Steven Spielberg‘s visual juggernaut, “Ready Player One,” is filled to the edge of the frame with ’80s pop culture and cinematic characters, references, and homages. With a plot that revolves around an actual Easter Egg, Spielberg’s source material of the same name by Ernest Cline has hundreds of easter eggs relating back to the nostalgic times of the ’80s (a period current film and television shows can’t seem to shake), ’90s, and early ’00s. One of the most difficult projects Spielberg has attempted, the director and creative team fill the diegetic space with subtle and overt clues for audiences to find, all within a run time of two hours and twenty minutes.
READ MORE: Steven Spielberg Returns To Pure Pop Escapism In Nostalgic ‘Ready Player One’ [Review]
In a video compilation, courtesy of IGN, 138 Easter Eggs are picked out of frames and moments in the film. Naturally, the short video is full of spoilers, as well. Some of our favorite references and appearances of franchise favorites seen in promotions and the subsequent film were the Iron Giant, Hello Kitty, and Beetlejuice. Of course, these are only three. The compilation also features, references to music like a Billy Idol album and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” jacket. Video games make an appearance, of course, with characters from “BioShock” and “Halo.”
The scene encapsulating the most references and characters is the final battle. Without revealing too much, characters from all over pop culture converge in the OASIS for one final knockout. It’s a kaleidoscope of characters with a final explosion filled to the brim. Overwhelming to say the least, the amount of detail in “Ready Player One” is an extraordinary achievement for Spielberg. With visuals we will continue to go back to, searching for our favorite references and characters.
What were some of your favorite references in “Ready Player One?” Were there some that the video missed? Let us know in the comments below.