The Clue of the Missing Ape

Transcription

Writers, directors, and main cast members are often credited for a movie's success of failure, but countless professionals leave their mark on every feature film. However, from time to time, those marks are a bit more literal. Certain directors, special effects gurus, and editors have been known to insert hidden messages into fan-favorite films. In honor of these sly moviemakers, we've compiled a list of our favorites. We�re focusing on frames, text, and audio that is literally hidden in each movie � not simple easter eggs (like the Egyptian etching of R2-D2 and C-3PO in Raiders of the Lost Ark or the The Bride's "F*** You" sneaker soles in Kill Bill, Vol. 1). Here are our favorite hidden messages in famous movies. 1. The Lion King (1994) When Simba flops down on a cliffside, a cloud of dust is pushed up into the air � and three controversial letters appear. For years, the frame was scrutinized as a subliminal message intended to promote sexuality to children. However, the film's animators have since claimed the letters were intended to spell SFX - a nod to the Lion King's special effects department. Disney could have devised the SFX explanation after the fact in order to quell outrage from concerned parents, but it's equally possible that the SEX controversy took-off simply because it's the more scandalous headline - especially in popular kids movie. 2. I Am Legend (2007) During the Times Square hunting sequence in I Am Legend, Will Smith passes a billboard advertising a Superman and Batman team-up film set to open on May 15, 2010. Given the 2007 I Am Legend release, had the tongue-in-cheek easter egg come true, the film would have likely featured Brandon Routh (whose Superman Returns was released in 2006) and Christian Bale (who debuted as Batman in 2005). Of course, Warner Bros. has since put together an actual Batman V Superman crossover in their Man of Steel sequel, starring Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck in the iconic roles. So, I Am Legend really did include a hidden message from Warner Bros. � speficially: they've wanted to cash-in with a World's Finest team-up for more than half a decade. 3. Fight Club (1999) Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt) reveals that while working as a film projectionist, he would splice images of male genitalia into films - which were nearly imperceptible to moviegoers. For the Fight Club movie, director David Fincher took a similar approach � splicing in a penis picture as well as four brief flashes of Durden in scenes prior to the character's official introduction. According to Fincher, the purpose of the subliminal frames was to show that "our hero is creating Tyler Durden in his own mind, so at this point he exists only on the periphery of the narrator's consciousness." Fincher also foreshadowed the film�s twist with a blink-and-you�ll miss it label on a pay phone the Narrator uses - which reads "No Incoming Calls Allowed." Moments later, Tyler Durden calls the pay phone. 4. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Veronica Corningstone (played by Christina Applegate) visits a Mexican restaurant with other women from KVWN Channel 4 to punish Ron Burgandy and the �News Team� for their sexist views. The restaurant the ladies visit is the �Escupimos en su Alimento� - which, when translated in Spanish, actually means �we spit in your food." Given the talent behind Anchorman (including Judd Apatow and Will Farell), it shouldn't come as a complete surprise that one of the funniest gags (in an already hilarious film) is also one that most American moviegoers will miss entirely. 5. The Matrix Reloaded (2003) Typically in movies, license plates are designed to blend into the scenery without a second thought. But in the Matrix trilogy, many of the vehicle plates are shorthand references to religious scripture. At the beginning of The Matrix Reloaded, Agent Smith's license plate reads "IS5416," which corresponds to Isaiah 54:16: "Behold, I have created the smith, who blows the fire of coals, and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy." During the highway chase sequence, Trinity's Cadillac plate reads "DA203," which corresponds to Daniel 2:03: "He said to them, 'I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.'" Of course, license plates aren't the only references to religious texts in the Matrix series. The name of Morpheus's ship, the Nebuchadnezzar, was also a Babylonian King � and not-so-coincidentally the speaker chronicled in the aforementioned Daniel 2:03 text. 6. King Kong (2005) Most movies rely on character dialogue to explain non-verbal and non-visual information to viewers � but audiences rarely think twice when watching an actor receive a message through morse code. We accept that the coded message actually matches what characters are reporting onscreen. But in the case of Peter Jackson's King Kong remake, the director included a tongue-in-cheek message for savvy moviegoers who actually took the time to translate. Just before reaching Skull Island, SS Venture's Captain Englehorn intercepts a coded message calling for the arrest of Carl Denham. Yet, the audible code does not actually say anything about an arrest, and instead reads: "Show me the monkey!" A campy hidden message in honor of the film's famous ape, and one that will probably make readers think twice the next time they hear morse code in a movie. 7. Sunshine (2007) While on a mission to the Sun, the Icarus II crew receives a distress signal from the long-missing Icarus I and decides to rendezvous with the ship. When the group board the Icarus I, their flashlights periodically shine directly into the camera (and out at the audience). Each time, roughly 49 minutes into the film, director Danny Boyle spliced in hidden frames of the now deceased Icarus I crew members. What makes the hidden message especially creepy? The pictures are from a happy Hawaiian-themed party that took place prior to the demise of Icarus I�s crew. One character even encounters the full group photo (from which each flash is taken) later on in the film. Boyle hasn't discussed the hidden frames officially but the flashes definitely work as a subliminal way of setting audience members on edge without directly revealing the fate of the Icarus I crew. 8. Cloverfield (2008) In the final moments of Cloverfield, Rob and Beth seek refuge from the creature under Central Park's Greyshot Arch. Moments later, an air raid strike buries the couple (and the camera) in rubble from the bridge - presumably killing the Cloverfield monster. But following the film credits, director Matt Reeves included a brief, 5-second piece of garbled audio that hints at a different outcome. When reversed, the audio recording (which sounds like a military mission report) clearly states: "It's Still Alive". This indicates that the creature wasn't killed in the airstrike while also setting the stage for a possible, though yet to be released, Cloverfield 2. Furthermore, the post-credits audio message isn't the only secret in Cloverfield - as the film also contains three hidden frames from classic monster movies: Them!, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and King Kong. http://www.eeggs.com/tree/11883.html http://cloverfieldclues.blogspot.ca/2008/04/dvd-easter-eggs-monsters.html Conclusion Those are our favorite hidden messages in movies. Know of other hidden messages we missed? Tell us your favorites in the comment section and don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more videos like this one!