TV - Movies
References In
Stranger Things
Only True
Fans Understood
By ZIAH GRACE AND BENJAMIN FALBO
Fans of the classic movie "Gremlins" have lots of reasons to love Dustin and one of them is his raising of the pupal Demodog he nicknamed D'artagnan. Dart has a lot of parallels to Gremlins like his sensitivity to light and when he first escapes into the school you can even hear the main theme from “Gremlins.”
Gremlins
Since we're talking about blatant hints at famous actors' past roles, we'd be remiss not to mention Sean Astin as Bob Newby, Joyce's new beau in Season 2. Kids of the '80s will recognize Astin as Mikey Walsh, the optimistic leader of "The Goonies" — a movie that's ingrained into the DNA of "Stranger Things.”
Steven Spielberg
To say the Duffer Brothers are indebted to Steven Spielberg is putting it lightly. There are a metric ton of Spielberg references in the show but especially the "Jurassic Park" reference during the episode titled "The Mind Flayer," in which Joyce, Will, Mike, Hopper, and Bob try to escape the facility.
Stephen King
"Aliens" gets referenced pretty heavily in Season 2. One of the strongest references is Paul Reiser’s portrayal of Dr. Owen where nearly every moment is a reference, callback, or direct subversion of his character in "Aliens," Carter Burke.
Aliens
Since we're talking about blatant hints at famous actors' past roles, we'd be remiss not to mention Sean Astin who portrays Bob Newby. Kids of the '80s will recognize Astin as Mikey Walsh, the optimistic leader of "The Goonies" — a movie that's ingrained into the DNA of "Stranger Things.”
The Goonies