The Biggest Easter Eggs In Quentin Tarantino's Movies

Director Quentin Tarantino's eighth movie, the appropriately titled The Hateful Eight, hit theaters in late 2015. That inspired us to re-watch some of his older films. Tarantino, an avid film buff, pays homage to other pop cultural media in his movies in the form of the numerous easter eggs found throughout his work. Be warned that some spoilers follow...

One of the most memorable scenes from Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) is the haunting tune that Elle Driver (Darryl Hannah) whistles as she sets about to assassinate The Bride (Uma Thurman) in a hospital. This tune is the theme to the 1968 thriller Twisted Nerve. You can hear the original theme on YouTube.

Another audio easter egg from the two Kill Bill movies is the alarm sound that plays when The Bride sees a nemesis. This is borrowed from the movie Five Fingers of Death (1972). The movie was directed by the Shaw Brothers. Tarantino drew heavy inspiration from their work for Kill Bill. Skip to about the 55-second mark to hear the familiar sounds of impending kung fu fury.

Kurt Russell plays the villain, Stuntman Mike, in Tarantino's movie Death Proof (2007). Appropriately enough, Death Proof references one of Russell's most iconic roles, that of Jack Burton in Big Trouble in Little China (1986). The viewer can see the iconic shirt that Russell wears in Big Trouble in Little China hanging in the bar near the movie's beginning.

Tarantino's first film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), pays heavy homage to the Hong Kong action film, City on Fire (1987) starring Chow Yun-fat. Much like Reservoir Dogs, the movie tells the tale of an undercover cop who infiltrates a gang of jewelry thieves. A major difference is that the viewer actually sees the robbery in City on Fire, whereas it is only referenced in Reservoir Dogs...

Fans of Reservoir Dogs will remember Mr. Pink's (Steve Buscemi) tirade against tipping waitresses in the opening scene. Ironically enough, Buscemi plays the apathetic waiter "Buddy Holly" that serves Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) at Jack Rabbit Slims in Pulp Fiction (1994). Mr. Pink was the only character to seemingly escape from the events of Reservoir Dogs. Is "Buddy Holly" really Mr. Pink hiding out from the authorities? Only rampant fan speculation can know for sure.

Fans of General Mills' Count Chocula, Boo Berry, and Franken Berry cereals may not remember the company's other monster themed sugar-infused breakfasts: Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy. Tarantino clearly recalls the former with some fondness. Viewers can see the werewolf-adorned Fruit Brute box in Mr. Orange's (Tim Roth) apartment in Reservoir Dogs. Lance (Eric Stoltz) is also eating Fruit Brute in Pulp Fiction. Clearly the "Tarantino-verse" exists in a world where Fruit Brute lives on.

Tarantino fans will remember the scene in Django Unchained (2012) where the titular character (played by Jamie Foxx) explains how to pronounce his name to an Italian gambler. The actor is Franco Nero, who starred in the 1968 spaghetti western Django. This title, needless to say, is the inspiration for the main character's name in Tarantino's movie.