Top 10 Favourite Film Easter Eggs

To celebrate the fact it’s Easter Monday, I thought I’d write a fun little entry on my Top 10 Favourite Film Easter Eggs.

For those of you that don’t know, the term ‘Easter Egg’ is used in film to describe an inside joke or hidden meaning placed within a film. These are often challenging to find, but if you do, they’re well worth it!

So, without further ado, here are my Top 10 Film Easter Eggs:

1.     Disney Character Cameos

I firmly believe that it’s impossible to dislike Disney films. Sure, you may like some more than others, but the joy they bring to you every time you watch them is hard to find in any other franchise other than Pixar.

Another way they bring joy to die-hard fans is through their constant use of Easter Eggs – here are just a few examples:

1. In Disney’s Hercules, rather than wearing the traditional Nemean lion skin from Greek mythology, instead, Hercules dons Scar from The Lion King.

2. - In Tarzan, when the monkeys invade Professor Porter’s camp, Terk starts whacking some chinaware with spoons. This is no ordinary chinaware though – it’s Mrs Potts and her clan from Beauty and The Beast.

3. - In 101 Dalmatians, an obviously dog-centric film, several characters from Lady and the Tramp make appearances, including Lady herself!

4. - Finally, in Aladdin, Beast from Beauty and The Beast makes an appearance amidst a stack of toys the Sultan is playing with.

2.     The code ‘A113’ is hidden in every Pixar film

As a homage to a classroom that many Pixar Character Animation students used at the California Institute of the Arts, the number has been hidden in every Pixar film to date.

So, next time you’re watching a Pixar film – keep an eye out for it!

To see a compilation of all 'A113' references, click here.

3.     Mischief Managed in Hogwarts…

In The Prisoner of Azkaban, when looking at the Marauder’s Map during the credits, you can see people’s locations via moving footprints.

One couple certainly managed to get up to mischief, however, as you can clearly see by their footprints that they’re having sex! Certainly a less than PG ending to the film.

To see the dirty deed, click here - keep your eyes peeled at 0:14 in the bottom left corner!

4.     There’s a Starbucks cup in every scene of Fight Club

Sometimes, Easter Eggs in films can be left unconfirmed – something that the most dedicated of fans can find frustrating. Was it an intentional reference or simply coincidence? You may never know.

Fortunately, David Fincher, the director of Fight Club has confirmed this Easter Egg and there is indeed a Starbucks cup hidden in every scene of the 1999 film.

This Easter Egg is so popular that the most dedicated of fans have set up a Tumblr to finding every single cup which you can look at by clicking here.

How many have you found?

5.     E.T. appears in Star Wars

Both E.T. and Star Wars are some of Sci-Fi’s greatest films – that’s a fact.

So, it may delight some of you to know that the two Sci-Fi greats can be found in one film – Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.

You can find E.T. and some of his fellow ‘Asogians’ giving their two cents amongst other members during the scene with the Intergalactic Senate where Palpatine is handed power. (Bet they regret that decision…)

To see your favourite Extra Terrestrial's cameo in full, click here!

6.     Totoro appears in Toy Story 3

As a huge fan of the Studio Ghibli films, this one is a personal favourite.

Hailing from the film My Neighbor Totoro, the beloved character makes several appearances throughout Toy Story 3 as one of Bonnie’s toys.

When asked about the Easter Egg John Lasseter, one of the founders of Pixar said, "We do little homages in our films, and we thought it was a very appropriate homage to let Studio Ghibli know how much they mean to us."

If this isn’t an example of Cinema Positivity, I don’t know what is. Somehow, I don’t see Batman making a cameo in a Marvel film anytime soon…

7.     R2-D2 and C3P0 appear in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

George Lucas is indisputably best known for his pioneering of the Star Wars franchise. That being said, he also played a large role in the creation of the Indiana Jones films.

Given his hand in both, it’s no surprise that there is some cross-pollination between them.

Everyone’s favourite robots from Star Wars can be found in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy ventures into the ‘Well of Souls’ to discover the Ark. Once they’re about to remove its lid, you can see both the characters resembled as Hieroglyphs on a pillar next to Indy.

8.     The Shining referenced in Get Out

For those that don’t know, Get Out was my favourite film of 2017. It was phenomenal, and if you haven’t seen it yet, I beg you to.

That aside, Get Out is riddled with Easter Eggs and director, Jordan Peele, has revelled in people finding them.

An Easter Egg he was particularly impressed that someone found was an obscure reference to The Shining.

Whilst Rod is at the airport worrying about where Chris is, flight 237 is announced over the intercom. This, of course, is no other than a reference to the nightmarish room 237 in The Shining.

To see a video on Jordan Peele confirming or denying Get Out Easter Eggs and fan theories, click here.

9.     Lyrics in Baby Driver

This, I’d argue, is one of the easier Easter Eggs to spot from this list.

Whilst Baby swaggers through the city listening to Bob & Earl’s ‘Harlem Shuffle’ you can see the lyrics to the song embedded into the environment.

This scene, for me, truly shows the creative genius of director Edgar Wright. It is a phenomenal scene which you can watch in full by clicking here.

10.  Raoul Duke and Dr Gonzo from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas appear in Rango

This is another personal favourite of mine. Firstly though, let me say that Rango is an incredibly underrated film, and if you haven’t seen it yet, watch it as soon as possible.

Now I’ve got that off my chest, Rango features a brilliant Easter Egg.

For various reasons, Rango endures chaos on a highway and ends up crashing into the windscreen of a red convertible. Unfortunately, his luck doesn’t improve as the familiarly voiced passenger tries to scrape him off the screen with his wipers.

When Rango is eventually tossed off the car we are given a glimpse at the passengers who are no other than Raoul Duke and Dr Gonzo from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – another iconic Johnny Depp film.

To watch a clever, fan-made crossover of the two films, click here!

Unfortunately, we have come to the end of my Top 10 Film Easter Eggs list – sorry about that!

Let me know in the comments your favourite Easter Eggs in films and whether you knew about the ones I’ve listed above.

Also, whilst you’re here, why not read my latest review of Isle of Dogs by clicking here! You’d be barking mad not to!

… I’ll get my coat.