10 Imaginary Movies Featured in Real Films That Should Exist

While it’s not uncommon for movies to include glimpses of fictional films as part of their storyline, only a few of these fabricated creations are compelling enough to leave audiences yearning for a full-length feature. Some films merely reference or display posters of these imaginary movies: for instance, Marty McFly encounters a holographic shark advertising Jaws 19 in Back to the Future Part II (1989), and a poster for Rocky XXXVIII (that’s 38 for those unfamiliar with Roman numerals) appears in Airplane II: The Sequel (1982).

This list, however, highlights films that showcase actual clips of their in-world movies. These fictional creations sometimes play a pivotal role in the plot, while other times, they’re added purely for comedic effect. Regardless, it’s a pity that these 10 films can’t be enjoyed in their entirety.

10. The Night the Reindeer Died from Scrooged (1988)

In Richard Donner’s Scrooged, Bill Murray portrays Frank Cross, a stingy IBC Television executive. The film begins with a preview of IBC’s holiday programming, featuring Robert Goulet’s Old Fashioned Cajun Christmas and a Father Loves Beaver Christmas special.

However, the standout is undoubtedly the Christmas action movie, The Night the Reindeer Died. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves are in the midst of holiday preparations when Santa’s workshop is unexpectedly attacked by “psychos.” Fortunately, Lee Majors, playing himself as the Six Million Dollar Man, arrives to rescue Santa, who remarks, “You’ve been a real good boy this year!”

While meant as a parody, several comedy-action Christmas films with similar themes have emerged in recent years. Fatman (2020) features Mel Gibson as a tough-as-nails Santa battling a hitman, and Violent Night (2022) showcases David Harbour as a Santa armed to the teeth.

9. The Stab Series from the Scream Series

(Warning: Spoilers for the Scream series ahead.)

Stab makes its debut in Scream 2 (1997), with the fictional movie based on The Woodsboro Murders, a book by Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) that recounts the events of the first film. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (not actually), Stab stars Heather Graham as Casey Becker (originally played by Drew Barrymore in Scream), Tori Spelling as Sidney Prescott (originally Neve Campbell), and Luke Wilson as Billy Loomis (originally Skeet Ulrich).

Additional scenes from the Stab series appear in Scream 4 (2011), which starts with the murders of Sherrie (Lucy Hale) and Trudie (Shenae Grimes). This sequence is later revealed to be part of Stab 6, watched by Rachel (Anna Paquin) and Chloe (Kristen Bell). Rachel criticizes modern horror films for being predictable and overly self-referential, only to be stabbed by Chloe. This twist is then exposed as a scene from Stab 7, making Stab 6 a film-within-a-film-within-a-film.

A brief clip from the 2021 Stab reboot, supposedly directed by Rian Johnson (not actually), is featured in Scream (2022). A chrome-masked Ghostface is shown brandishing a flamethrower and shouting, “That sh*t is lit.” This line is a nod to Matthew Lillard, one of the original Ghostfaces.

8. Rick Dalton’s Movies in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)

In Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, viewers catch snippets of fictional actor Rick Dalton’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) career. Some of these films are real but altered to include Dalton, such as his role as Virgil Hilts in The Great Escape (1963), originally played by Steve McQueen.

However, there are also films crafted exclusively for Dalton, inspired by real movies. One example is Operazione Dyn-o-Mite, an Italian James Bond-esque film that incorporates footage from Sergio Corbucci’s Moving Target (also known as Death on the Run) (1967).

Another example is The 14 Fists of McCluskey, where Dalton uses a flamethrower to incinerate a room full of Nazis, reminiscent of Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009). This film also features a fictional movie within it: the Nazi propaganda piece Stolz der Nation (Nation’s Pride).

7. Pineapple Express 2: Blood Red from This Is the End (2013)

Following the success of Pineapple Express (2008), Seth Rogen, the film’s co-writer and star, had envisioned a sequel, but Sony rejected the idea. In 2020, Rogen admitted that “we probably asked for too much money.” Instead, the concept for the sequel was incorporated into the apocalyptic comedy This Is the End. Rogen and James Franco, playing themselves, find themselves trapped together and decide to film the sequel in a homemade style.

Pineapple Express 2: Blood Red begins with Red (Danny McBride) as a dominant drug lord, but his empire is jeopardized when Woody Harrelson (played by Jonah Hill) pushes to legalize marijuana. Dale (Rogen) and Saul (Franco) are coerced into assassinating Harrelson, or Red will eliminate them. The film’s charm lies in its low-budget production, such as using toy cars for the car chase scene.

6. Batman vs. E.T. from Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

Chip’ n Dale: Rescue Rangers is packed with cameos, hidden references, and humorous background gags. In one scene, Chip strolls down the street and spots posters for several fictional films, such as Mr. Doubtfire (featuring Meryl Streep in a gender-swapped lead role), Fast & Furious Babies (which might not be too far-fetched), and Batman vs. E.T., which he comments “looks pretty good.”

Chip eventually watches this spoof of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), where E.T. dies in Batman’s arms, uttering, “E.T. forgive Bat,” to which Batman responds, “Fine.” While the line delivery is sure to amuse most audiences, Chip is moved to tears by the alien’s death, remarking, “Yeah, right, like that would happen.”

5. Jump Street Sequels from 22 Jump Street (2014)

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s 22 Jump Street concludes with Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) proposing another undercover mission to Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum), which they turn down. However, test audiences weren’t satisfied. “At that point, all they want is to believe this story continues endlessly,” Lord explained to Buzzfeed. “So, naturally, we found a way to deliver that.”

The film’s end credits tease a series of fictional sequels, mocking franchises that spiral out of control. Some sequels are merely hinted at with posters, like 38 Jump Street: Dance Academy and 43 Jump Street: Mariachi School. Others feature brief clips, complete with amusing cameos. For instance, 27 Jump Street: Culinary School stars Bill Hader as the antagonist, while 29 Jump Street: Sunday School replaces Jonah Hill with Seth Rogen, jokingly assuring viewers they won’t notice.

4. Mant! from Matinee (1993)

Set in the early 1960s, Joe Dante’s Matinee follows Lawrence Woolsey (John Goodman), a filmmaker reminiscent of William Castle, as he promotes his latest creation, Mant!. Since clips from Mant! were intended to be shown in theaters throughout the film, Dante filmed Mant! first, resulting in a complete 15-minute short.

Mant! pays homage to 1950s monster movies, drawing inspiration from classics like Them! (1954) and The Fly (1958). While the tone is humorous, Dante revealed in a 2010 interview, “I didn’t want to mock [those films].” He emphasized that “the higher-quality films of that era had impressive effects for their time,” so he instructed the effects team, “Avoid intentionally poor effects. Create effects that align with the standards of that period.”

3. Angels with Filthy Souls from Home Alone (1990)

If you ever believed the black-and-white gangster film in Home Alone was real, rest assured you’re not alone—even Macaulay Culkin thought it was genuine! This movie, featuring the famous line “Keep the change, ya filthy animal,” plays a pivotal role in helping Kevin fend off the Wet Bandits (and even makes a cameo in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu).

The fictional movie within the film was shot in a single day, just before the main production started. Initially untitled, art director Dan Webster noted, “The title was chosen only because we needed a label for the VHS tape Kevin uses.” The chosen name, Angels with Filthy Souls, pays homage to the crime noir classic Angels with Dirty Faces (1938).

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) required a sequel to Angels with Filthy Souls, titled Angels with Even Filthier Souls, with Ralph Foody reprising his role as the ruthless Johnny. Interestingly, Foody was initially cast as Snakes in the first film but switched roles with Michael Guido due to a recent knee surgery that prevented him from performing a fall scene.

2. Hamlet from Last Action Hero (1993)

The meta-comedy action film Last Action Hero features Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jack Slater, the hero of a popular action series adored by Danny Madigan (Austin O’Brien). The movie begins with the climax of Jack Slater III, where Slater comically dominates the scene, even including Tina Turner in her final film role. The story truly begins when Danny watches Jack Slater IV in theaters and is magically transported into the film during a high-speed car chase.

One of the film’s standout moments occurs when Danny, in class watching Sir Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet (1948), imagines Slater in the titular role. Unlike Shakespeare’s indecisive Hamlet, Slater boldly eliminates Claudius and anyone in his path. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and Hamlet is taking out the trash,” the narrator quips. A full-length movie starring Schwarzenegger as Hamlet would undoubtedly be a must-see.

1. Multiple Films from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

In the final act of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the duo infiltrates the Miramax studio lot and stumbles onto the sets of various films. Among them is the then-fictional Scream 4 (which didn’t release until 2011), featuring Shannen Doherty and an orangutan as Ghostface. Another is Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season, where Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Scott William Winters (the bar antagonist) reprise their roles from Good Will Hunting (1997). This time, after a heated exchange, Will dramatically ends the confrontation with a shotgun blast.

Additionally, there’s the adaptation of Bluntman and Chronic, inspired by the in-world comic books based on their likeness. Mistaken for stunt doubles, Jay and Silent Bob find themselves in the movie, facing off against the supervillain Cocknocker (played by Mark Hamill) in a Star Wars-style duel. Hamill even delivers the iconic line, “Don’t f*ck with the Jedi Master, son.”