User:A-Dust/Sandbox4

There are many references to the real world film industry within the Grand Theft Auto series, appearing throughout the series from Grand Theft Auto 1 to Grand Theft Auto IV. These are mainly in missions featuring similar stories and elements of actual films or in-game films featuring similar plots and/or names. Video games from the series have also appeared in films subsequent to the games release.

Grand Theft Auto

References
Travis in Grand Theft Auto 1.
Referenced
References
Travis in Grand Theft Auto 1.
Film name Release year Reference
Taxi Driver 1976 Travis, one of the protagonist options, has a similar appearance to Travis Bickle, the films main character, both sporting mohawks.
Speed 1994 A side mission in the game features the protagonist having to drive a bus at high speed to avoid the vehicle from exploding.
Referenced
Film name Release year Reference
Blackwoods 2002 The game is played in the film.
Resident Evil Apocalypse 2004 One of characters, when running past a zombiefied police officer, shouts "GTA, motherfucker, 10 points" in reference to the ability to score points introduced in the first Grand Theft Auto game.
The Toybox 2005 The game is referenced in the film.
Du & jag 2006 The game is referenced in the film.
Skeleton Key 2: 667 Neighbor of the Beast 2008 The game is referenced in the film.
Funny People 2009 The game is referenced in the film.
The Other Guys 2010 The game is referenced in the film.

Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 & Grand Theft Auto: London 1961

References
File:JamesBomb-GTAL69.png
The James Bomb.
Film name Release year Reference
Goldfinger 1964 The James Bomb is a reference to James Bond and is similar to the Aston Martin DB5.
Thunderbirds Are Go 1966
  1. Along with the television series, referenced with the Fab in Grand Theft Auto: London 1961, which is similar in appearance to Lady Penelope's car called the FAB1.
  2. The term 'FAB' is also used as a radio acknowledgement, meaning Fully Acknowledged and Briefed.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery 1997 The Jug Swinger is based on the Jaguar E-Type used by Austin Powers, including the Union Jack paint work.
The Avengers 1998 The Jugular E is similar in appearance to the Jaguar E-Type seen in the film, and is also available in the same colour.

GTA III Era

The GTA series logo used since Grand Theft Auto III.
References
Film name Release year Reference
The Simpsons Movie 2007 Homer Simpson is seen playing Grand Theft Walrus, which features a similar logo to that used in the Grand Theft Auto series since Grand Theft Auto III.

Grand Theft Auto III

References
Film name Release year Reference
42nd Street 1933 The film is referenced with a poster for a play called 69th Street.
Guys and Dolls 1955 Along with the musical, the film is referenced with a poster for a play called Guys and Dogs.
My Fair Lady 1964 Along with the musical, the film is referenced with a poster for a play called My Fair Ladyboy.
Play Misty for Me 1971 The mission Drive Misty For Me is named after the film.
The Godfather 1972 The names of Leone Family, Salvatore Leone and Joey Leone are references to the Corleone Family, Vito Corleone and Michael Corleone.
Saturday Night Fever 1977 The film is referenced with a poster for a play called Saturday Night Beaver.
Annie 1982 The film and the musical are referenced with a poster for a play called Fannie.
The Pirates of Penzance 1983 Along with the musical, the film is referenced with a poster for a play called Pirates in Mens Pants.
Scarface 1983 Most of the songs from the film are played on Flashback FM.
This is Spinal Tap 1984 An advertisement for the Dormatron mentions setting 'it to 11', a reference to the phrase 'up to eleven' popularised in the film This is Spinal Tap.
Goodfellas 1990 The film is referenced through an in-game poster for the film Badfellas. The poster also features an image of Salvatore Leone, voiced by Frank Vincent who appeared in the film.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1990 The closing cutscene of GTA III, after The Exchange, features Claude and Maria Latore walking into the Cochrane Dam before the screen goes black and a gun shot is heard. The possibility of Claude killing Maria is similar to Henry (played by Michael Rooker) in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, who kills his girlfriend at the end of the film.
Boyz n the Hood 1991 The film is referenced through the Toyz van, which features the a logo reading Toyz'N The'Hood.
Cats 1998 Along with the musical, the film is reference with a poster for a play called Rats.
Payback 1999 The plot line of the film involves a criminal (Porter, played by Mel Gibson) being left for dead after being shot during an armed robbery by his partners in crime. The films main gang also sends out a hit squad to kill Porter and the film ends with Porter and call girl Rosie leaving for their new life after the death of the gangs leaders. This is similar to how Claude is shot and left for dead by Catalina and Miguel, before killing Catalina and leaving with Maria Latore. Claude is also attacked by a Colombian Cartel death squad.
Referenced
Film name Release year Reference
Stuart Little 2 2002 George Little, played by Jonathan Lipnicki, and his friend can be seen playing the game.
Malibu's Most Wanted 2003 Brad "B-Rad G" Gluckman, played by Jamie Kennedy, sees off an ambush from a rival gang. He later states he learnt how through GTA III.
The Return of the Forest Monster 2003 A character in the film can be seen playing the game.
Kuya 2004 Ferdie, played by Oyo Boy Sotto, can be seen playing the game.
National Lampoon's Adam & Eve 2005 The GTA III game case can be seen during the film.
This is... Amir 2009 Amir, played by Amir Bradley, can be seen playing the game.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

References
Film name Release year Reference
Dracula 1931 A poster inside Funeraria Romero is taken from the film, featuring Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula, with graffiti added in pen.
Casablanca 1942 The last line of the film, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", is used in the final mission Keep Your Friends Close.... Tommy Vercetti tells Ken Rosenberg, "You know, Ken. This could be the beginning of a beautiful business relationship".
Easy Rider 1969 The Angel, with its patriotic paint work, is similar to the motorcycle owned by Peter Fonda in the film.
The Godfather 1972 In the mission Supply & Demand, Tommy Vercetti shouts that he hopes the people in a rival boat "Sleep with the fish", a reference to the film where Luca Brasi is 'sleeping with the fishes' after being murdered.
The Godfather Part II 1974 The mission Keep Your Friends Close... is a reference to the line "He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." from Michael Corleone.
Jaws 1975
  1. Steve Scott talks about having a giant shark coming into one of the films to eat the cast of his latest pornographic film.
  2. The film Bite is a parody of Jaws.
Smokey and the Bandit 1977 Burt Reynolds voices Avery Carrington who has a similar appearance and acts in a similar way to Bandit, Reynolds character in the film.
Grand Theft Auto 1977 A mansion with a Porsche appears in the film while a mansion with a similar appearance appears on Starfish Island with a parked Comet, which is based on the Porsche 911.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977 The film is paradied with an in-game poster for the film Closer Encounters.
The Driver 1978
  1. The film is referenced in the mission name The Driver.
  2. The films plotline of recruiting a getaway driver is also used the mission with Tommy Vercetti recruiting Hilary King.
Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen 1980 The UFO seen at the InterGlobal Studios is similar in appearance to the one featured in the film.
Mommie Dearest 1981 The anger shown by Maude Hanson towards children is a reference to the films depiction of Joan Crawford's (played by Faye Dunaway) anger towards her adopted daughter Christina.
Nice Dreams 1981 The film features Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong selling drugs while posing as ice cream vendors. In the game Maude Hanson and later Tommy Vercetti use The Cherry Popper Ice Cream Factory as a front to distribute drugs.
Friday the 13th Part III 1982 In the film serial killer Jason Voorhees first acquires his infamous hockey mask, which appears as part of the outfit used during The Job.
All the Right Moves 1983 The movie is referenced on removal vans for Haul with the slogan "The Right Moves".
Scarface 1983
  1. The film features ex-convict protagonist Tony Montana leaving Cuba for Miami, much like ex-convict Tommy Vercetti leaves Liberty City and goes to Vice City.
  2. At the beginning of the film Tony Montana is seen wearing a Hawaiian shirt much like Tommy Vercetti with the Street outfit.
  3. Tony Montana rises through the criminal underworld and kills his former boss Frank Lopez (played by Robert Loggia), much like Tommy Vercetti who kills former employer Ricardo Diaz.
  4. The mansion owned by Ricardo Diaz and later Tommy Vercetti has a similar appearance to the mansion owned by Tony Montana. In particular is the lobby (with the exception of the sweeping staircase and "The World is Yours" fountain) and the main offices.
  5. Apartment 3C, featuring a bloody bathroom and a Chainsaw, is a reference to a scene in the film.
  6. The Babylon and the Little Havana Club are cloned in the game as the Malibu Club and The Pole Position Club.
  7. A large mural in the Malibu Club featuring palm trees tinted red by the setting sun is the same as the mural in the Lopez Motors office.
  8. The end of the film involving a shoot out inside Tony Montana's mansion is used in Keep Your Friends Close..., although Vercetti survives the shoot out unlike Montana.
  9. The Mr. Vercetti Outfit is similar to a suit worn by Tony Montana in the film.
Red Dawn 1984 A radio advertisement for Ammu-Nation refers to the film, involving a fictional Soviet invasion of the United States, as being a documentary.
This Is Spinal Tap 1984 The band Love Fist are a parody of Spinal Tap.
Rambo: First Blood Part II 1985
  1. The movie is parodied with Exploder: Evacuator Part II.
  2. A product released for Exploder: Evacuator Part II is the Exploder Survival Knife, a knife similar to that used in the film by John Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone.
Commando 1985 The movie is parodied with Exploder: Evacuator Part II, both featuring soldiers whose families are kidnapped.
Top Gun 1986 The movie is referenced with the Top Fun vehicle.
Wall Street 1987 A pedestian in Vice City, who has a similar appearance to the films main character Gordon Gekko, states "Greed is good".
Alien Nation 1988 The film features a human and an alien working together as police officers, which is used as the plotline for the in-game television series Yuppie and the Alien.
The Serpent and the Rainbow 1988 Haitian gangsters in the game can be heard saying "I want to hear you scream!", a line from the movie, which is set in Haiti.
Reservoir Dogs 1992 The game features a phone contact Mr. Black and a hitman named Mr. Teal, much like criminals in the film use colours as code names to avoid arrest from the police.
Demolition Man 1993 The film name is used for a mission from Avery Carrington.
Carlito's Way 1993 The character of Ken Rosenberg is based on the character David Kleinfeld from the film, played by Sean Penn. As well as physical similarities, they are both cocaine addicts and have similar looking offices.
No Escape 1994 A mission of the same name appears in the game. Both also feature Ray Liotta (who voices Tommy Vercetti).
Speed 1994 The films storyline, of having to drive a vehicle above a certain speed to avoid detonating a bomb placed inside a vehicle, is used in the mission Publicity Tour.
Heat 1995 The film features a bank robbery performed by a small crew who are ambushed as they leave by the police. The crews getaway driver Donald Breedan (played by Dennis Haysbert) is also killed in a gun fight outside the bank. This is similar to the mission The Job, where a small crew (Tommy Vercetti, Phil Cassidy, Cam Jones and Hilary King) rob a bank. The police later arrive and kill the getaway driver, King.
Donnie Brasco 1997 The film features "Sonny Black", having lost the money of "Sonny Red" in a sting in Florida, stating that when they find the man responsible they'll "cut his prick off". This is similar to Tommy Vercetti, having lost Sonny Forelli's money in an ambush, promising to "mail you the dicks of those responsible"
Referenced
Film name Release year Reference
The Football Factory 2004 A character in the film can be seen playing GTA Vice City.
The Last Run 2004 Jack, played by Steven Pasquale, mentions playing the game.
Mean Creek 2004 A poster appears in the George's (Josh Peck) room.
Spider-Man 2 2004 Peter Parker (Spider-Man, played by Tobey Maguire) does several odd jobs to earn money, including delivering pizzas, much like the player can have Tommy Vercetti do.
National Lampoon's Adam & Eve 2005 A number of posters for GTA Vice City appear inside the frathouse.
Spider-Man 3 2007 Spider Man (Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire), makes reference to in-game clothing.
Drillbit Taylor 2008 Bob "Drillbit" Taylor (played by Owen Wilson) raps "I'm the king of Vice City".

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

References
Film name Release year Reference
Psycho 1960 A caller to the Lonely Hearts show on West Coast Talk Radio says tells host Christy MacIntyre "I'm watching you Marion in the shower", a reference to the death of Marion Crane in the film.
Easy Rider 1969 The Truth, voiced by Peter Fonda, is a parody of Wyatt, played by Fonda, from the film.
Farewell My Lovely 1975 The films name is used for the name of a mission, Farewell, My Love....
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977 The line "Great kid! Don't get cocky!" from Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford) is used by Zero in the mission Air Raid.
Moonraker 1979 The parachute in the game is identical to the one used by James Bond (played by Sir Roger Moore.
Easy Rider 1969 The Truth, voiced by Peter Fonda, is a parody of Wyatt, played by Fonda, from the film.
First Blood 1982 Angel Pine is similar to the town of Hope, Washington (filmed in Hope, British Columbia) that John Rambo escapes from.
Scarface 1983 Tony, the parrot inside Caligula's Palace, says "I never fucked anyone over in my life who didn't have it coming to 'em" in Intensive Care, much like Tony Montana.
Red Dawn 1984 A radio advertisement for Ammu-Nation refers to the film, involving a fictional Soviet invasion of the United States, as being a documentary.
To Live and Die in L.A. 1985 The car chase from the mission Just Business, involving Big Smoke and Carl Johnson attempt to escape the attention of the Russian Mafia is taken from the film.

Film personnel

Film name Date of birth Reference
Arnold Schwarzenegger July 30, 1947 Arnold Schwarzenegger is paradied in Grand Theft Auto III by Chuck Schwartz, who appears in advertisements for the film Half-Cocked, which is a likely reference to Schwarzenegger's previous steroid use and testicular atrophy, a known of steroid use. The films tagline is "One Man, One Night, One Gun", a reference to Schwarzenegger's usual action film roles.
Quentin Tarantino March 27, 1963 The "trunk shot", involving a camera looking up at characters from within the boot of a car, is viewed as a trademark of Tarantino, as a director and an actor. The trunk shot appears in Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, From Dusk till Dawn, Kill Bill Volume 1 and Inglorious Basterds. The trunk shot appears during the mission Rub Out as Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance prepare to kill Ricardo Diaz, most resembling the trunk shot from Pulp Fiction.

Other

Name Date Reference
Slasher films 1980s The slasher film genre, most popular in the 1980s, is parodied in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City with the film Knife After Dark. Slasher film series of the 1980s include Friday the 13th, Halloween (although the first film was released in 1978) and A Nightmare of Elm Street.
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