All the Times 'Stranger Things' Referenced Movies and TV Shows
From "E.T." to "Commando," these are the movie and TV references from "Stranger Things."
For as much as Stranger Things is a show about alternate dimensions and the terrifying Demogorgon, it's also a show about nostalgia. To give it that realistic, wistful feel, the show is packed with popular music, food, and video games from the 1980s, effectively transporting you back to a time when a BMX bike and a backpack full of bologna sandwiches could take you anywhere. However, Stranger Things also reminds us of the iconic films of the 80s as well through stylized shots and sequences that match the originals almost perfectly. In this video by Fandor, we get to see all of show's movie and TV references that pay homage to a bygone time in cinema.
Okay, calling some of these shots references might be a bit of a stretch, but it's definitely clear that Stranger Things is not shy about paying homage to films like The Goonies, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Alien, and of course, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
It's always enlightening and entertaining to see which films and TV shows inspired this awesome piece of television, especially for those of us that grew up in the 80s and still swear on a holy stack of Bibles that our childhood adventures were as epic as those of The Goonies, but to some it might seem like the show goes a little overboard with the pop culture references, something that was lampooned hilariously by Conan O'Brien.
In any case, I love a good film reference—or two, or five, or 6,000—so I know I'll always be on the lookout for them as I sit in the dark watching the show, covering my eyes with one hand and clinging to my awesomely 80s childhood memories with the other.
Source: Fandor