La first part of Stranger Things 4 (the second consisting of the two final episodes arrives on July 1) is obviously full of accessories, places and 80s clothes. There’s even a few forays into the 70s with kids at a roller skating hall that goes a long way Xanadubut the heart remains the colorful Reagan years of the pins Ghostbusters attached to the backpacks, of the high side ponytails, of the fluo make-up. Even films from that period.
That this season i Duffer brothers – authors of the series set between 1983 and 1986 – have enjoyed quoting profusely with references to classics and characters – the so-called easter egg – sometimes shameless and sometimes more subtle. Here are the tastiest. Attention, the article contains many spoilers.
Stranger Things 4: the films mentioned in the series
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Eddie, a new character introduced this season, is a Hawkins high school rebel repeat. Love heavy metal and directs the Hellfire club, in which the players of Dungeons & Dragons of the school. No wonder a lover of fantasy themed RPGs you quote the fantastic literary saga in a context at least apt: the “Sauron” of the situation, or rather the gruesome Vecnacan be reached thanks to a portal that can lead the young protagonists into its dimension.
In the sixth episode, about Dustin’s idea of hunting the monster, Eddie points out that this is basically an invitation to go to Mordor to defend the Shire (the place where the hobbits come fromwhich corresponds to Hawkins). His words: “I say you’re asking me to follow up in Mordor, which – if I’m being honest – I think is a very bad idea. However the Shire is burning, so be Mordor“. The reference is to 1978 film, an animation classic.
Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson) (Netflix)
Nightmare (1984)
The horror saga centered around dream serial killer Freddy Kruger is there major source of inspiration of the fourth season. The Duffer brothers themselves declared it, but his influence is evident and scattered throughout the first volume, starting with the presence of Robert Englundthe original Freddy, in a key role: that of Victor Creelthe man haunted by the past that Nancy and Robin meet while investigating Vecna, and who languishes in a psychiatric hospital accused of exterminating his family.
The fact that Vecna operates on a dream plane, dispensing horrifying visions to her young victims, unequivocally evokes the Wes Craven film. To underline the importance of Freddy, a visible hardcover in the video store where Steve works. The bloody death of Chrissy in the first episode also follows those of Tina in the first chapter of Nightmare, year 1984, raised in the air and massacred in front of her helpless boyfriend. Also the boys’ squad against the monster remembers the Dream Warriors of Nightmare number 3released in 1987, who team up to try to beat him for good.
Robert England in “Nightmare 3 – Dream Warriors” (1987) and “Stranger Things 4”. (Ipa and Netflix)
The silence of the lambs (1991)
Robert Englund is also the protagonist of another striking quote inspired by a seminal Hollywood film: The silence of the lambs. Persuaded the director to grant them an interview with Creel, Nancy and Robin they reach his cell – in a remote area of the psychiatric institution – walking down a dark corridor with the cells to their left. A scene that follows the famous sequence of Silence, in which Clarice Sterling reaches the cage of Hannibal Lecter alike.
Note that the release of the film with Anthony Hopkins is after the run-up to the fourth season of Stranger Things1986.
Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley) and Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler). (Netflix)
Wargames – War games (1983)
Milestone of the 1980s, Wargames by John Badham constitutes an inevitable quote for Stranger Things. We see it fully exploited when Will, Mike and Jonathan they work to track down Eleven, and their only clue is a telephone number connected to a computer. Coincidence that reminds him of the movie with Matthew Broderick hacker almost starts a nuclear war with Russia by breaching the US government defense supercomputer in charge of controlling the nuclear arsenal.
And that prompts them to ask for Suzie’s help, very young hacker friend and maybe a little more than Dustin, which helps them in decoding. If we then consider the Hopper’s narrative line locked in a Soviet gulag the quote appears even more pertinent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ulOZysG9I
Carrie – Satan’s gaze (1976)
So far the correspondence between Eleven and the very young Drew Barrymore of Uncontrollable paranormal phenomena – little girl under the control of aorganization he was experimenting with on kids from telepathic and telekinetic powers (from The incendiary by Stephen King) – had been the most striking analogy of Stranger Things. But now that Eleven goes to high school, her experiences are more reminiscent of those of another anti-heroine created by the king of horror: Carrie. The girl with extra sensory powers brought to the screen by Brian de Palma in 1976.
Persecuted by school bullies as was the case in the film, Eleven seems set to make a massacre of her tormentors like her film model. The anger is there, the powers are lacking, lost in the final battle with the Upside Down at the end of the third season. He makes up for it with a roller skate thrown in Angela’s facethe gang leader, who deserves all the pain.
Sissy Spacek in “Carrie”, 1976
The Amityville Horror (1979)
The inspiration for the Creel family drama comes from a true and terrifying story, transposed into a chilling film that boasts various sequels and remakes: Amityville Horror. The story is that of a little family who moves into a beautiful, strangely cheap house, only to realize that it is a place haunted by a supernatural presence.
Not only that, this house that has on the facade recalls a face, seems to have a pernicious influence on the householderwho slowly goes mad and eventually gives in to demonic possession by becoming violent.
Ai Creel’s Stranger Things 4 the same thing happens, with the difference that no one survives the experience, except the male child. In the first episode of the series, a copy of the film can be seen on the shelves of the Family Video video library.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2dyrpZg6VM
The House (1981) and The army of darkness (1992)
Our favorite quote is structured on two levels. The simplest is the poster of the first movie spotted in Jonathan. The second is the recovery of The army of darkness, second sequel to the saga, with the poor Steve – ended up in the Upside Down – transformed into a novel Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell), the hero of The House. Just like him Steve emerges victorious against the forces of evil: shirtless, fluffy hair and bloody, as well as exhausted but almost ready for the liberating laugh. Enemies change: for Bruce they were demons, for Steve they are chilling bats.
“The House”, 1981. (Ipa)
Kate Bush, Running Up That Hill
The soundtracks of Stranger Things they are dotted with famous songs from the 70s and 80s. Some of them have become an integral part of the story like Should I Stay or Should I Go of the Clash (in the first season), Neverending Story from The Neverending Story (in the third) e Material girl from Madonna (always in the third). This time it was the sublime’s turn Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush to evade the boundaries of extra-explanatory sound commentary to invade the narrative.
In fact, the song becomes the expedient through which Max manages to escape Vecna. How? Listening to it continuously on the Walkman he can resist to the psychological influence of the monster.
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