Pop culture references
From Lostpedia
(Redirected from Movies and TV)
This is a list of confirmed or irrefutable allusions and references of movies, television, and miscellaneous pop culture seen on Lost (per transcript verbatum and/or crew citation). As it is a list of miscellany, it primarily lists movies, TV and comic art content that is not included in other cultural references pages.
For references from shows, movies, and other outside sources to Lost, see Outside references to Lost.
The full list of direct references to Movies, TV or miscellaneous pop culture is sorted by name below. Only direct references or influences confirmed by major contributors to the production team are given.
| Main Articles | |
|---|---|
 | Alias |
 | The Blue Danube |
 | Boston Red Sox |
 | Green Lantern and Flash |
 | Stephen King |
 | Star Wars |
 | Voltron |
 | Watchmen |
 | The Wizard of Oz |
 | π |
20000 Leagues under the Sea (Movie)
- The Admiral MacCutcheon that Charles Widmore mentions to Desmond was a character from a remake film of the classic, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (by Jules Verne). ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
Altered States (Movie)
- Charlie says "I'm going to stand out here in case you devolve into a monkey" when Locke asks him to stand guard at the sweat tent, which is what happens to the main character of Altered States. ("Further Instructions")
Alias (TV)
Back to the Future
| “ |
[Miles looks at Jack and points at Kate, emphasizing her point. Miles walks over to the table where Hurley is inspecting his hand.] MILES: What the hell are you doing, Tubby? HURLEY: Checking to see if I'm disappearing. MILES: What? HURLEY: "Back to the Future," man. We came back in time to the island and changed stuff. So if little Ben dies, he'll never grow up to be big Ben, who's the one who made us come back here in the first place. Which means we can't be here. And therefore, dude? We don't exist. MILES: You're an idiot. [Takes a seat at the table] HURLEY: Am I? MILES: Yeah. It doesn't work like that. You can't change anything. You're maniac Iraqi buddy shot Linus. That is what always happened. It's just...we never experienced how it all turns out. [Hurley looks at Jack, confused.] HURLEY: This is really confusing. . | ” |
The Blue Danube (Cartoon)
- The Blue Danube was a cartoon shown to Jack. ("Every Man for Himself")
Boston Red Sox (Sports team)
- "That's why the Red Sox will never win the World Series." was a phrase repeatedly used by Christian Shephard to describe his thoughts on fate. ("Outlaws")
- The Red Sox winning the World Series was a clip Ben showed to Jack on the Hydra television. ("The Glass Ballerina")
- This tape, entitled RED SOX, was later "taped over" by Ben, with footage of Charles Widmore beating one of Ben's "people", which he showed to Locke. ("The Other Woman")
- Jack asks Frank if the Red Sox really did win the World Series. ("The Economist")
- Jack scoffs at the headline, "Yankees bludgeon Red Sox in Series Sweep", exclaiming "A-Rod", a reference to the Yankees' successful and controversial third-baseman, Alex Rodriguez. ("Something Nice Back Home")
The Brady Bunch (TV)
- Sawyer compares Karl with Bobby Brady, from The Brady Brunch. (Karl responds with "What the hell is The Brady Bunch?") ("Stranger in a Strange Land")
Dallas Cowboys (Sports Team)
- As Lafleur and Juliet are being led up the dock to the sub, Sawyer says: "We'll bet the Cowboys in the '78 Super Bowl. We're gonna be rich", referencing the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII. ("Follow the Leader")
David Cronenberg's The Fly (Movie)
- The Vault within The Orchid is very similar in appearance to the portals in David Cronenberg's film version of The Fly.
Disney (Theme parks)
- During a game of I Never, Sawyer says he's never been to Disneyland. Kate does not drink, indicating that she has been to the Anaheim, California-based theme park. ("Outlaws")
- According to the Season 2 DVD featurette "Secrets from the Hatch", the Swan interior was originally inspired by Disneyland's Tomorrowland.
The Flintstones (Cartoon)
- Libby says "You ever watch The Flintstones?" to Hurley when they were lost in the jungle. ("Two for the Road")
Green Lantern and Flash (Comic)
- A Green Lantern and Flash comic book was seen in multiple episodes of Season 1, as a comic Walt picks up and enjoys. Contains pictures of a polar bear. It originally belonged to Hurley, and was burned by Michael. ("Special"),("Exodus, Part 2")
Harry Potter (Movie)
- Hurley told Sawyer he looked like "someone steamrolled Harry Potter. ("Deus Ex Machina")
Little House on the Prairie (TV)
- Sawyer watched Little House on the Prairie as a child, while at home ill. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")
Lord of the Rings, The (Movie)
- Charlie said that he's heard trees are great conversationalists. This referenced actor Dominic Monaghan's role in The Lord of the Rings, where his character spent time talking to Ents. ("Further Instructions")
Memoirs of a Geisha (Movie)
- A background character at the airport (Gina) remarked that Sun's subservience to Jin was like "Memoirs of a Geisha come to life." ("Exodus, Part 1")
Mission Impossible III (Movie)
- Pan Pacific Airlines was previously seen as part of "Pan Pacific" livery in Mission Impossible III.
Mr. Ed (TV)
- Sawyer calls Mr. Eko "Mr. Ed", in reference to the 1960's sitcom Mr. Ed. ("...And Found")
Muppet Show, The (TV)
- The Muppet Show plays on one of the monitors in The Flame. ("Namaste")
Nash Bridges (TV)
- The title "Nash Bridges" was visible on the document Gina was reading. ("Exodus, Part 1") ("Exodus, Part 2") (Producer Carlton Cuse created the television series Nash Bridges.)
The Office (TV)
- Charlie's date, Lucy, mentioned that her dad was out of town looking to buy a paper company in Slough. This was a reference to the British comedy The Office, which took place at a paper company in Slough, which some of the writers are reputedly fans of. ("Homecoming")
The Outsiders (Movie)
- Hurley's friend Johnny told him "Stay gold, Ponyboy". This is a reference to the book/movie The Outsiders. ("Everybody Hates Hugo")
Power Rangers (TV)
- Walt is watching Power Rangers: SPD on the hotel room television. ("Exodus, Part 1")
- Several Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive items are visible in the toy store where Jin purchases the stuffed pandas. ("Ji Yeon")
Pi (Movie)
Rambo (Movie)
- Hurley tells Jack he shouldn't go to the helicopter because "those Rambo guys" are heading there. John James Rambo was a troubled war vet and a Green Beret in a series of movies that highlight his survival skills and special ops training. "Going Rambo" has become synonomous with a person who uses excessive gun violence. ("There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3")
Say Anything (Movie)
- The movie "Say Anything" was referenced to by Hurley when he requested the radio from Sayid to woo Libby. I the parralell scene in "Say Anything" the song "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel is playing. ("Two for the Road")
Shining, The (Movie)
- Minkowski referenced The Shining when he commented about Michael bouncing a ball against the wall in the freighter. ("Meet Kevin Johnson") The film's main character, Jack, bounces balls against the wall in the hotel before attempting to murder his family.
Star Trek (TV)
- Star Trek was mentioned by Boone to Locke in reference to the "redshirt" stock character (Terry O'Quinn, who plays Locke, had previously guest starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation). ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues") The redshirt reference was later discussed in detail by Damon Lindelof [1] and developed into fan name for "background character" Flight 815 survivors.
- A life-size poster of Captain Kirk is visible in Damon Lindelof's office in the Season 3 DVD extra "Lost in a Day", at the "4:39 pm Los Angeles" segment.
- In "Born to Run" Sawyer calls Jin Sulu. Sulu was an Asian character on the original series.
- In "The Beginning of the End" Sawyer calls Desmond Scotty, referd to Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott, a character in the original series of Star Trek.
- Charlotte jokes that she speaks Klingon (in addition to Korean). ("This Place Is Death")
- In the American broadcast of "The Variable" the Lost intertitle was suddenly placed among stars, with a Starship Enterprise soaring through the "O" in Lost as part of a promotion for J.J. Abrams' new film Star Trek. startrek.gif
Star Wars (Movie)
Subterranean Homesick Blues (Music video)
- Juliet's video, in which she holds up cue cards, is reminiscent of Bob Dylan's video for Subterranean Homesick Blues. (confirmed reference in 11/06/06 podcast) ("The Cost of Living")
To Kill a Mockingbird (Movie)
- Before Juliet plays the fake movie for Jack, she claimed to put To Kill a Mockingbird into the VCR. ("The Cost of Living")
Terminator (Movie)
- In a desicive rebellious confrontation with Jack, Locke told the remaining survivors "If you want to live, you need to come with me". It is likely that this is a reference to the movie Terminator in which rebel Kyle Reese says "Come with me, if you want to live". ("The Beginning of the End")
The Twilight Zone (TV)
- J.J. Abrams has confirmed that the opening credits of Lost were intended as an homage to The Twilight Zone, and that he himself designed them on his own laptop. The choice that the credits be black and white is one of the components to that homage. Source: [2].
- When Hurley and Sayid were talking about the WXR radio broadcast, the camera panned to a starry sky after Hurley said, "Or anytime. Just kidding, dude." This was a confirmed reference to The Twilight Zone by Damon Lindelof on the Season 1 DVD and J.J. Abrams in a New York Times interview. ("The Long Con")
- In almost every opening sequence of the various seasons of The Twilight Zone, there is a close-up shot of one single open eye, similar to the opening shots of many episodes of Lost.
- In the episode Follow the Leader, Jack Shephard, Eloise Hawking and Richard Alpert dive into a pool and swim through an underground tunnel that brings them into the tunnels where the bomb is stored, hoping to bring everyone to a different, happier time and place. In Twilight Zone's "The Bewitchin' Pool," two children in an unhappy family dive into a swimming pool and swim through a door at the bottom of the pool that brings them to a rural swimming hole in a different, happier time and place.
Voltron (Toy)
- A Voltron toy was given to young Liam on Christmas morning. ("Fire + Water")
The Wages of Fear (Movie)
- The name Montand refers to a character in The Wages of Fear, as confirmed by Carlton Cuse in the 5/19/06 podcast. The plot of the extraordinarily tense movie involves transport of dangerous explosives in a desperate situation with few safety precautions. It also features the idea of separating into two groups that keep their distance from one another, planning for the "worst-case-scenario" of one of them not making it; that the other will reach the destination with adequate explosives to accomplish the mission (much like Jack's idea). ("Exodus, Part 1")
War Games (Movie)
- In Enter 77 the computer asks John, "Would you like to play a game of chess?" In the 1983 film War Games, Matthew Broderick plays a teenage hacker who accidentally begins a nuclear countdown with a super-computer named Joshua, who asks him the same question.
Watchmen (Comic)
The Wizard of Oz
- The name Henry Gale is a reference to The Wizard of Oz. It was cited by Damon Lindelof at Comic Con '06 as being a confirmed reference. ("One of Them")
- The title of the Season 4 finale, "There's No Place Like Home", is an iconic quote from The Wizard of Oz. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")
- The the title of the Season 3 episode The Man Behind the Curtain is a reference to the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. When Toto pulls the curtain away to reveal the man creating the Voice of the Wizard, the Voice says: "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."
Other confirmed influences
The following works are not directly referenced in Lost, but are confirmed influences.
- Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, and J.J. Abrams (along with other members of the production team) have repeatedly come out to say they are huge fans of the Star Wars trilogy.
- The Season 1 DVD and Season 2 DVD special commentary discuss how Lindelof and Abrams met and "instantly struck it off" because Lindelof was seen wearing a Star Wars t-shirt.
- The 11/03/06 video podcast discusses a "Lost cross" (akin to a character connection) from the pasts of Lindelof and Cuse, which revolved around their mutual love of Star Wars and crossing paths with George Lucas.
- According to Lindelof, Darren Aronofsky was originally slated to direct "?" because "We thought it would be a cool shout-out to him since he made the movie π, which was just the symbol for pi." Source: TV Guide
- Both J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof have each confirmed in interviews, including one with T.V. Guide, that the 1960s television program The Prisoner was one of the influences for not only Lost, but Alias as well. Source: [3]. Lindelof even credited The Prisoner as "ultimately what the show aspires to be" during a 2006 question and answer session at Wizard World LA. Source: [4]
- Lindelof called the comic book Watchmen "the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced". Source: Entertainment Weekly
See also
- Outside references to Lost - the counterpart; references to Lost from outside sources
- List of nicknames - includes some fleeting pop culture references
- Literary works (some commentary on books that are also movies)
- Music - list of music used in Lost
- Stephen King
- Portal:Culture
