January to March is a difficult time for most people. One of the techniques I implore to keep myself from going completely insane is to watch movies — a lot of movies .
It’s gotten to the point where I’ve become somewhat of a film detective of sorts. These are literally just more movie details most fans could never catch.
1. The name of the high school in *Shazam* is a nod to the comics.
While the film version of Shazam takes place in Philadelphia, PA, in the comics Billy Batson is actually from a fictionalized town known as Fawcett City.
Fawcett Central High School is a clever wink at Shazam’s legacy.
2. Nyles’ beer is a huge plot reveal in *Palm Springs*.
In Palm Springs , Nyles can’t die and is cursed to repeat the same day over and over again. The beer that he drinks is called Akupara.
In Sanskrit, this means “unlimited” or “unbounded.” In the Hindu faith, Akupara is also the name of a tortoise who is said to be without death.
3. Yet another comic book callback in *Ant-Man*.
While Darren Cross is openly mocking Hank Pym and his stories of Ant-Man, he refers to it as ” Tales to Astonish .”
This was the title of the Marvel comic wherein Ant-Man makes his comic debut. It happened all the way back in Sept. of 1962.
4. One of the little boys at Sunnyside Daycare is wearing a Lightning McQueen t-shirt in *Toy Story 3*.
At this point in time, I think it’s safe to say that Pixar is the undisputed kings and queens of placing clever Easter Eggs in their films.
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5. In *Justice League (2017)* there’s a giant neon sign for Janus Cosmetics.
Janus Cosmetics is owned by Roman Sionis , better known by his supervillain alias The Black Mask.
In the comics, Black Mask is a fairly prominent recurring villain; he was portrayed by Ewan MacGregor in Birds of Prey .
The name Janus is also an allusion to Roman Mythology.
Janus was said to be the god of doorways; of beginnings and endings. He is often depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions.
It’s a pretty fitting name, especially for a guy who likes to wear a black skull mask.
6. In *Back To The Future Part III*, Doc Brown references Marty’s accident in the first film.
Before Marty goes back in time to the Old West, Doc Brown brings him to an abandoned drive-in theater. His logic is that he doesn’t want Marty to run into an old tree that existed in the past.
This is precisely what happens in the first film when Marty goes back to 1955 for the first time.
7. Peter’s suitcase in *Spider-Man: Far From home* is a hand-me-down.
If you look at the initials by the handle, the monogram reads BFP.
This is an allusion to Peter’s late uncle, Benjamin Franklin Parker . it’s nice to know that they haven’t completely forgotten about him.
8. The Joker’s shotgun should look familiar.
That’s because it’s the exact same one that he took from the bank manager during the heist at the beginning of the movie.
The Joker has never been sentimental, except when it comes to his weapons of choice.
9. There’s a clever nod to *Finding Nemo* in *Flushed Away*.
Soon after Roddy gets flushed down the toilet, a large goldfish finds its way into his hands.
They look one another in the face and the fish earnestly asks “have you seen my dad?”
10. Matt Damon pays homage to one of the writers in *True Grit*.
If you listen during the scene where La Beouf is speaking to Mattie, he mentions that one of Chaney’s known aliases is John Todd Anderson.
John Todd Anderson was a storyboard writer for the film.
11. Carl the Janitor in *The Breakfast Club* went to the same school.
I’ve seen this movie so many times and I can’t believe that I never noticed this.
Pay attention because Carl’s origins are explained within the first two minutes of the opening montage.
12. In *My Own Private Idaho*, Keanu Reeves can be seen drinking a bottle of Falstaff beer.
My Own Private Idaho is a modern-day retelling of William Shakespeare’s ” Henry IV, Part 1 “.
In the play, Sir John Falstaff is the misbegotten best friend of Prince Hal, who in the film is played by Keanu Reeves.
13. Sonic pausing to look at his watch in *Sonic The Hedgehog* is a nod to the classic ’90s video game.
As any video game lover who grew up playing Sega (not Dreamcast) will tell you, Sonic helped to completely revolutionize the concept of gaming,
One trait fans will likely remember is that Sonic would start to tap his feet and impatiently look at his watch if you left the controller idle for too long.
14. One of the wall prizes in *Toy Story 4* is the guitar from *Coco*.
You can even have your choice of pink or blue!
What’s your favorite hidden movie detail? Make sure to leave a comment below and let us know which ones you’ve found on your own!
