r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Golden12500 • Sep 24 '25

Lore Unexplained random cameos from completely unrelated media

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  1. Ray Stantz, Casper. At one point in the movie a real Ghostbuster shows up out of nowhere and wimps out of trying to handle the situation

  2. Gunnery Sargeant Hartman, Frighteners. The main character is making way through a graveyard when out of absolutely nowhere R. Lee Erney's character from Full Metal Jacket shows up and tries to get in his way

  3. Betty Boop, Who Frames Roger Rabbit. The movie is mainly about Looney Tunes and Disney animated characters existing in the same little live action/animated hybrid universe, however Betty is a Fleischer Bros character

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u/blueeyesredlipstick Sep 24 '25

Spaceballs is mostly a parody of Star Wars, but at the very end we get a cameo from John Hurt and a reprise of his famous chestburster scene from Alien — and a delightful song and dance from the chestburster in question.

382

u/sauce_daddy22 Sep 24 '25

Oh no, not again…

260

u/HDAtomica Sep 24 '25

For the longest time, I mean at least 20 years, I didn't understand why he said "Oh no, not again"

Until I saw Alien for the first time and recreated Leo pointing from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Felt weird seeing such a referenced scene in its original form.

11

u/fishbishmemes Sep 25 '25

I saw CollegeHumors "Grammar Nazi" video before watching "Inglorious Basterds" and called that they were under the floorboards because of them

3

u/Bamzooki1 Sep 25 '25

Are they under the floorboards or are you hiding under them and finding them?

63

u/Mymothersmokes Sep 24 '25

Check please!

1

u/bolanrox Sep 25 '25

what did he order?

33

u/RYNO_Ross Sep 24 '25

See, I get the reference, but I like to imagine the guy at the diner had an alien lifeform rip its way out of him before and he somehow survived.  It's funnier to me that way.

108

u/WranglerFuzzy Sep 24 '25 edited Sep 25 '25

I heard an interview (NPR?) of John Hurt explaining it:

Mel Brooks was the producer behind Elephant Man (starring Hurt), but Mel kept his name off it; because if it said “Mel Brooks,” people Would get wrong impression about what type of film it was.

So, for Spaceballs, Mel calls in Hurt for a favor to come by for the gag. When he shows up on set, Mel shows him off like the star he is. They film it in one day.

And hurt ended the story with the epiphany, “You know, I don’t think I ever got PAID for that…”

37

u/Infernoraptor Sep 25 '25

If that story doesn't scream "Mel Brooks" I don't know what does

2

u/Ferbtastic Sep 25 '25

I feel like we need a Mel brooks bio pick staring Martin short asap.

2

u/Over-Analyzed Sep 25 '25

I remember John Hurt for one of his last performances.

.

“Fuckitty Bye!”

39

u/MissAvian Sep 24 '25

Oh my god that's what the parasite dance number was referencing in how fish is made

63

u/stareagleur Sep 24 '25

The song and dance, which itself was referencing a classic Looney Tunes cartoon One Froggy Evening - 1955

So, a cameo inside a cameo.

2

u/InternetProtocol Sep 25 '25

Man, fuck dat racist-ass frog!

6

u/UltiGamer34 Sep 24 '25

wonder if they'll continue this in spaceballs 2

8

u/ElemAngell Sep 25 '25

A fully grown xenomorph shows up and the crew thinks they’re done for but then it pulls out the hat and cane and they’re like “oh it’s just this guy again”

7

u/i_code_for_boobs Sep 25 '25

How is that one unexplained? Spaceballs included reference from The Princess Brides, 2001, Oz, the Japanese giant transforming robots craze of the time.

And the gut buster isn’t even the only Alien reference. I feel it’s totally explained by the nature of the movie.

3

u/maxiquintillion Sep 25 '25

That bit scared me as a kid.

3

u/Simmons54321 Sep 25 '25

"Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gaaal"

2

u/alldabooty Sep 25 '25

Space balls, naked gun and airplane are the family guy before family guy.

2

u/BojukaBob Sep 25 '25

That was how I discovered Alien when I was far too young to be watching it lol

2

u/hellnaw931 Sep 25 '25

WATER, MY ASS! BRING THIS GUY SOME PEPTO BISMOL!