19 Movie Details That Are Both Extremely Clever And Very Well Hidden

These will bring out the movie nerd in you!

1. In Back to the Future, this rendering on the Lyon Estates billboard — which Marty McFly sees when he goes back to 1955 — that's easy to overlook if you aren't really connecting the dots:

Back to the Future(1985) The billboard that Marty sees in '55 is an exact image of the McFly home. from MovieDetails

2. The Easter egg in Halloween H20 that pays tribute to Janet Leigh's character in Psycho:

In Halloween H2O (1998), Norma is played by Janet Leigh, who played Marion in Psycho (1960). She also owns the same car as Marion. from MovieDetails

3. This insider joke in Beverly Hills Cop II that is about the behind-the-scenes making of Beverly Hills Cop:

Stallone was originally cast as Axel in Beverly Hills Cop (1984), until he rewrote the script to be all action & no humor; he even changed Axel's last name to Cobretti, nickname Cobra. This script became Cobra (1986). In Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), we see Billy (Judge Reinhold) is a fan of Cobra from MovieDetails

4. The meaning behind the T-shirt that Quentin Tarantino wears in Pulp Fiction:

In Pulp Fiction (1994) Tarantino's smiling globe T-shirt is for a Detroit magazine called Orbit. They were the first magazine to ever interview him about being a filmmaker and he wore the shirt as a 'thank you' to them. from MovieDetails

5. The artwork that is in Al's apartment in Toy Story 2:

I’ve seen Toy Story 2 1000 times and today I just noticed this hidden Easter Egg of A Bugs Life picture hanging on Al’s wall from MovieDetails

6. This nod to Trent Reznor in Soul:

In Soul (2020), you can see a sign for "9 inch nails" at a hardware store. This is a reference to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, two of the movies composers and members of the band "Nine Inch Nails". from MovieDetails

7. This nod to Julia Roberts and Mystic Pizza in Little Italy:

In Little Italy (2018) Emma Roberts wore the same T-shirt as her aunt Julia (and her friends) wore in Mystic Pizza (1988). Both movies are directed by Donald Petrie. from MovieDetails

8. This very clever hidden detail in The Princess and the Frog:

In The Princess And The Frog (2009) the villains shadow turns this wallpaper to skulls and crossbones in this scene from MovieDetails

9. This very clever callback to The Matrix in John Wick: Chapter 2:

In "John Wick Chapter 2" (2017) the Rotary Phone is the same model they used in "The Matrix" from MovieDetails

10. This oh-so-Wes-Anderson detail in Rushmore:

In Rushmore (1998), the shot of Max sitting on a go-kart wearing goggles was inspired by a photo by the famous French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue. That photo, as well as several others by Lartigue, appears behind Max earlier in the film. from MovieDetails

11. The meaning behind Samara's name in The Ring:

In The Ring (2002) the tree with fiery red leaves is a Japanese maple. The fruit that this tree produces is called a samara. The name of the movie’s antagonist is Samara Morgan. from MovieDetails

12. This blink-and-you'll-miss-it detail in Ferris Bueller's Day Off:

In the opening scene of Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), the disguise Ferris later uses to pick up Sloan is behind his bedroom door from MovieDetails

13. Steven Spielberg's blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in Gremlins (which he was executive producer of):

In Gremlins (1984), Steven Spielberg has a cameo at the science convention. from MovieDetails

14. Ron Howard's hidden cameo in How the Grinch Stole Christmas:

In How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Director Ron Howard cameos as one of the villagers. from MovieDetails

15. This small nod to the creator of Candyman in Candyman:

In Candyman (2021), Burke is seen reading Weaveworld by Clive Barker, who also wrote the short story “The Forbidden” which the original Candyman is based off from MovieDetails

16. The subtle foreshadowing we get right before Selina is thrown out the window in Batman Returns:

Batman Returns, 1992: Selina's eyeglasses shadow project the Catwoman mask on her face. from MovieDetails

17. These cool E.T. Easter eggs in Charlie's Angels:

In Charlie’s Angels (2000) McG used the same house where E.T. was shot as the location for the house that Dylan, Drew Barrymore, stumbles into naked and asks two boys playing video games for help. He also included an E.T. poster on the wall, toy on the TV and Reese’s Pieces in a dish on the floor. from MovieDetails

18. This product placement in Free Guy:

In Free Guy (2021), you can see a bottle of gin labelled "Subtle Product Placement". This is actually a bottle of Aviation Gin...a brand which is partially owned by Ryan Reynolds. from MovieDetails

19. And finally, the origins of Hercules' cape in _Hercule_s:

In Hercules (1997), the cape attached to Hercules’ armor is actually the shawl that is given to him by his adoptive mother. from MovieDetails

Can't get enough of these? Check out MovieDetails on Reddit, and prepare to have your mind blown!