Comic Book References in Non-Comic Films

[Yodaman]

There might have been a thread on this already, but I was just thinking about movies that were not based on comics in any way but managed to sneak a reference or two in the movie. I'm not thinking about the million times Superman or Kryptonite have been mentioned in a movie (that's pretty much pure pop culture now), but some of the more obscure stuff. Here's just some stuff I remembered, feel free to add:

*The Batman/Superman billboard and the Teen Titans and Green Lantern posters in I Am Legend.
*The Barry Allan/Flash reference in Catch Me if You Can.
*Almost every Kevin Smith movie has something.
*I think it's U-571, where there is a guy who's reading comics in his bunk and his friends start making fun of him. I don't remember if it's that movie or not, but I remember that happening in a submarine movie.

 

[kedrell]

^I think the submarine movie was Crimson Tide and Denzel Washington's Executive Officer character was questioning a lowly seaman about getting into a fight with another sailor. It was over which version of the Silver Surfer was best, Jack Kirby's or the more contemporary version. Washington favored Kirby's version.

 

[Yodaman]

Lol, I don't even remember seeing that one. I probably just have a really bad memory though.

Anyway, I just rented Jumper and they mention Marvel Team-Up.

 

[Spider-Vader]

There might have been a thread on this already, but I was just thinking about movies that were not based on comics in any way but managed to sneak a reference or two in the movie. I'm not thinking about the million times Superman or Kryptonite have been mentioned in a movie (that's pretty much pure pop culture now), but some of the more obscure stuff. Here's just some stuff I remembered, feel free to add:

*The Batman/Superman billboard and the Teen Titans and Green Lantern posters in I Am Legend.

Whoah I knew about the Batman/Superman one. But GL & TT? If only WB would do those. Especially Green Lantern. Any progress on that?

 

[gwynplaine]

Richard Gere's passion for the silver surfer in "Breathless".

 

[Franklin Richards]

Tell me more about Cabot.


I don't know.


He's a cool guy.


He's funny.
He's a funny guy.


You remember
the Fantastic Four?


Yeah, with that invisible *****...


and "Flame on"
and ****, right?


Thing.


Mother****er...


looks just like the Thing.

 

[kedrell]

^Oh yeah, Reservoir Dogs.t:

 

[david icke]

In Scorcese's 'The Departed' Jack Nicholson hands over a bunch of goodies to Matt Damon(when he 's a kid) in a store. Part of these goodies is Wolverine no11, 1st part of 'the Ghenna stone Affair.'

At the beginning of Ang Lee's 'The Ice storm' Tobey Maguire is reading from an issue of the Fantastic Four, his vo talks about it. That's a pretty good one, director of Hulk, star of Spidey.

In 'The Last Detail' Jack Nicholson talks about the Human Torch when he's getting drunk with Randy Quaid and the other Sailor(cant recall actor's name, my dvd is lent out).

The kid shows 'The Iron Giant' a Superman comic which he takes to very much.

 

[kedrell]

Anchorman had a couple:

1)Ron shouting: "By the hammer of Thor!"

2)Ron talking just to loosen up prior to air time; "The Human Torch was denied a bank loan".

Generally, Apatow films have plenty of comic book references.

 

[Kable24]

Coyote Ugly - Amazing Spider-Man #129

 

[Yodaman]

In Brokeback Mountain, there's a scene inside a grocery store where a stack of Superman comics is clearly visible. It's all I remember, I can't remember specific issues or anything.

 

[cerealkiller182]

In 'The Last Detail' Jack Nicholson talks about the Human Torch when he's getting drunk with Randy Quaid and the other Sailor(cant recall actor's name, my dvd is lent out).

"I would like to drink a toast to Batman... Superman... and the Human Torch. AH-HA-HA"

True Romance: Clarence brings Alabama to the comic book shop he works at and shows her Spiderman #1 and a scene from a Nick Fury comic where he dives off a battleship to get his engagement ring (or something).

Kill Bill Vol 2: Bill has a little speech about Superman

Mallrats: Jay does the berserker fury and quotes Superman: THe Movie and Batman '89. Stan Lee appears and Brody asks him a bunch of questions

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: Jay and Silent Bob drive through the filming of a Daredevil movie.

Adventures in babysitting: The little girl is obsessed with Thor

Seinfeld is full of DC mentions (mostly Superman though)

I think most Hulk references are referencing the old tv show more than the actual comics.

 

[The Navigator]

Rom: Space Knight makes a cameo appearance in RoboCop. (And possibly Iron Man, but I can't remember for sure)

 

[Evil Twin]

The Silver Surfer appears among other religous imagery on the wall of Max Cady's cell in Scorsese's CAPE FEAR.

A toy Hulk and Captain America comics appear in the kids bedroom in POLTERGEIST.

Not film, but there are several in the '80s TWILIGHT ZONE adaptation of Harlan Ellison's "A Life Furnished in Early Poverty".

 

[cerealkiller182]

Live Free or Die Hard- A bunch of superhero action figures are present in matt's room, especially The Vision and Spawn

 

[kedrell]

"I would like to drink a toast to Batman... Superman... and the Human Torch. AH-HA-HA"

True Romance: Clarence brings Alabama to the comic book shop he works at and shows her Spiderman #1 and a scene from a Nick Fury comic where he dives off a battleship to get his engagement ring (or something).

Kill Bill Vol 2: Bill has a little speech about Superman

Mallrats: Jay does the berserker fury and quotes Superman: THe Movie and Batman '89. Stan Lee appears and Brody asks him a bunch of questions

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: Jay and Silent Bob drive through the filming of a Daredevil movie.

Adventures in babysitting: The little girl is obsessed with Thor

Seinfeld is full of DC mentions (mostly Superman though)

I think most Hulk references are referencing the old tv show more than the actual comics.

I also remember an Iron Man mention in there. Something about a debate as to whether he went 'commando' in his armor or not.

 

[cerealkiller182]

yup thats true. i remember that now

 

[OwlBoy]

If we're including TV Shows there was this great scene in Mad Men when Betty Draper looks over a kid's Action Comics and Metal Men books.

 

[The Chairman]

True Romance, when Clarence takes Alabama to the comic shop he works at and shows her the very first issue of Spider-Man.

EDIT: Beaten to it.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Daddy Day Care: A kid is dressed as Flash but when he says he fights Lex Luthor and Joker he is corrected by Steve Zahn's character that he should fight Gorilla Grodd or Captain Boomerang or Reverse Flash

 

[Yodaman]

Two more Kevin Smiths: in Dogma there's the demon kid who wears the "Hellboy" t-shirt, and in Clerks II there's a Hellboy action figure clearly visible in Rosario Dawson's office.

 

[thedeadite]

Lol, I don't even remember seeing that one. I probably just have a really bad memory though.

Anyway, I just rented Jumper and they mention Marvel Team-Up.

I actually laughed out loud at that line.

 

[cerealkiller182]

40 Year old Virign:
- number of superhero related action figures
- Aquaman comment about the condoms
- reading Marvel Team Up on his bed

 

[stargazer]

In Cloverfield they mention Superman.

At the end of Iron Giant, when he is about to sacrifice himself to save the world he says "Superman".

The Mexican film "Over the Same Moon", which is about immigration, Superman is present throughout the film, and they even sing a song and mention him. Is a really nice movie, I liked it. It's a drama.

 

[I Am The Knight]

I know you didn't want any Superman stuff, but in Transformers, John Turturro is shown wearing a shirt with a Sector 7 shield that is a clear reference to Superman's.