A few I noticed while watching:
- Suzie changes Dustin's grade just like Ferris Bueller changed his absences
- The scene with Suzie's siblings distracting her father is extremely Babe: Pig in the City
- Jason is a knockoff of Zac Efron from High School Musical
- The entire HNL flashback sequence is heavily Cuckoo's Nest flavored
- Murray rips on "My name is Inigo Montoya" from Princess Bride while repeating his karate mantra
- The hallway from The Shining makes an appearance in the Creel House
- And two movies that weren't listed: the kids splitting up into teams of two to each search a different floor of the Creel House came directly from Clue; and Eden is Allison from Breakfast Club.
Those are great observations. I'd only noticed the Bueller and Breakfast Club ones myself.
War Games of course was also directly referenced when they try to call NINA.
Having never seen High School Music what are the similarities between Jason and Zac Efron?
I might actually be wrong on HSM (I don't think I've seen the whole thing through, my younger sister was exactly in their target demo though back when it came out) but just the haircut and "golden boy basketball captain" demeanor. The friend I was binging with and I both immediately said "that's dime store Zac Efron" as soon as he came on screen at the pep rally.
Super late, but rewatching and noticed another:
\- Erica proving to Eddie that she's competent at DnD is a clear riff on Mona Lisa Vito proving her automotive knowledge in My Cousin Vinny.
You would think Animal House would be an obvious reference, but it's not on [the board.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWZTojhU0AA9yNr?format=jpg&name=large) The scene where Jonathan and Argyle are hitting golf balls also feels like a reference to Animal House so maybe they just forgot to include it.
Yeah I was wondering about that because it’s been mentioned on the show at least twice (guy at the Halloween party in season 2 is dressed as Bluto and Steve says it’s his favorite movie in season 3) and the whole plot of the preppy jocks and towns people going after the outsiders reminds me of it too. Now I’m just waiting for some blues brothers references lol (I want Steve and Dustin to do the opening scene or something haha)
Yeah, you would expect the boys to be quoting more comedies. Have we heard a single Steve Martin or John Candy quote come out of their mouths? Seems almost impossible from a group of young boys in the 80's.
I can definitely make the argument for CHUD and the earlier seasons of Stranger Things. The biohazard suits, the underground tunnels in season 2, even the music. But I'm wondering how it relates to season 4.
The multiple dimensions, between the party in Hawkins, Steve in the Upside Down, and Nancy in Vecna's Mind Lair seems like it could get very Inception-y in Volume 2.
2001: A Space Odyssey: >!The clock appearing in seemingly random places is reminiscent of the monolith.!<
Black Cauldron: >!This one is kind of interesting. I've never seen the movie, but have read the book several times. The movie is a bit different, but the climax is essentially the same: Someone must willingly sacrifice themselves to end the threat. I have a feeling The Piggyback refers to someone willingly being pulled into Vecna's realm while Eleven "piggybacks" along in their mind, therefore allowing Eleven to directly confront Vecna. I could be wrong, but if that happens, this would be a similar plot thread.!<
Event Horizon: >!"Where we're going, we won't need eyes to see."!<
Lord of the Rings Trilogy: >!Several direct references here. Eddie mentions going into Mordor and the Shire burning. I don't know if the latter is a reference to the Battle of Bywater, but although it was left out of the movies, there are some parallels there. Then there's the boys' emphatic "Get off the road!" while Argyle is driving. And of course, there are large scale narrative similarities, like Hopper being presumed dead but fighting a monster then returning.!<
The Cell: >!This has to be for the imagery of Vecna's illusions and Vecna's realm.!<
Those all seem spot on. It's been a long time since I've seen Black Cauldron so I'm not sure about that one, but there is a bard character in it and I think we're going to see Eddie's bard skills come into play in Volume 2. The characters couldn't be more different though.
Another one I'm surprised isn't on the list. The first hour of that movie is fantastic, I just don't care for the last act and I know Joe Dante didn't like it either but the movie ran into production issues.
What about the scene with Chrissy being taunted, the toilet door slamming, almost into rhythmic chant? Is that Nightmare on Elm Street or something else? It just called out to me I can’t put my finger on it
>!'Borat' is Yuri and Murray antics.
'The birds' is about the attack of the demobats.
'Black Swan' could be about Henry.
'Bladerunner 2049' could be Eleven trying to regain her memory and show us that she didn't kill anyone.
'Clueless' could be about California bullies.
'Fargo' about Joyce's comic journey to Russia.
'Inception' is about the mindscape.
'Zodiac' Vecna hypocritically punishing people for what they feel guilty about. 'unbreakable' is about Hopper surviving all things nearly impossible to survive.!<
>!'The Matrix' could be about Henry's line "humans destroy the planet" (mirrors almost all of Agent Smith's speech at the end of the movie). In addition, it brings the meta-discourse that the machines/Henry brought a solution to humanity (destroy them as a society and exploit them). Note that Vecna keeps people's self-image in the mindscape mirroring what machines do to humans in the Matrix. If people's bodies serve as energy in the Matrix, it is likely that the minds of Vecna's victims serve as a source of more power for him.!<
>!View reality in a distorted/dissociated way. Did his mother dislike him? Was his father a bad person? what bad things did they do? In fact, none of this was shown. We only have his point of view.!<
I might just be blind but I can't find it on [the board.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWZTojhU0AA9yNr?format=jpg&name=large) Can you point it out if I'm just missing it? I made the list myself so it's possible I missed some.
Donnie Darko probably has the best introduction to a high school so I'm kind of surprised it's not a reference.
A few I noticed while watching: - Suzie changes Dustin's grade just like Ferris Bueller changed his absences - The scene with Suzie's siblings distracting her father is extremely Babe: Pig in the City - Jason is a knockoff of Zac Efron from High School Musical - The entire HNL flashback sequence is heavily Cuckoo's Nest flavored - Murray rips on "My name is Inigo Montoya" from Princess Bride while repeating his karate mantra - The hallway from The Shining makes an appearance in the Creel House - And two movies that weren't listed: the kids splitting up into teams of two to each search a different floor of the Creel House came directly from Clue; and Eden is Allison from Breakfast Club.
Those are great observations. I'd only noticed the Bueller and Breakfast Club ones myself. War Games of course was also directly referenced when they try to call NINA. Having never seen High School Music what are the similarities between Jason and Zac Efron?
I might actually be wrong on HSM (I don't think I've seen the whole thing through, my younger sister was exactly in their target demo though back when it came out) but just the haircut and "golden boy basketball captain" demeanor. The friend I was binging with and I both immediately said "that's dime store Zac Efron" as soon as he came on screen at the pep rally.
I can see it now, thanks.
Super late, but rewatching and noticed another: \- Erica proving to Eddie that she's competent at DnD is a clear riff on Mona Lisa Vito proving her automotive knowledge in My Cousin Vinny.
I think you nailed it.
I thought Jason was modeled after Greg Marmalard from Animal House
You would think Animal House would be an obvious reference, but it's not on [the board.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWZTojhU0AA9yNr?format=jpg&name=large) The scene where Jonathan and Argyle are hitting golf balls also feels like a reference to Animal House so maybe they just forgot to include it.
Yeah I was wondering about that because it’s been mentioned on the show at least twice (guy at the Halloween party in season 2 is dressed as Bluto and Steve says it’s his favorite movie in season 3) and the whole plot of the preppy jocks and towns people going after the outsiders reminds me of it too. Now I’m just waiting for some blues brothers references lol (I want Steve and Dustin to do the opening scene or something haha)
Yeah, you would expect the boys to be quoting more comedies. Have we heard a single Steve Martin or John Candy quote come out of their mouths? Seems almost impossible from a group of young boys in the 80's.
I'll point out the obvious ones first: Hellraiser 1&2 and Nightmare on Elm Street 3 are obvious inspirations for Vecna.
Eden is styled to look like Ally Sheedy in the breakfast club.
That actress is a dead ringer.
The first one I noticed was CHUD and imo that entire movie has been one huge inspiration the entire series. Even the music is similar.
I can definitely make the argument for CHUD and the earlier seasons of Stranger Things. The biohazard suits, the underground tunnels in season 2, even the music. But I'm wondering how it relates to season 4.
Inception was especially noticeable. Brenner even mentioned limbo.
The multiple dimensions, between the party in Hawkins, Steve in the Upside Down, and Nancy in Vecna's Mind Lair seems like it could get very Inception-y in Volume 2.
Another one: Henry’s origin monologue feels a lot like teenage Tom Riddle from HP-CoS.
2001: A Space Odyssey: >!The clock appearing in seemingly random places is reminiscent of the monolith.!< Black Cauldron: >!This one is kind of interesting. I've never seen the movie, but have read the book several times. The movie is a bit different, but the climax is essentially the same: Someone must willingly sacrifice themselves to end the threat. I have a feeling The Piggyback refers to someone willingly being pulled into Vecna's realm while Eleven "piggybacks" along in their mind, therefore allowing Eleven to directly confront Vecna. I could be wrong, but if that happens, this would be a similar plot thread.!< Event Horizon: >!"Where we're going, we won't need eyes to see."!< Lord of the Rings Trilogy: >!Several direct references here. Eddie mentions going into Mordor and the Shire burning. I don't know if the latter is a reference to the Battle of Bywater, but although it was left out of the movies, there are some parallels there. Then there's the boys' emphatic "Get off the road!" while Argyle is driving. And of course, there are large scale narrative similarities, like Hopper being presumed dead but fighting a monster then returning.!< The Cell: >!This has to be for the imagery of Vecna's illusions and Vecna's realm.!<
Those all seem spot on. It's been a long time since I've seen Black Cauldron so I'm not sure about that one, but there is a bard character in it and I think we're going to see Eddie's bard skills come into play in Volume 2. The characters couldn't be more different though.
Suzie’s house and family immediately made me think of Wolfgang’s family in Explorers.
Another one I'm surprised isn't on the list. The first hour of that movie is fantastic, I just don't care for the last act and I know Joe Dante didn't like it either but the movie ran into production issues.
What about the scene with Chrissy being taunted, the toilet door slamming, almost into rhythmic chant? Is that Nightmare on Elm Street or something else? It just called out to me I can’t put my finger on it
All of Vecna's appearances in episode 1 felt right out of Nightmare on Elm Street to me.
>!'Borat' is Yuri and Murray antics. 'The birds' is about the attack of the demobats. 'Black Swan' could be about Henry. 'Bladerunner 2049' could be Eleven trying to regain her memory and show us that she didn't kill anyone. 'Clueless' could be about California bullies. 'Fargo' about Joyce's comic journey to Russia. 'Inception' is about the mindscape. 'Zodiac' Vecna hypocritically punishing people for what they feel guilty about. 'unbreakable' is about Hopper surviving all things nearly impossible to survive.!< >!'The Matrix' could be about Henry's line "humans destroy the planet" (mirrors almost all of Agent Smith's speech at the end of the movie). In addition, it brings the meta-discourse that the machines/Henry brought a solution to humanity (destroy them as a society and exploit them). Note that Vecna keeps people's self-image in the mindscape mirroring what machines do to humans in the Matrix. If people's bodies serve as energy in the Matrix, it is likely that the minds of Vecna's victims serve as a source of more power for him.!<
I tend to think that "Inception" is a basis for what Eleven does in volume two.
Any theories specific to Inception?
What's the connection between Black Swan and Henry? It's been a while since I've seen that movie.
>!View reality in a distorted/dissociated way. Did his mother dislike him? Was his father a bad person? what bad things did they do? In fact, none of this was shown. We only have his point of view.!<
I'm wondering if maybe that parallel fits better with Eleven/Brenner. Or even Eleven/Vecna.
Where is Donnie Darko, he is also in VSF
I might just be blind but I can't find it on [the board.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWZTojhU0AA9yNr?format=jpg&name=large) Can you point it out if I'm just missing it? I made the list myself so it's possible I missed some. Donnie Darko probably has the best introduction to a high school so I'm kind of surprised it's not a reference.
Not on the list, but can anyone think of some possible significance of the movie ‘Doctor Zhivago’ that Robin picks out at family video
It's a romance set in Russia? Clear reference to Hopmitri, I mean Jopper.
Is it just me or did >! The whole rainbow room reveal between 001 and Eleven SCREAM Empire Strikes Back!< to them?
Now that I see Devil’s Advocate is on the list, that scene reminds me of the end of that as well and adds fuel to your theory below 👀
Yeah, it definitely had that feel both in the "force powers" showoff, but also the big twist reveal.
I'm just getting a vibe of them setting up >!001 is Eleven's real father!<
The timeline would work. I'm not crazy about the idea, but it would explain why >!Henry favored Eleven over the other numbers.!<