

Nightmare Alley

NIGHTMARE ALLEY ANNA Guillermo del Toro included a Mimic Easter egg in his new film by adding the same neon sign that says Jesus Saves. GRACKED.COM — Source

44

In the Heights

The HAMIL TON Easter egg in In THe HeIGHTS The song You'll Be Back plays over the phone while Kevin Rosario is put on hold by the Stanford admissions office. CRACKED.COM — Source

43

House

Angus, Sherlock's phrenology bust in Elementary, is a nod to other brilliant investigators. In House, House had a phrenology bust, which one of the writers kept after the show ended. Later, the writer created Angus on Elementary as a nod to House. Both are also nods to Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes, a noted phrenologist. CRACKED.COM — Source

42

Ant-Man

Ant-Man has an obscure SNL reference. It's Garrett Morris' cameo -- a nod to his playing Ant-Man in an old SNL sketch about a superhero party. CRACKED.COM — Source

41

Kong: Skull Island

Movie Scenes With Hidden Homages To Other Movies - In Kong: Skull Island, Kong eating the squid is a reference

40

Back to the Future

EASTER EGGSTRA REFERENCES AND MEANINGS BACK A REFERENCE TO TO FUTURE A GALE ZEMECKIS THE MOVIE town ELMO USED CARS SAMPLE is THE When Marty rides to school holding onto the back of a Jeep, he skates past a sign that says Used Cars. It's a reference to the .1980 movie with the same title. 'CRACKED.COM — Video clip, IMDb

39

Polar Express

IN A NOD TO ANOTHER FILM DIRECTED BY ROBERT ZEMECKIS... A FLUX CAPACITOR CAN BE SEEN IN THE ENGINE ROOM IN THE POLAR EXPRESS. CRACKED

38

Mike Wazowski

Pixar Easter Eggs Nico Nina Noah Oo Owen Parker Rachel Re Riley Sophia Sophie Tal Thomas Tobias Yonatan Finding Nemo SPECIAL THANKS Adam P. Summers, Fabulous Fish Guy University of California - Irvine Aquarium of the Pacific Steinhart Aquarium Hal Beral Maria Elena Magana Roni Douglas, DDS Dive Makai Charters Craig Gillespie Mike Severens Diving Mike Wazowski You can see Billy Crystal's one-eyed character swimming during the final credits. Our fan theory? Both movies were made by the same animation studio, and this is a fun Easter egg. (Also, time travel.) Cruig Gillespie MIKE Severens 11st CRACKED.COM DIV Country Francisco and of — Source: ScreenCrush/YouTube

37

South Park

EASTER EGGSTRA South Park The My Neighbor Totoro reference. In Mysterion Rises the relationship between Cartman and Cthulhu is a homage to Hayao Miyazaki's anime film. CRACKEDCO — Source

36

Aladdin

THE HIDDEN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST EASTER EGG IN ALADDIN. CRACKED.COM In a classic blink-and-youill-miss-it moment where the Sultan is building his stack of animal toys, the camera pans out and a Beast toy can be seen poking out from the left side of the toy tower. — Looper

35

Raider Sloth

EASTER EGGS IN '80S MOVIES The Goonies SLOTH WAS AN ACTUAL OAKLAND RAIDER. Sloth wearing an Raiders t-shirt was a cheeky reference to the fact that Sloth's actor, John Matuszak, was a defensive end for the team from 1976 to 1982. CRACKED.COM — Source: 9GAG

34

Inglorious Basterds

EASTER EGGSTRA HIDDEN MEANINGS & REFERENCES ONCE UPON A TIME IN... HOLLYWOOD THE INGLORIOUS. BASTERDS REFERENCE In one scene, the narrator says that one of Rick's new Spaghetti Westerns was directed by Antonio Margheriti. Margheriti is a fake name used by one of the basterds trying to impersonate an Italian cinematographer. CRACKED.COM

33

Harry Potter

There's a hidden sex joke in the credits for the PG-rated Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. SNIOR PAc STEVEADAMSON Erthe MOTIon CONTRLOL CAALE

32

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

CRACKED BELLE CAN BE SEEN IN THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. As Quasimodo is looking down on the city below, Belle from Beauty and the Beast is walking with her nose stuck in a book. Both movies take place in France, so this makes sense. — Coming Soon

31

Mother

EASTER EGGSTRA Mother Casting Kim Hye-ja as the main character was a cheeky reference to Korean media. The actress has played numerous motherly characters in Korean TV dramas before, and she's literally been called South Korea's national mother. Bong wanted to cast her (and only her) to take that national — Official SBIFF, Anthem Magazine

30

Die Hard

Movie Scenes With Hidden Homages To Other Movies - Die Hard made a nod to a 1920 German silent horror film. — Source: Film School Rejects, Nevada Film Office

29

Community

EASTER EGGSTRA REFERENCES & HIDDEN MEANINGS SAY BEETLEJUICE THREE TIMES community It's many people's favorite Easter egg in the show. In season 3's Halloween episode, Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps, Annie says Beetlejuice while going through Britta's playlist. It's the third time the name has been said throughout the show, and someone dressed as Beetlejuice can be seen strolling by the study room. CRACKED.COM — Screen Rant

28

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

CRACKED EMERGENCY Schedule Doctor isembowel Kenny Chumsky actice got swing Petracco All Employe Colon surgery Varma must wash Rectal surgery Turdiman KB Bond No before surg SOUTH PARK GIVES A NOD TO A CLASSIC BOND VILLAIN. In South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, when Kenny is rushed to the hospital, there's a board with the doctors' schedules on it. At the bottom, Dr. No's schedule is to kill Bond. — Source

27

Eternals

ETERNALS The MCU film has a 2001: A Space Odyssey Easter egg. When the Domo makes its appearance at the beginning of the movie, it's at such an angle that its nose resembles The Monolith in Kubrick S movie. CRACKED.COM — Source

26

Space Jam

EASTER EGGSTRA SPASE JAM The Schlesinger Gym where the Tune Squad practice is a reference to a cartoon producer. FuL SCHLESINGER GYM Leon Schlesinger, whose production company later became Warner Bros. Cartoons studios, brought the Looney Tunes series to life.

25

Scream

CRACKED TOKFZA SCREAM INCLUDED A SOLID NOD TO THE EXORCIST. Director Wes Craven brought in The Exorcist star Linda Blair for a cameo as a reporter. It's a clear tribute to one of the best horror films of all time. — Source

24

Spider-Man: No Way Home

The SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME toy 77.534 The black-and-gold suit sports the number 77-543 all over. It's a reference to 1999's Amazing Spider-Man #534 which showed the aftermath of Peter Parker revealing his secret identity to the world. CRACKED.COM — Source, Twitter

23

Coco

Coco has a couple of nods to The Shining. When Dante wakes up, there's an axe behind him.- it's one of the axes from The Shining. And there's a red drum, too, which is an elaborate reference to Redrum. CRACKED.COM — Source

22

WandaVision (One More Time)

WANDAVISION EASTER EGGS AGATHA'S BOOTS ARE A REFERENCE TO THE WIZARD OF OZ. CRACKED CO In the final episode, Agatha gets crushed by a car and disappears - only leaving her boots behind. This is a reference to the Wicked Witch of the East's ruby slippers sticking out after she gets crushed

21

Army of Thieves

ARMY OF THIEVES has a Dawn of the Dead Easter egg. K In Army of Thieves, Dieter is approached by a zombie girl in a hallway. The scene resembles the one where the couple's young daughter attacks them in Snyder's Dawn of the Dead. CRACKED.COM — Source

20

Home Alone

COMEDY NERD CRACKED.COM THE TAGLINE OF THE PIZZA CHAIN IN HOME ALONE HAS A HISTORICAL JOKE. Little Nero's Pizza NO FIDDLIN' AROUND It's called Little Nero's Pizza (a play on Little Caesar's, obviously), with the tagline No Fiddlin' Around - a reference to the legend that Emperor Nero fiddled while Rome burned around him.

19

Us (Yep, Again)

Us There's an easter egg of The Shining hidden in the credits. Jack Nicholson's grandson, Duke Nicholson, has a role in the film as Danny. In the credits, where a lot of actors have dual character names attached to them, Nicholson's character reads Danny/Tony. CRACKED.COM — Source: 14 Easter Eggs And Hidden Meanings In Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’

18

Independence Day

Jasmine's kid's toys in Independence Day are actually an Easter egg. Her son plays with Godzilla toys, a reference to Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich's 1998 Godzilla movie (Independence Day came out in 1996, but they'd already made the deal to do Godzilla by then). CRACKED.COM — Source

17

A.I.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence Professor Hobby's name is a tribute to Stanley Kubrick. When Spielberg took over after Kubrick's death, he renamed the character as a nod to Kubrick's production company, Hobby Films. CRACKED.COM — Steven Spielberg: A Biography, by Joseph McBride

16

Star Trek

2009's Star Trek put in a very subtle nod to the original show. When Pike sits in the captain's chair for the first time, there's a band of light over his eyes - : a reference to the '60s show's mood lighting. CRACKED.COM — Source

15

Loki

LOKI 1282 MARVEL COMICS GROUP HAS AN THOR THE EASTER EGG TEMPUS TO A THOR COMIC BOOK When Loki looks out the window at the TVA, there's a tower bearing the number T-282. It's a reference to Thor #282 that features the first appearance of the Time Keepers. CRACKED.COM — Sources: Marvel, Game Rant

14

The Harder They Fall

The Harder They Fall has a Chadwick Boseman Easter egg. C. A BOSEMAN CRACKED.COM A train was given the name in honor of the late icon. — Source: Netflix Twitter

13

Batman

EASTER EGGSTRA I BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES THE JIMMY OLSEN REFERENCE SRO HOTEL J.OLSEN AND SONS PHOTOGRAPHE DISCOUNT IN THE EPISODE APPOINTMENT IN CRIME ALLEY THERE'S A TRUCK WITH J. OLSEN AND SONS, PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIP, DISCOUNT PRICES WRITTEN ON IT. IT'S A REFERENCE TO JIMMY OLSEN, THE PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE DAILY PLANET IN THE SUPERMAN COMICS. CRACKED.COM

12

Spider-Man 2

There's a Doctor Strange Easter egg in Spider-Man 2. 233 Bleeker Street (212) 366-1182 The pizza shop Peter works for is in Bleeker Street, and the address of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is 177A Bleecker Street. CRACKED.COM — Source

11

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog has a shout-out to Apocalypse Now. It's when Dr. Robotnik uses a piece of metal to shave his head -- that's a nod to Colonel Kurtz. CRACKED.COM — Source

10

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights has a nod to Raging Bull. The last scene, when Dirk Diggler talks to himself in the mirror, is an homage to the last scene of Raging Bull - where pretty much the same thing happens. CRACKED.COM — Source

9

Joker

Joker There's a nod to Ratcatcher in the movie. A news broadcast talks of the city of Gotham now being infested with Super Rats, and later a giant rat is seen scurrying past Arthur's feet. It's a set up and most definitely a shout out to the other Batman villain who considers himself a victim of Gotham, out for revenge. CRACKED.COM — Source

8

Parasite

EASTER EGGSTRA Parasite There might be a Snowpiercer Easter egg in the movie. When Kim Ki-woo first arrives at the Park house to be the family's new tutor, the housekeeper tells him that the house was built by famed Korean architect Namgoong. It's a fictional character, but a character who — Architectural Digest

7

WandaVision

WANDAVISION EASTER EGGS RALPH BOHNER ISN'T JUST A JUVENILE JOKE. CRACKED.COM Bohner is a reference to Richard Boner Stabone from Growing Pains- a show director Matt Shakman appeared in as a child. — YouTube

6

Mark Hamill

EASTER EGGSTRA I BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES A MARK HAMILL JOKE IN MAD LOVE THE JOKER, VOICED BY MARK HAMILL, SAYS MAY THE FLOSS BE WITH YOU! EXCEPT FOR THE OBVIOUS STAR WARS REFERENCE, HAMILL IS ALSO MARRIED TO A DENTAL HYGIENIST. CRACKED.COM

5

Us

The brown leather Us glove in the movie is actually a reference to three famous characters. Peele said it references Freddy Krueger, Michael Jackson, and 0.J. Simpson. CRACKED.COM — BBC Radio

4

Get Out

Get Out The white Porsche stalking Andre in the opening scene is a reference to three films. Peele says it's a nod to Jaws, Christine, and Duel. — Film School Rejects

3

The Last Jedi

Slowen Lo, the Last Jedi alien who reports Rose and Finn, is voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The character is the same species as The Force Awakens' Ello Asty (a reference to the Beastie Boys' album Hello Nasty), and Slowen Lo is another Beastie Boys reference - to their song Slow and Low. Rian Johnson apparently just decided to turn J.J. Abrams' one-off Easter egg into a running gag. CRACKED.COM — 12 Stealthy Celebrities Cameos In Films

2

Eurovision

THERE'S AN ELF JOKE IN EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA. Will Ferrell said that his character Lars's hate for elves was literally meant to be a joking reference to his character, Buddy the Elf. Не was pretty surprised that no one got the subtext. CRACKED.COM — Screen Rant

1

Biblical Reference

There's a biblical Easter egg of sorts hidden on The Matrix' Nebuchadnezzar. MARKETT NO NEBUCHADNEYZ MADE INTERNALA A plaque on the ship says Mark III, No. 11 - and Mark 3:11 mentions spirits crying You are the son of God, a likely reference to Neo. CRACKED.COM — Source

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