The third season of Netflix’s sci-fi horror love letter Stranger Things unleashed over a week ago and yet again it is filled with 80s Easter eggs. I went through each season to dish out my favorite references and hidden gems found in the show. No worries, no spoilers here, only fun details found in this nostalgic world.
#10: Alien References
Many movie franchises get a nod across all three seasons, and in the first year the show came out, a great shot gives some love to the 1979 classic, Alien. The lighting and camera work makes this egg come close to the eggs found in the iconic sci-fi horror flick.
This is not the only reference to the franchise. Plenty of shots are heavily inspired the Alien movies.
#9: Dungeons and Dragons
The ultimate tabletop game to play in a basement back in the 80s, Dungeons and Dragons. The crew of friends spent much of their time playing when they were not avoiding death or the drama of school.
#8: ET is Everywhere
The first season heavily dives into references to ET. The way Mike (Finn Wolfhard) hides Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to giving her an extra girly disguise are just a few of the many times the Spielberg classic gets some love.
#7: Evil Dead Poster
Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) has an awesome poster in his room which can be seen here and there. The poster in question is the original Evil Dead. When promoting season 2 with many twists on classic movie posters, Joyce (Winona Ryder) made an appearance as a demon controlled by the Necronomicon grabbed her.
When Eleven digs through the basement which reveals new information about Hopper (David Harbour), the whole scene’s atmosphere and cinematography recreate the iconic moment when the protagonists find the Book of the Dead in the Sam Raimi film.
#6: Video Games
The arcade in the first episode of season two has a plethora of old school games. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug are only a few of the many that can be spotted.
#5: Mad Max
The name of the first episode from the second season titled after the Mel Gibson post-apocalyptic action flick. The real reason is to introduce a new character, Max (Sadie Sink), but it is an easy and perfect way to wink to the audience.
#4: The Goonies
Sean Astin’s beloved Bob has a similar arc to another movie he featured in, The Goonies. From translating the map, referencing pirate treasure, and the way he saves people’s lives from the monstrous creatures all take right from his role as Mikey.
#3: Temple of Doom
Towards the middle of the second season, Hopper’s hat falls off of his head when in the upside-down. Pulling a Harrison Ford, he goes back for it. This might seem small, but The Duffer Brothers, the minds who created this universe, confirmed that it is indeed a reference to Indiana Jones.
#2: The Terminator
The timeline gets more defined by releases of brand new movies, like James Cameron’s Terminator enhances the immersion of season two’s Oct. theme. If only a scene of the film or cameo from Schwarzenegger could have happened to complete this reference.
#1: The Thing
The best pop culture tip of the hat goes to the poster found in Mike’s basement, The Thing. My favorite horror movie getting its time to shine in the background made this series complete for me back when I started watching the first season.
A clip gets shown when Scott Clarke and his significant other Jen are watching the film on VHS.
The Netflix hit relishes its time period with subtle and blunt ways to give some love to the significant influences that helped shape the series. I know I missed out on plenty in this list, so was not mentioned that caught your attention?
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Tristan Zelden 