Secrets You Never Noticed Lurking In Movie Credits
Post-credits scenes are all the rage these days. But before those became popular, some movies included jokes or hidden references within the actual credits themselves. Here are some of our favorites from new and old movies alike. Next time you watch one of these at home, be sure to keep your finger hovering over the pause button.
Frozen boogers
Frozen was a huge hit with a lot of charm for kids and adults alike. And, if you're the type who sticks through the credits for no good reason, you would have seen that the filmmakers had a few jokes to spare. Near the end of the credit crawl comes this revelation: "the views and opinions expressed by Kristoff in this film that all men eat their own boogers are solely his and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Walt Disney Company or the filmmakers."
Coffee shop
In the movie Pulp Fiction, during the coffee shop robbery, the coffee shop manager has a gun put to his head. In the script, the manager's line reads, "I'm not a hero. I'm just a coffee shop manager. Take anything you want." The scene didn't go quite as written, however, and all he winds up saying is "I'm just a coffee shop." At the end of the movie, the character in the credits is listed simply as "Coffee Shop." Since that's who he said he was.
Cozy in the closet
The end credits of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban gives viewers a long, magical look at the infamous Marauder's Map, which shows the layout of Hogwarts and all the folks sneaking around its hallways and rooms. For a moment, however, we see two pairs of feet in the corner of the screen that don't really sneak so much as they seem like they might be...knocking boots? Rus Wetherell, who was in charge of animating the map for the credits sequence, says he threw the joke in late one night and that it gave him a fit of the giggles. Director Alfonso Cuarón enjoyed it so much that the joke made the final cut of the movie.
This is heavy
When Marty McFly crashes the time-travelling DeLorean into Otis Peabody's farm in Back to the Future, we meet the old man's kids. By the time the credits roll around, we learn that his son has a pretty special name: Sherman Peabody. That's a reference to the '50s and '60s cartoon character Mister Peabody (a bowtie-and-glasses-wearing, talking dog who builds a time machine) and his human sidekick, Sherman. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, Back to the Future's director and writer, respectively, were both apparently big fans of the show.
No raccoons, tree creatures, dragons, or penguins were harmed
When a movie involves any kinds of animals or creatures, it's always important for the filmmakers to ensure the critters' safety. Some movie credits, however, take the opportunity to let you know that digital creatures got through filming unscathed, too. Pay close attention to the credits in Guardians of the Galaxy and you'll see confirmation that no tree creatures or raccoons were in any way harmed during the production of the film. Then, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, we learn that "no dragons were harmed in the making of this movie." And in Jim Carrey's Mr. Popper's Penguins, we learn that no penguins were harmed, but, "Jim Carrey, on the other hand, was bitten mercilessly. But he had it coming."
Hello Hanso
As Star Wars and Star Trek fans have learned by now, director J.J. Abrams doesn't shy away from throwing fun, sometimes self-referential Easter eggs into his projects. Case in point: during the credits of 2006's Mission: Impossible III, the filmmakers give a "special thanks" to the Hanso Foundation. Of course, true fans will recognize the Hanso Foundation as the shady and mysterious group that had a hand in all the crazy island shenanigans on Abrams' television project, Lost. Maybe Jack and the rest of the gang got stranded all because of that damn rabbit's foot...
Split Personality
Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker is a frequent collaborator of director David Fincher. Walker even did an uncredited rewrite on the script for Fincher's adaptation of Fight Club. In order to honor his friend and frequent artistic partner, Fincher gave Walker a special tribute in the end credits of the movie. The three cops who beat up Ed Norton's character are named Detective Andrew, Detective Kevin, and Detective Walker. That's, like, an old saying, right? That three credits are better than one? Should be, anyway.
You have 15 seconds to comply
You've probably noticed most movies contain a warning that the film is protected under copyright laws in the United States, followed by some legal mumbo-jumbo. It's the same disclaimer every single time. Except not in the case of Robocop. At the end of the Paul Verhoeven film, the disclaimer reads, "This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries and its unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution by enforcement droids." In other words, pirate Robocop and you may get a visit from ED-209.
Nobby buns, tartar sauce, and a red-heinied tapir
As good as the rest of this list might be, without a doubt, there are a few movies whose credits sequences might actually be funnier than most comedies released today. Hot Shots and Hot Shots Part Deux, slapstick parodies of action movies starring Charlie Sheen, include fake "fun facts" like "Actor Richard Crenna invented tartar sauce," as well as a recipe for something called "nobby buns."
Meanwhile, in all three Naked Gun flicks, which make fun of police dramas, the credits have a joke flash by every few seconds. For instance, smack in the middle between actors and stunt performers is a message saying that the owner of a blue Honda Accord needs to report to the parking lot because their lights are on. Other notable messages include the standard ASPCA message that no animals were harmed during filming, with a caveat that some went extinct during principal photography. The credits go on to list 15 barn owls that died in a fire, the red-heinied tapir that got hit by a grip truck, and the last 100 woolly fettered tree squirrels that were sacrificed for a crew lunch.