Get ready to laugh as we dive into the most hilarious background moments you might have missed in your favorite movies! From unexpected kicks to bizarre character interactions, these background gags will have you rewatching scenes with a keen eye.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most hilarious background
00:16gags in your favorite movies.
00:2030.
00:22A Well-Placed Kick – The Last Samurai
00:28Being an extra in a film can be exciting, but sometimes extras get more than they bargained
00:34for.
00:35The Last Samurai was a decent, but mostly forgettable film, unless you're this particular
00:40extra.
00:42If you look closely, you can see that as Tom Cruise dismounts his horse, the animal unexpectedly
00:48kicks out his back left leg, right into the soldier's groin.
00:54Director Edward Zwick could have chosen to use another take, but he must have thought
01:07the audience either wouldn't notice the kick, or would appreciate the moment of humor.
01:13We just hope that actor doesn't regret signing on for the role.
01:189.
01:19King Lear – The Producers This 2005 musical based on Mel Brooks' classic
01:36is packed with visual gags, some obvious, some more subtle.
01:41Sharp-eyed viewers might have noticed that the poster in Max and Leo's office has an
01:47unusual spelling for King Lear.
01:50That's because this version of the Shakespeare character apparently has a penchant for gawking
01:55at beautiful women.
02:09When Uma Thurman's character, Ola Inga Hansen Benson Jansson Talon Holland Svaden Svansen,
02:15enters the scene, the poster's big eyes follow her every move.
02:19It's a clever background joke that rewards the audience members who are really paying
02:24attention.
02:2528.
02:26Unusual Earrings – Planes, Trains, and Automobiles This beloved Thanksgiving comedy features
02:38Steve Martin and John Candy at the height of their powers.
02:50Candy plays Del Griffith, who has the unusual job of shower curtain ring salesman.
02:55After he and his reluctant companion Neil are robbed, Del gets creative with the sales
03:00pitch in order to make some quick cash.
03:08The fashionable plastic rings turn out to be quite a hit.
03:12Later, as Del and Neil have dinner at a fancy restaurant, a woman can be seen in the background
03:17wearing a pair of the rings as earrings.
03:2927.
03:32Minion Makeout – Despicable Me The Minions are by far the most popular characters
03:37in the Despicable Me franchise and have even appeared in their own feature films.
03:47There's also a disturbing amount of speculation on the internet around how they reproduce,
03:52since they're all male.
03:54Of course, that doesn't prevent them from feeling romantic attraction, both to humans
03:59and to each other.
04:00The little yellow jelly beans are introduced in an early scene in the first movie when
04:05Gru announces his newest evil plan.
04:20When the camera cuts to a shot of the Minions cheering, you can see one of them plan a big
04:25kiss on the Minion standing next to him.
04:27The recipient looks as surprised as we are.
04:3226.
04:33Someone Help Ronald – The Cabin in the Woods Drew Goddard's love letter to the horror
04:38genre is full of tiny details and easter eggs for the fans.
04:42This particular background gag features Ronald the intern, and you'll need to use the pause
04:47button to appreciate it.
04:55After all hell breaks loose at the facility, we get a glimpse of the carnage on the control
05:00room's monitors.
05:02Ronald, amazingly, is still alive, but maybe not for long.
05:06In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, you can see him holding up a sign that reads,
05:10Help me.
05:11A dragon bat has my sense.
05:13I'm the intern.
05:15He probably got eaten shortly after that, but we like to imagine that he made it out.
05:20He seems to be lucky.
05:22After all, he did win the betting pool.
05:3125.
05:34Quick Getaway – Scott Pilgrim vs. The World This comic book and video game-inspired flick
05:41was a box-office flop despite receiving great reviews.
05:44Fortunately, it's since developed a cult following.
05:52The film makes liberal use of stylized visuals, and that extends to the background jokes,
05:58too.
05:59In this scene, Scott's ex-girlfriend, Knives, shows up at his house.
06:05Hoping to avoid her, Scott makes a break for it, right through a window.
06:09Seconds later, as his roommate, Wallace, covers for him, we see him scurry away right
06:14over Knives' shoulder.
06:15The comedic timing in the scene is flawless.
06:1824.
06:19A Familiar Hit List – Billy Madison This extremely goofy Adam Sandler comedy
06:25isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it does feature at least one clever joke.
06:38Steve Buscemi plays Danny McGrath, a former classmate who was a victim of Billy's bullying
06:43years earlier.
06:45When Billy decides to turn his life around, he calls Danny to apologize for the way he
06:49treated him.
07:06Danny is clearly affected by the phone call, and after he hangs up, he turns around to
07:11cross Billy's name off a list labeled, People to Kill.
07:15If you were curious enough to Google the other names on the list, you'd discover that they
07:19all belonged to people who worked on the film.
07:22They include the producers, production designer, art director, some assistants, and, weirdly,
07:28the key grip.
07:3023.
07:31Q's Lab – GoldenEye The James Bond franchise isn't really known
07:36for its humor, but most of the films feature at least a few solid jokes.
07:48In Pierce Brosnan's first turn as 007, we're treated to a series of hilarious background
07:53gags inside Q's lab.
07:55As Q demonstrates the newest gadgets to the spy, we see a man get trapped inside a phone
08:00booth by a giant airbag, then later get wheeled away on a hand truck.
08:11A moment after that, a woman gets blasted across the room by her chair.
08:16Judging by Bond and Q's nonchalant reactions, all this craziness is just a regular day's
08:23work.
08:2422.
08:25Groot Takes Care of Business – Guardians of the Galaxy
08:36Speaking of perfect comedic timing, Groot is all over it in this scene.
08:41The gang is planning their prison break, and Rocket insists he needs a particular hard-to-obtain
08:47battery located 20 feet up the central tower.
08:55As he, Peter, and Gamora discuss their plan, Groot is in the background trying to be helpful.
09:00He simply grows a few feet and rips out the battery while no one pays him any attention.
09:18In the ensuing chaos, the group miraculously manages to make their getaway.
09:22You can always count on Groot to add some levity to a scene.
09:3021.
09:33The Time Machine – Gremlins You have to be well-versed in your classic
09:38sci-fi to get this background joke.
09:40When Mr. Peltzer calls home from his inventor's convention, something unusual is happening
09:45behind him.
09:52A man in a hat is sitting in a strange machine with a large spinning wheel on the back.
09:58The scene cuts away to the Mogwai's cocoons, and when it cuts back, the man and the machine
10:03have mysteriously vanished.
10:10The joke is that it was a time machine, a perfect recreation of the prop from Rod Taylor's
10:151960 film.
10:24Truly observant viewers might also have noticed that the man driving by in the electric wheelchair
10:29is executive producer Steven Spielberg.
10:3320.
10:34Multitasking for the Win – Airplane Hardly a minute goes by in this disaster film
10:40parody without a pun or visual gag.
10:43Many of these take place in the background, while you're supposed to be paying attention
10:48to the main action.
10:54Although it's definitely hard to choose a favorite, we love the subtle humor of this
10:58multitasking masterpiece.
11:01In the air traffic control booth, workers are yelling out important information about
11:05the struggling plane.
11:07The instruments they're using bear a striking resemblance to laundromat washing machines.
11:20This is confirmed when a worker at the end of the line casually starts taking care of
11:24his essentials.
11:25It's simply a masterclass in unexpected comedy.
11:3019.
11:32Bigfoot Boogie – A Goofy Movie There's something so endearing about
11:37Goofy's relationship with his teenage son, Max.
11:40So this movie holds a special place in the hearts of Disney fans.
11:44The duo's road trip is full of mishaps and misunderstandings, as Goofy tries to bond
11:50with Max.
11:55One of these includes learning the perfect fishing cast, which ends up attracting Bigfoot.
12:01When the shy forest dweller slams into Goofy's car, he ends up with a pair of headphones.
12:14While dad and son are stuck in the car having a tense moment, Bigfoot can be seen getting
12:19his disco dreams going in the background.
12:21Who knew he was such a big fan of the Bee Gees?
12:2518.
12:26Fall Reversal – Top Secret This hilarious spoof on spy films was directed
12:32by the same trio that created Airplane.
12:37Unsurprisingly, it's chocked full of their signature non-stop visual jokes.
12:49One of the craziest happens while Val Kilmer and his love interest are kissing in the park.
12:54Behind them is a very large statue of a pigeon.
12:58It's definitely an unusual civic decoration, but it gets even more bizarre when a group
13:03of people fly toward it.
13:05Then the flapping figures appear to take their revenge on the giant bird.
13:08For the indignities, pigeons have dropped on human statues throughout history.
13:1717.
13:22Secret Dishwashing Method – National Lampoon's Vacation
13:26Chevy Chase's doting father, Clark Griswold, can't wait to take his family on the road
13:31trip of a lifetime.
13:37Early in the film, while discussing their plans, Clark helps his wife, Ellen, with the
13:42dishes.
13:43As she hands him the scraped plates, he doesn't put them in the dishwasher.
13:47Instead, the distracted dad wipes them with a cloth and puts them directly into the cupboard.
14:01It's a classic Chase moment that's easy to miss on your first watch.
14:06It's this killer comic timing combined with the broader slapstick humor that makes this
14:10film a classic.
14:1216.
14:14Self-Care Is Important – National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
14:19This send-up of the Lethal Weapon franchise doesn't hold back on the silliness.
14:23It also fully enjoys making not-so-subtle references to those iconic cop characters.
14:37As Samuel L. Jackson walks into the police precinct, he fully embodies the trope of the
14:42tough cop.
14:43This could be why what's happening in the background is so hilarious.
14:47For just a moment, you can see a line of officers relaxing underneath full-size salon dryers.
14:53Considering the coping mechanisms of Emilio Estevez's character, this kind of self-care
14:58is essential.
15:0115.
15:04Is That A Goat?
15:12– Year One Although this film wasn't a hit for Jack
15:15Black or Michael Cera, it did have a few hilarious moments.
15:26One of these will fly by you if you're not paying close attention.
15:30It takes place while the drifting duo is chatting with Kane about the recent death
15:34of his brother, Abel.
15:36Just behind them, there's a random guy getting very personal with a goat.
15:46This biblical send-up doesn't shy away from broad humor and gross-out moments.
15:51Even so, this particular incident would definitely be considered not safe for work or farm animals.
15:5914. Doggy Dunking – Mr. Nanny
16:04Can any moment in this film be more bizarre than the main premise?
16:15Having pro wrestler Hulk Hogan act as a nanny for two troublemaking kids is strange enough
16:19as it is.
16:21However, considering some of the violent pranks the kids pull on their caretaker, the surprising
16:25pet incident isn't really out of character for the film.
16:29While Hogan is peacefully riding his motorcycle, there's a background shot of a man tossing
16:33his dog into the ocean.
16:35It's unclear whether this was in the script or just a random citizen caught on film.
16:40However, the editors clearly chose to leave it in for attentive audience members.
16:4613. Touchdown – Naked Gun 33 1 3rd
16:54The Final Insult
16:56In the final installment of these crime comedies, Lt. Frank Drebin tries to stop a series of
17:02bad guys while protecting mothers, the President, and the Pope.
17:13It's an obvious parody of the stairway shootout in The Untouchables, but taken into the realm
17:18of the ridiculous.
17:20While Drebin shoots an unending supply of bullets in the foreground, OJ Simpson's
17:24character is handling things in the background.
17:27And what exactly is he handling?
17:29Flying babies of course.
17:31After they're flung from their strollers, Simpson's character catches them with the
17:35confidence of a football pro.
17:37After one infant's save, he does a victory dance as if he just scored a touchdown.
17:41Luckily he stopped before he can do the traditional victory spike.
17:4912. Mantis Misbehavior – Avengers Infinity War
17:57Mantis is the star of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
18:00Well, at least when it comes to background hijinks.
18:04The combination of her all-in attitude and innocent naivete allows for moments of levity
18:09in otherwise serious situations.
18:12We love her reaction to Star-Lord encouraging his crew to put on their angry faces.
18:17Her best attempt can be seen just behind his shoulder.
18:23However, our favorite Mantis moment is before the fight with Thanos on Titan.
18:31While Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Star-Lord are discussing the planet's odd gravity,
18:36Mantis is taking full advantage of the situation.
18:38In the serious trio, she's bouncing up and down like a child on a trampoline.
18:43This is one alien that knows how to live in the moment.
18:5011. Monk Screening – Hot Shots Part 2
18:56It seems like there's a parody film from the 80s or 90s for every movie genre.
19:01This Charlie Sheen vehicle has a tremendous amount of fun with the tropes found in action
19:05classics like Rambo 3 and Apocalypse Now.
19:09Early in the film, Colonel Denton Walters and CIA agent Michelle Huddleston track down
19:14war hero Topper Harley in a Buddhist village.
19:23While Walters offers sage advice to the reluctant Harley, Huddleston appears to be seeing what
19:28talents the local monks have to offer.
19:31One at a time, they're showing off their tricks and talents.
19:35We're not sure what role she's hoping to fill, but she definitely has a lot of options.
19:4610. The Sneaky Selfie – Avengers Age of Ultron
19:51Taking this spot is everyone's favorite billionaire playboy and philanthropist Tony Stark.
20:00During the Avengers' pursuit of the evil robot Ultron, he heads up to the Nexus internet
20:05hub in Oslo, Norway, where we catch two young computer scientists trying to sneak in a selfie
20:10with the billionaire whilst his back is turned.
20:13If you're paying attention to the foreground, you likely didn't see this the first time
20:17around.
20:21But it's not a surprising action on the employees' parts, considering the level of celebrity
20:26that the Avengers have in the MCU.
20:28However, you should always ask before snapping a selfie with someone.
20:32It's just polite and stops you from looking like a creep… even if that someone is Iron
20:37Man.
20:389. Eavesdropping and a Not-So-Subtle Getaway – Local Hero
20:50In this Bill Forsyth 1983 comedy, we see Peter Reigert play Mack, who is an up-and-coming
20:56oil executive.
20:57Mack is tasked with traveling to a small Scottish village named Fairness to buy the
21:01village people's land for his company.
21:04Despite his initial reluctance, the young exec discovers a new lease on life through
21:08the village people's simpler, small-town ways.
21:11In a pivotal scene in the film, we see Reigert alongside a young Peter Capaldi as they discuss
21:16the sale of the village with a local reverend… only to have the entire village's population
21:22eavesdrop on the conversation.
21:23Hilarity ensues when the town tries to make an incognito getaway… though this doesn't
21:32go smoothly, despite their best efforts.
21:368. Pig Explosion – The Lego Movie
21:49In Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's The Lego Movie, the film's heroes must stop
21:54the tyrannical Lord Business and his lieutenant Bad Cop from gluing their worlds according
21:59to his plans.
22:00The directing duo's work is filled with a high level of attention to detail and visual
22:05comedy as well as smart background gags, and this film is no exception.
22:18At one point, Emmet finds himself, along with Wildstyle, Vitruvius, and a cute Lego
22:23pig being chased by Bad Cop and his forces.
22:26Unfortunately, when they crash into a speeding train, the pig falls to a grisly death…
22:31and turns into a pile of sausages in the process.
22:34It's a dark joke to be sure, but one that happens very fast.
22:38This is still a kid's movie, after all.
22:437. The Drunk Nun – Dogma
22:52In one of the darkest entries on this list, we see Matt Damon's character, Loki, speaking
22:57to a nun while at the airport.
22:59With Loki being a real-life angel, they surely have much to discuss.
23:03However, the scene takes an unexpected turn when Loki convinces the nun to abandon her
23:08faith in organized religion and or God.
23:11It's not too long after that we see the nun again, but this time she's stumbling
23:15drunk out of a bar.
23:16It seems that she's taken Loki's advice and turned to drinking to either seize life's
23:21moments, deal with the existential crisis she is going through, or both.
23:26While we don't see a resolution to this story, it's clear that this character won't
23:30ever be the same again.
23:356. Han's Name – Fast Five
23:49In the fifth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, we see an almost superhero-style
23:54team-up featuring many of the previous movie's casts.
23:57The fan-favorite character in this lineup is arguably Han, played by Sung Kang.
24:02Han first appears in Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift, but two movies later we see Diplomatic
24:07Security Service agent Luke Hobbs trying to get info on Dominic and Brian's crew.
24:12Han's full name is listed on-screen as Han Solo, which is clearly a nod to Harrison
24:17Ford's Star Wars character.
24:19Though it's implied that this isn't his real name, but merely an alias, with Han
24:27Lue being generally accepted, this link between the Hans likely hasn't been lost on fans
24:33who've surely found it both confusing and amusing.
24:395. The Writings on the Wall – Hot Fuzz
24:45English filmmaker Edgar Wright's Three Flavors
24:59Cornetto trilogy is filled with hundreds of smart visual comedy moments.
25:04One of the best of these comes in the second installment of the series, 2007's Hot Fuzz.
25:10When entering his new sleepy countryside police station, newly-promoted Sergeant Nicholas
25:14Angel is introduced to his new colleagues, including Sergeant Tony Fisher.
25:19Behind him we see a whiteboard where several not-so-flattering words are shown.
25:23The way he and the words are positioned makes them look like they're actually describing
25:27the policeman himself, the truth of which we'll discover later on.
25:35This is truly a well-hidden moment, lasting just a few frames, but it stands as a testament
25:40to just how well-made and rewatchable Wright's films are.
25:474. Bagel Time – Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse
25:56In 2018's groundbreaking Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, Peter Parker and Miles Morales
26:01find themselves attempting to steal data from Doc Ock's office.
26:05While trying to make their escape, Miles throws a bagel at one of the pursuers.
26:13As the bread product flies through the air, it strikes a scientist trying to pursue them.
26:18In a nod to early comic books, we see the word bagel appear above his head, creating
26:22a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment of comedy gold.
26:25This computer-animated flick is filled with these little touches, and is partly the reason
26:30it was such a commercial and critical success.
26:343. The Tale of the Ginger Witch – The Harry Potter Franchise
26:46In the Harry Potter film series, the filmmakers have left many Easter eggs and small details
26:51that give us more insight into the rich and vibrant wizarding world, though this one will
26:56perhaps be new to even the most die-hard Potterhead.
26:59Throughout the movies, we frequently see newspaper montages used for exposition, hidden within
27:04them is the tale of the Ginger Witch.
27:10She's a hardened criminal with wig theft, a henna explosion, and even a stint in Azkaban
27:16prison on her rap sheet.
27:17With her list of crimes beginning to rival Lord Voldemort, let's hope she's brought
27:21to justice one day.
27:252. Escupimos en su Alimento – Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgundy
27:33In this classic Will Ferrell comedy, we see Ron Burgundy, aka the titular Anchorman, feeling
27:38threatened by an up-and-coming female anchor, Veronica Corningstone.
27:51This intelligent battle-of-the-sexes style comedy is filled with many great background
27:56jokes.
27:57One of the best ones comes moments before Veronica and her friends are about to share
28:00a meal.
28:06In order to transition to the scene, we're shown a sign written in Spanish for the restaurant
28:11in question, which reads,
28:13Escupimos en su Alimento.
28:15This roughly translated to,
28:17We spit on your food, in English.
28:19It's a great gag for anyone with some basic Spanish, though most, like the characters
28:23in the movie, will likely remain oblivious to the joke.
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28:451. Roadside Interrogation – Men in Black
28:59This moment can be described as one of complete comedic genius.
29:03While Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K questions a friendly alien, we see Will Smith's Agent
29:08J simultaneously helping and fighting off a tentacled monster alien… who's about
29:13to give birth.
29:14In the background.
29:15It's K's total lack of care juxtaposed with J's complete terror that makes this
29:19scene so humorous.
29:24In fact, it's this straight-man-slash-funny-man routine, teamed up with the natural chemistry
29:29between the two actors, that has helped make Men in Black such a successful comedy overall.
29:34Plus, this particular scene ends with a cute alien baby, meaning everyone can go away happy.
29:40Well, everyone except J, perhaps.
29:48Which background gag had you cracking up?
29:51Let us know in the comments!