Easter eggs are a funny thing. Not only for the audience, but also for the creators, who can hide content in their films that is not suitable for the target group. This instrument is especially popular with children’s films, which must take their audience into account. For example, there are many sexual innuendos in Disney films that are only shot for adult audiences. Today we are not talking about Disney animated films, but about Pixar and one of their favorites: the “Toy Story” series.
The Toy Story films are primarily lovingly told about living toys going on adventures and learning life lessons along the way. However, if you look closely at the films, you will see a number of references that you would not expect in a children’s film. The makers are known to be big fans of Stanley Kubrick Masterpiece “Appears” are – that’s why they built a lot of allusions into the “Toy Story” movies!
Spooky Easter eggs in the world of Woody and Buzz
In a scene from the first part, Woody and Buzz are trapped in Sid’s house and look for a way out. Did you notice the red and orange carpet that was a bit old fashioned? Then you feel shivers running down your spine, because the rug is reminiscent of the striking rug from The Shining. Chance? We don’t believe it! Not convinced? Don’t worry, we have more for you…
Remember the creepy hotel room from The Shining? It was number 237. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that this song also appears repeatedly in the “Toy Story” movies. For example, in “Toy Story 3” you can discover the number on a surveillance camera, on the license plate of a garbage truck and in the messenger username “Velocistar237”.
That’s not all: the fourth part also references the most famous scene from ‘Shining’, in which Jack Nicholson delivers his incredible ‘Here’s Johnny!’ performance. In a car chase with Benson dummies, Woody and Forky set off, One of them breaks a barrier and puts on a creepy expression very similar to Jack’s.
As you can see, there are a lot of ‘Shining’ references in the world of Woody and his friends. And there is much, much more to discover. In some cases there are even direct quotes. Keep your eyes and ears open the next time you see it, you might just come across a reference or two to Kubrick’s famous horror film!