Some of the best movies we see in theaters offer some added enjoyment upon a second viewing, whether it be through a missed line of dialogue or a special easter egg that adds to the experience. In fact, my favorite filmmakers are those that pay close attention to the hard details of their own work, weaving in nuances for the audience to find. Since there's a number of hidden details commonly missed in everyone's favorite movies, I've compiled a list of some that I find especially awesome:
1. Sid was the garbage man in Toy Story 3.
This is one of the more well-known easter eggs on this list, but it's worth mentioning for just how hilarious it comes across. In case you forgot, Sid was the borderline-psychopathic kid that burned and melded together his toys in the first Toy Story film. In the third installment, Sid appears as a goateed garbageman, sporting the same iconic skull t-shirt. In a way, Sid's new humbling profession serves as the former antagonist's comeuppance, so audiences can rest happily knowing this terrifying kid got what he deserved.
2. There's a Scar pelt in Hercules.
In The Lion King, Zazu offhandedly says that Scar (the movie's grumpy antagonist) would make a handsome throw rug. Three years later, Disney's Hercules features a brief moment of Hercules throwing a pelt that looks exactly like Scar. Is this an easter egg, or a franchise-crossing conspiracy? Definitely just an easter egg, but it's still a nice touch.
3. Doc and Marty vs. Nature.
In the first Back to the Future film, Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel back in time to (and eventually get stuck in) the 1950s, where (or when) they accidentally almost stop Marty's parents from getting together and thus almost erase Marty from existence. There's also a scene where Marty's mom (the younger version) flirts with Marty, which is pretty weird (not relevant but just a weird detail). Anyway, Marty and Doc's adventure quickly results in the destruction of a seemingly random pine tree. What few moviegoers noticed was that the Twin Pines Mall, where Doc and Marty first used the Delorean to time travel, was then renamed "Lone Pine Mall," suggesting that its name changed after Doc and Marty destroyed the pine tree (rest in peace).
4. There's a Starbucks cup in every Fight Club scene.
Well, almost every scene. Director David Fincher claims that he placed a coffee cup (usually Starbucks) in the background of every scene in his movie. Maybe this is another unknown rule of Fight Club, that coffee must appear in the background. Doesn't exactly sound as cool or menacing, but oh well.
5. The Star Wars opening crawl is practical footage.
This is more a behind-the-scenes detail that I find surprising, but it also might change the way you watch the original Star Wars openings! What I mean by "practical" is that there were zero digital effects involved, not even a scrolling effect. It was too difficult to get a smooth scrolling effect, so the famous opening crawl for the original trilogy was actually created through a tilted camera sliding along a physical model.
I hope you enjoyed these bits of trivia about your favorite popular film franchises as much as I enjoyed finding them. The best breed of filmmaker is undoubtedly one that puts care into every frame of his or her movie, so it's refreshing to know that the popular franchises we enjoy are willing to add a little extra for the nerdiest of fans.