Top 30 Funniest Things to Ever Happen in the Background of Movie Scenes

“The Last Samurai” (2003)
Being an extra in a film can be exciting, but sometimes extras get more than they bargained for. “The Last Samurai” was a decent but mostly forgettable film – unless you’re this particular extra. If you look closely, you can see that as Tom Cruise dismounts his horse, the animal unexpectedly kicks out his back left leg – right into the soldier’s groin. Director Edward Zwick could have chosen to use another take, but he must have thought the audience either wouldn’t notice the kick or would appreciate the moment of humor. We just hope that actor doesn’t regret signing on for the role.

“The Producers” (2005)
This 2005 musical based on Mel Brooks’ classic is packed with visual gags, some obvious, some more subtle. Sharp-eyed viewers might have noticed that the poster in Max and Leo’s office has an unusual spelling for King Lear. That’s because this version of the Shakespeare character apparently has a penchant for gawking at beautiful women. When Uma Thurman’s character, Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swanson, enters the scene, the poster’s big eyes follow her every move. It’s a clever background joke that rewards the audience members who are really paying attention.

“Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987)
This beloved Thanksgiving comedy features Steve Martin and John Candy at the height of their powers. Candy plays Del Griffith, who has the unusual job of shower curtain ring salesman. After he and his reluctant companion Neal are robbed, Del gets creative with his sales pitch in order to make some quick cash. The fashionable plastic rings turn out to be quite a hit. Later, as Del and Neal have dinner at a fancy restaurant, a woman can be seen in the background wearing what looks like a pair of the rings as earrings. They actually don’t look half bad.

“Despicable Me” (2010)
The Minions are by far the most popular characters in the “Despicable Me” franchise and have even appeared in their own feature films. There’s also a disturbing amount of speculation on the internet around how they reproduce, since they’re all male. Of course, that doesn’t prevent them from feeling romantic attraction, both to humans and to each other. The little yellow jelly beans are introduced in an early scene in the first movie when Gru announces his newest evil plan. When the camera cuts to a shot of the Minions cheering, you can see one of them plant a big kiss on the Minion standing next to him. The recipient looks as surprised as we are.

“The Cabin in the Woods” (2012)
Drew Goddard’s love letter to the horror genre is full of tiny details and Easter eggs for the fans. This particular background gag features Ronald the intern, and you’ll need to use the pause button to appreciate it. After all hell breaks loose at the facility, we get a glimpse of the carnage on the control room’s monitors. Ronald, amazingly, is still alive, but maybe not for long. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, you can see him holding up a sign that reads, "Help me! A dragonbat has my scent. I'm the intern." He probably got eaten shortly after that, but we like to imagine that he made it out. He seems to be lucky – after all, he did win the betting pool.

“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010)
This comic book- and video game-inspired flick was a box office flop despite receiving great reviews. Fortunately, it’s since developed a cult following. The film makes liberal use of stylized visuals, and that extends to the background jokes too. In this scene, Scott’s ex-girlfriend Knives shows up at his house. Hoping to avoid her, Scott makes a break for it – right through a window. Seconds later, as his roommate Wallace covers for him, we see him scurry away right over Knives’ shoulder. The comedic timing in the scene is flawless.

“Billy Madison” (1995)
This extremely goofy Adam Sandler comedy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it does feature at least one clever joke. Steve Buscemi plays Danny McGrath, a former classmate who was a victim of Billy’s bullying years earlier. When Billy decides to turn his life around, he calls Danny to apologize for the way he treated him. Danny is clearly affected by the phone call, and after he hangs up, he turns around to cross Billy’s name off a list labeled “People To Kill.” If you were curious enough to google the other names on the list, you’d discover that they all belong to people who worked on the film. They include the producers, production designer, art director, some assistants, and, weirdly, the key grip.

“GoldenEye” (1995)
The James Bond franchise isn’t really known for its humor, but most of the films feature at least a few solid jokes. In Pierce Brosnan’s first turn as 007, we’re treated to a series of hilarious background gags inside Q’s lab. As Q demonstrates the newest gadgets to the spy, we see a man get trapped inside a phone booth by a giant airbag, then later get wheeled away on a hand truck. A moment after that, a woman gets blasted across the room by her chair. Judging by Bond and Q’s nonchalant reactions, all of this craziness is just a regular day’s work.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
Speaking of perfect comedic timing, Groot is all over it in this scene. The gang is planning their prison break, and Rocket insists he needs a particular hard-to-obtain battery located twenty feet up the central tower. As he, Peter, and Gamora discuss their plan, Groot is in the background trying to be helpful. He simply grows a few feet and rips out the battery while no one pays him any attention. In the ensuing chaos, the group miraculously manages to make their getaway. You can always count on Groot to add some levity to a scene.

“Gremlins” (1984)
You have to be well-versed in your classic sci-fi to get this background joke. When Mr. Peltzer calls home from his inventors’ convention, something unusual is happening behind him. A man in a hat is sitting in a strange machine with a large spinning wheel on the back. The scene cuts away to the mogwai’s cocoons, and when it cuts back, the man and the machine have mysteriously vanished. The joke is that it was a time machine, a perfect recreation of the prop from Rod Taylor’s 1960 film. Truly observant viewers might also have noticed that the man driving by in the electric wheelchair is executive producer Steven Spielberg.

“Airplane!” (1980)
Hardly a minute goes by in this disaster film parody without a pun or visual gag. Many of these take place in the background, while you’re supposed to be paying attention to the main action. Although it’s definitely hard to choose a favorite, we love the subtle humor of this multi-tasking masterpiece. In the air traffic control booth, workers are yelling out important information about the struggling plane. The instruments they’re using bear a striking resemblance to laundromat washing machines. This is confirmed when a worker at the end of the line casually starts taking care of his essentials. It’s simply a master class in unexpected comedy.

“A Goofy Movie” (1995)
There’s something so endearing about Goofy’s relationship with his teenage son, Max. So this movie holds a special place in the hearts of Disney fans. The duo's road trip is full of mishaps and misunderstandings, as Goofy tries to bond with Max. One of these includes learning the perfect fishing cast, which ends up attracting Bigfoot. When the shy forest dweller slams into Goofy’s car he ends up with a pair of headphones. While Dad and son are stuck in the car having a tense moment, Bigfoot can be seen getting his disco dreams going in the background. Who knew he was such a big fan of the Bee Gees?

“Top Secret!” (1984)
This hilarious spoof on spy films was directed by the same trio that created “Airplane!” Unsurprisingly it’s chock full of their signature non-stop visual jokes. One of the craziest happens while Val Kilmer and his love interest are kissing in a park. Behind them is a very large statue of a pigeon. It’s definitely an unusual civic decoration, but it gets even more bizarre when a group of people fly toward it. Then, the flapping figures appear to take their revenge on the giant bird, for the indignities pigeons have dropped on human statues throughout history.

“National Lampoon's Vacation” (1983)
Chevy Chase’s doting father Clark Griswold can’t wait to take his family on the road trip of a lifetime. Early in the film, while discussing their plans, Clark helps his wife Beverly with the dishes. As she hands him the scraped plates, he doesn’t put them in the dishwasher. Instead, the distracted dad wipes them with a cloth and puts them directly into the cupboard. It’s a classic Chase moment that’s easy to miss on your first watch. It’s this killer comic timing combined with the broader slapstick humor that makes this film a classic.

“National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1” (1993)
This send-up of the “Lethal Weapon” franchise doesn’t hold back on the silliness. It also fully enjoys making not-so-subtle references to those iconic cop characters. As Samuel L. Jackson walks into the police precinct, he fully embodies the trope of the tough cop. This could be why what’s happening in the background is so hilarious. For just a moment, you can see a line of officers relaxing underneath full-sized salon dryers. One even has a moment to get a manicure before heading back into the fray. Considering the coping mechanisms of Emilio Estevez’s character, this kind of self-care is essential.

“Year One” (2009)
Although this film wasn’t a hit for Jack Black or Michael Cera, it did have a few hilarious moments. One of these will fly by you if you’re not paying close attention. It takes place while the drifting duo is chatting with Cain about the recent death of his brother, Abel. Just behind them, there’s a random guy getting very personal with a goat. This biblical send-up doesn’t shy away from broad humor and gross-out moments. Even so, this particular incident would definitely be considered Not Safe For Work… or farm animals.

“Mr. Nanny” (1993)
Can any moment in this film be more bizarre than the main premise? Having pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan act as a nanny for two troublemaking kids is strange enough as it is. However, considering some of the violent pranks the kids pull on their caretaker, the surprising pet incident isn’t really out of character for the film. While Hogan is peacefully riding his motorcycle, there’s a background shot of a man tossing his dog into the ocean. It’s unclear whether this was in the script or just a random citizen caught on film. However, the editors clearly chose to leave it in for attentive audience members.

“Naked Gun 33 ⅓: The Final Insult” (1994)
In the final installment of these crime comedies, Lieutenant Frank Drebin tries to stop a series of bad guys while protecting mothers, the President, and the Pope. It’s an obvious parody of the stairway shootout in “The Untouchables” but taken into the realm of the ridiculous. While Drebin shoots an unending supply of bullets in the foreground, O.J. Simpson’s character is handling things in the background. And what exactly is he handling? Flying babies of course. After they’re flung from their strollers, Simpson’s character catches them with the confidence of a football pro. After one infant save, he does a victory dance as if he’s just scored a touchdown. Luckily, he’s stopped before he can do the traditional victory spike.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
Mantis is the star of the “Guardians of the Galaxy”; well, at least when it comes to background hijinks. The combination of her all-in attitude and innocent naivete allows for moments of levity in otherwise serious situations. We love her reaction to Star-Lord encouraging his crew to put on their angry faces. Her best attempt can be seen just behind his shoulder. However, our favorite Mantis moment is before the fight with Thanos on Titan. While Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Star-Lord are discussing the planet’s odd gravity, Mantis is taking full advantage of the situation. Behind the serious trio, she’s bouncing up and down like a child on a trampoline. This is one alien that knows how to live in the moment.

“Hot Shots! Part Deux” (1993)
It seems like there’s a parody film from the ’80s or ’90s for every movie genre. This Charlie Sheen vehicle has a tremendous amount of fun with the tropes found in action classics like “Rambo III” and “Apocalypse Now.” Early in the film, Colonel Denton Walters and CIA agent Michelle Huddleston track down war hero Topper Harley in a Buddhist village. While Walters offers sage advice to the reluctant Harley, Huddleston appears to be seeing what talents the local monks have to offer. One at a time, they are showing off their tricks and talents. We’re not sure what role she’s hoping to fill, but she definitely has a lot of options.

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)
Taking this spot is everyone’s favorite billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist, Tony Stark. During the Avenger’s pursuit of evil robot Ultron, he heads to the Nexus internet hub in Oslo, Norway where we catch two young computer scientists trying to sneak in a selfie with the billionaire while his back is turned. If you’re paying attention to the foreground, you likely didn’t see this the first time around. But it’s not a surprising action on the employees’ parts, considering the level of celebrity that the Avengers have in the MCU!

“Local Hero” (1983)
Mac is tasked with travelling to a small Scottish village named Ferness to buy the village people’s land for his company. Despite his initial reluctance, the young exec discovers a new lease on life through the village people’s simpler small town ways. In a pivotal scene in the film, we see Riegert alongside a young Peter Capaldi as they discuss the sale of the village with a local Reverend, only to have the entire village’s population eavesdrop on the conversation. Hilarity ensues when the town tries to make an incognito getaway, though this doesn’t go smoothly – despite their best efforts.

“The Lego Movie” (2014)
In Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “The Lego Movie,” the film’s heroes must stop the tyrannical Lord Business and his lieutenant, Bad Cop, from gluing their world according to his plans. The directing duo’s work is filled with a high level of attention to detail and visual comedy as well as smart background gags – and this film is no exception. At one point, Emmet finds himself, along with Wyldstyle, Vitruvius, and a cute Lego pig, being chased by Bad Cop and his forces. Unfortunately, when they crash into a speeding train, the pig falls to a grizzly death, and turns into a pile of sausages in the process. It’s a dark joke to be sure, but one that happens very fast; this is still a kids’ movie after all.

“Dogma” (1999)
In one of the darkest entries on this list, we see Matt Damon’s character Loki speaking to a nun while at the airport. With Loki being a real life angel, they surely have much to discuss. However, the scene takes an unexpected turn when Loki convinces the Nun to abandon her faith in organized religion and/or God. It’s not too long after that we see the Nun again, but this time she’s stumbling drunk out of a bar. It seems that she’s taken Loki’s advice and turned to drinking to either seize life’s moments, deal with the existential crisis she is going through, or both.

“Fast Five” (2011)
The fan favorite character in this lineup is arguably Han, played by Sung Kang. Han first appears in “Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift,” but two movies later, we see Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs trying to get info on Dominic and Brian’s crew. Han’s full name is listed on-screen as “Han Seoul-Oh,” which is clearly a nod to Harrison Ford’s “Star Wars” character. Though it’s implied that this isn’t his real name but merely an alias – with Han Lue being generally accepted – this link between the Hans likely hasn’t been lost on fans, who’ve surely found it both confusing and amusing.

“Hot Fuzz” (2007)
English filmmaker Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy is filled with hundreds of smart visual comedy moments. One of the best of these comes in the second installment of the series, 2007’s “Hot Fuzz.” When entering his new sleepy countryside police station, newly promoted Sergeant Nicholas Angel is introduced to his new colleagues, including Sergeant Tony Fisher. Behind him, we see a whiteboard where several not-so-flattering words are shown. The way he and the words are positioned makes them look like they’re actually describing the policeman himself – the truth of which we’ll discover later on.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)
In 2018’s ground-breaking “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,'' Peter Parker and Miles Morales find themselves attempting to steal data from Doc Oc’s office. While trying to make their escape, Miles throws a bagel at one of the pursuers. As the bread product flies through the air, it strikes a scientist trying to pursue them. In a nod to early comic books, we see the word “bagel!” appear above his head, creating a blink and you'll miss it moment of comedy gold. This computer-animated flick is filled with these little touches and is partly the reason it was such a commercial and critical success.

“Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)
In the Harry Potter film series, the filmmakers have left many Easter eggs and small details that give us more insight into the rich and vibrant wizarding world – though this one will perhaps be new to even the most die-hard Potterhead. Throughout the movies, we frequently see newspaper montages used for exposition. Hidden within them is the tale of the Ginger Witch. She’s a hardened criminal with wig theft, a henna explosion, and even a stint in Azkaban prison on her wrap sheet.

“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (2004)
In this classic Will Ferrell comedy, we see Ron Burgundy – aka the titular Anchorman – feeling threatened by an up and coming female anchor, Veronica Corningstone. This intelligent battle of the sexes style comedy is filled with many great background jokes. One of the best ones comes moments before Veronica and her friends are about to share a meal. In order to transition to the scene, we’re shown a sign written in Spanish for the restaurant in question, which reads, “Escupimos en su Alimento.” This roughly translates to "We spit on your food" in English.

“Men in Black” (1997)
This moment can be described as one of complete comedic genius. While Tommy Lee Jones's Agent K questions a friendly alien, we see Will Smith’s Agent J simultaneously helping and fighting off a tentacled monster alien – who’s about to give birth – in the background. It’s K’s total lack of care juxtaposed with J’s complete terror that makes this scene so humorous. In fact, it’s this straight man / funny man routine, teamed with the natural chemistry between the two actors, that has helped make “Men in Black” such a successful comedy overall.


Which background gag had you cracking up? Let us know in the comments.