Movie Easter Eggs

BY MATTHEW LIU '27

I love movies, and one thing that elevates the experience further is Easter eggs. They add an exhilarating layer of excitement and engagement for audiences, transforming the viewing experience into a captivating treasure hunt. These hidden gems, whether subtle references to other films, nods to pop culture, or inside jokes, connect filmmakers and the vigilant viewers who delight in the discovery. Easter eggs, serving as a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship of filmmakers, reward dedicated fans with satisfaction and inclusion. Movie ones enhance the joy of storytelling by turning each viewing into a delightful, interactive adventure.
    
Easter eggs can even go unnoticed in some very popular movies. In Toy Story, when the toys are running away from Sid, one of the main antagonists, they enter a hallway. Below them lies a familiar carpet with a honeycomb pattern with highlights of red. This is the carpet from The Shining, and it is a great Easter egg because the toys are in a similar situation (namely, running away from someone scary) as their counterparts in The Shinning. I think that this is a great Easter egg by showing a reference to another famous film and is masterfully done. Another reference between movies is in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, when Nick Fury, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, is believed to be dead. On his grave is a quote from Ezekiel 25:17 from the Bible. This isn’t any Bible quote. It is the opening line from Samuel L. Jackson’s famous speech in Pulp Fiction. This Easter egg is beautifully done because it is both subtle but also very noticeable if you have watched both movies. As another beautiful representation between movies, I think it surpasses the Toy Story one because of how cool the small details truly are. 
    
Now, onto the Easter eggs that have something shared through the production process. To start out are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Batman. These two movies share the same director, Tim Burton. The standout fact is that Charlie’s dad works at a toothpaste company called Smilex, and the Joker’s signature laughing gas is called Smylex. While they have slightly different spellings, the two are intertwined. While Tim Burton’s move is very cool, I believe it is not that exciting of an Easter egg, and it is very hard to spot the connection. Not only that, but the fact that the movies only share a director and have very different plots make the Easter egg not as cool. Similarly, in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, during the scene in which the collider breaks down, viewers can spot a special machine that is vital within the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies. Yes, the FLDSMDFR—The Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator—makes a cameo. This is allowed because Sony produced both animated films. This Easter egg made me smile when I found out, as both films were amazing, enjoyable, and incredibly animated. Not only that, but it was a fun little detail. Overall, this is more fun than the Smilex one to me because it is way more recognizable and related. 
    
These next few aren’t exactly Easter eggs but are more funny details. Starting off is Shrek: in an earlier scene when the fairy tale characters are being sold, you can see the bear family of Mama, Papa, and Baby. However, when all the characters take refuge at Shrek’s house, you can see Papa and Baby Bear crying. Later, Mama Bear can be found in Lord Farquaad’s room as a rug. In Shrek 2, the guards crack pepper into his eyes when he gets caught by them, which is funny because pepper spray didn’t exist back then, so it was the version that they used in the past. In Zootopia, there are no dogs because there were no humans to domesticate the wolves, which is a fun detail. In Hercules, when Hades says that it’s halftime, he says it at exactly halfway through the movie. In addition, in Harry Potter, when he first meets Buckbeak in the Prisoner of Azkaban, he can be seen pooping. 
    
In conclusion, movie Easter eggs contribute a delightful layer to the cinematic journey, offering hidden treasures that enhance the viewing experience for both casual observers and devoted enthusiasts. These cleverly inserted references and concealed details establish a unique connection between filmmakers and their audience, fostering a shared appreciation for the storytelling craft. Going beyond the surface narrative, Easter eggs create an enjoyable challenge for viewers, inspiring them to revisit the film and delve deeper into its complexities. As filmmakers continue to integrate these subtle surprises, they not only pay tribute to the vast history of cinema but also encourage audiences to actively engage in the enchantment of the movie-going experience. They are also all amusing and entertaining, even if some are more interesting than others.