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Revision as of 20:35, 24 June 2012

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: Chinatown Wars. 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 (1997)

Travis, GTA 1.

Film references

Film name Release year Reference External links
Taxi Driver
1976 Travis, one of the protagonist options, has a similar appearance to Travis Bickle, the films main character, both sporting mohawks. WikipediaIMDBMoviegr.am
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. WikipediaIMDBMoviegr.am

Referenced in

Film name Release year Reference External links
Blackwoods
2002 The game is played in the film. WikipediaIMDBMoviegr.am
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. WikipediaIMDBMoviegr.am
The Toybox
2005 The game is mentioned in the film. IMDBMoviegr.am
Du & jag
2006 The game is mentioned in the film. WikipediaIMDB
Skeleton Key 2: 667 Neighbor of the Beast
2008 The game is mentioned in the film. IMDB
Funny People
2009 The game is mentioned in the film. WikipediaIMDBMoviegr.am
The Other Guys
2010 The game is mentioned in the film. WikipediaIMDBMoviegr.am

Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 & Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 (both 1999)

Film references

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, spoofed 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.

Film 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 (2001)

The final cutscene of GTA III during The Exchange, similar to Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Payback.
The 69th Street poster.
200pxThe Guys and Dogs poster.
The My Fair Ladyboy poster.

Film references

Film name Release year Reference
42nd Street 1933 The film is spoofed with a poster for a play called 69th Street.
Guys and Dolls 1955 Along with the musical, the film is spoofed with a poster for a play called Guys and Dogs.
My Fair Lady 1964 Along with the musical, the film is spoofed 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 spoofed with a poster for a play called Saturday Night Beaver.
Annie 1982 The film and the musical are spoofed with a poster for a play called Fannie.
The Pirates of Penzance 1983 Along with the musical, the film is spoofed 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 spoofed 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 spoofed 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 in

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 (2002)

The poster of Bela Lugosi from Dracula and the same image in Funeraria Romero.
Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance about to kill Ricardo Diaz, much like Tony Montana kills his former boss in Scarface.
The office inside the mansion owned by Tommy Vercetti.
The bloody bathroom in Apartment 3C with a chainsaw also present.
The shootout during Keep Your Friends Close....
Tommy Vercetti and Love Fist listening to a tape recording from The Psycho during Publicity Tour.
Hilary King falling to the ground after being killed by police during The Job.

Film 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 name is used as 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 spoofed 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 spoofed 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 in

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 (2004)

The Packer entering the storm drain, similar to scenes in the films To Live and Day in L.A. and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Ryder and Carl Johnson holding up a pizza parlour, similar to the film Do the Right Thing.
Sweet, Big Smoke and Ryder performing a drive-by shooting in Drive-By, similar to a scene in Boyz n the Hood.
Carl Johnson being left in Ballas territory, similar to Caine and Sharif being left in rival gang territory from Menace II Society.
Carl Johnson jumping from the Sherman Dam in a fashion similar to James Bond in GoldenEye.
Carl Johnson freeing the refugees in The Da Nang Thang, similar to the plot line in The Transporter.
Tony inside Caligula's Palace.

Film references

Film name Release year Reference
The Wizard of Oz 1939 An in-game movie theatre is shown to playing the film "The Wizard of Ass".
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.
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.
Top Gun 1986
  1. Many of the flight rankings gained through flying are references to the call signs of characters from the film.
Maverick (LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise)
Goose (LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, played by Anthony Edwards)
Jester (LCDR Rick "Jester" Heatherly, played by Michael Ironside
Iceman (LT Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, played by Val Kilmer)
Viper (CDR Mike "Viper" Metcalf, played by Tom Skerritt
The Color of Money 1986 While playing pool, Carl Johnson's opponent can be heard asking to be shown "the color of your money"
Do the Right Thing 1989 The film features three African-Americans, Radio Raheem, Smiley and Buggin' Out (played by Bill Nunn, Roger Guenveur Smith and Giancarlo Esposito respectively) entering a pizza parlour to demand something, which eventually ends up on the street. This is similar to the mission Ryder where Carl Johnson and Ryder enter the local pizza parlour demanding money before running out and on to the street.
Goodfellas 1990 A poster for Badfellas, a spoof of the real life film, can be seen during The Introduction while Carl Johnson is in Liberty City.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day 1991 The chase scene involving John Connor (Edward Furlong) fleeing from the T1000 Terminator (Robert Patrick) is similar to the one in Just Business involving Carl Johnson and Big Smoke attempting to lose the Russian Mafia. This includes both the protagonists being on a motorcycle and a lorry being driven into a storm drain from a higher level street.
Boyz n the Hood 1991
  1. A pedestrian in Los Santos, used for as the character model for Alan Crawford, has a similar appearance to Tré Styles (Cuba Gooding, Jr.).
  2. The film features someone hoping to stay out of the gang problems (Ricky, played by Morris Chestnut, and Tré Styles, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) but is provoked after an attack from a rival gang, much like Carl Johnson was hoping to stay out of the gang problems but was then ambushed by the Ballas, causing him to become involved.
  3. The film also involves Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Monster (Baldwin C. Sykes) driving into the rival gang area and performing a drive-by shooting, just as Carl Johnson, Sweet and Ryder in Drive-By, shortly after an ambush by the Ballas.
Basic Instinct 1992 A pedestrian has the same appearance as Catherine Tramell (played by Sharon Stone) in the interview scene.
A Few Good Men 1992 An in-game movie theatre is shown to playing the film "A Few Good Hens".
The Last of the Mohicans 1992 An in-game movie theatre is shown to playing the film "The Last of the Mullets".
Reservoir Dogs 1992 An in-game movie theatre is shown to playing the film "Reservoir Dregs".
South Central 1992 Big Bear has a similar appearance to a drug addict who is friends with Bobby (played by Glenn Plummer).
Menace II Society 1993
  1. A Grove Street Families gangster has a similar appearance to Kevin "O-Dog" Anderson (played by Larenz Tate.
  2. During the mission Ryder the pizza parlour clerk says to Ryder "I feel sorry for your dad", similar to how the Korean liquor store clerk says to O-Dog at the beginning of the film.
  3. In the film Caine (played by Tyrin Turner) and Sharif (played by Vonte Sweet) are left in a rival gang territory by the police, much like Carl Johnson is left in Ballas gang territory by Frank Tenpenny, Eddie Pulaski and Jimmy Hernandez.
Pulp Fiction 1994 The "I don't know you! I don't know you! Prank caller! Prank caller!" in a phone call after Farewell, My Love... is a reference to a similar line ("I don't know you. Who is this? Don't come here, I'm hanging up the phone! Prank caller, prank caller!") from Lance (played by Eric Stoltz).
Friday 1995 An elderly African-American pedestrian can be heard saying lines from the films Willie Jones (John Witherspoon).
GoldenEye 1995 Carl Johnson jumps from the Sherman Dam, in Dam and Blast, in the same fashion as James Bond jumps from the dam in the film.
Con Air 1997 The scene in Reuniting the Families where two motor officers drop donuts to join in the pursuit is a reference to the same scene in the film.
187 1997 The character of Cesar Vialpando is similar in appearance to Cesar Sanchez. Both are also voiced by Clifton Collins, Jr..
The Big Lebowski 1998 Carl Johnson asks "Does the pope shit in the woods?" during the game, which is a reference to the same question asked by Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, played by Jeff Bridges
Next Friday 2000 An elderly African-American pedestrian can be heard saying lines from the films Willie Jones (John Witherspoon).
Donnie Darko 2001 The "Fear It, Do It" motivational technique of Darius Fontaine resembles the technique suggested by Jim Cunningham (played by Patrick Swayze) in the film.
Friday After Next 2002 An elderly African-American pedestrian can be heard saying lines from the films Willie Jones (John Witherspoon).
The Transporter 2002 Carl Johnson rescues a number of Asian refugees being illegally smuggled into the United States to be sold for slavery during The Da Nang Thang, much as Frank Martin (played by Jason Statham does during the film.

Referenced in

Film name Release year Reference
Bubble 2005 A poster for GTA San Andreas appears Kyle's bedroom.
Dirty 2005 Some characters in the film can be seen playing the game.
The Break-Up 2006 Gary Grobowski (played by Vince Vaughn) can be seen playing the game.
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2007 Alvin (voiced by Justin Long) can be seen playing the game.
The Visitor 2007 An advertisement for the game appearances on a closed building during the film.
Meet the Spartans 2008
  1. A scene in the movie is titled Grand Theft Auto: Hot Gates after the series.
  2. King Leonidas (played by Sean Maguire) can also be seen with a tattoo that reads "San Andreas".

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005)

Mickey Hamfists killing Joseph Daniel O'Toole, who thinks he is about to be made.

Film references

Film name Release year Reference
The Third Man 1949 The film is spoofed with a poster for a film called The Third Leg.
The Guns of Navarone 1961 The films name is parodied with the mission name The Guns of Leone.
Night of the Living Dead 1968 The Night of the Livid Dreads mission is named after the film.
Taxi Driver 1976 The Bickle'76 is a reference to the films main character, Travis Bickle (played by Robert De Niro, while the '76 refers to the films year of release (1976).
Game of Death 1978 The Dragon Outfit, a yellow jumpsuit with black stripes on the side, is the same as worn by Bruce Lee, whose Chinese screen name was Li Xiaolong (李小龍; Xiaolong meaning "little dragon").
Scarface 1983 Uncle Leone, in the The Sicilian Gambit, tells Salvatore Leone that "Every dog has his day...", much like Tony Montana (played by Al Pacino) asks Mel Bernstein (played Harris Yulin) "Every dog has his day, huh, Mel?".
Big Trouble in Little China 1986 The films name is parodied with the mission Big Rumble in Little China.
Goodfellas 1990 Tommy DeVito (played by Joe Pesci) is killed after being lured to a location believing he is about to be made, much like Joseph Daniel O'Toole in The Made Man.
L.A. Confidential 1997 The mission L.C. Confidential is a parody of the films name.
Gone in 60 Seconds 2000 The films name is parodied with the mission Don in 60 Seconds.
The Whole Nine Yards 2000 The films name is parodied with the mission The Whole 9 Yardies.
Kill Bill Volume 1 2003 Beatrix Kiddo (played by Uma Thurman) wears a yellow jumpsuit with black stripes much like the Dragon Outfit. The outfit in Kill Bill Volume 1 is also a reference to Game of Death.
The Passion of the Christ 2004 The films name is parodied with the mission The Passion of the Heist.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006)

Armando and Diego Mendez.

Film references

Film name Release year Reference
Psycho 1960 The in-game film Twilight Knife spoofs elements of the film.
Friday the 13th 1980 The in-game film Twilight Knife spoofs elements of the film.
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial 1982
  1. The in-game film Full Moon is a reference to the film.
  2. During the mission The Audition, Victor and Lance Vance fly through the air on a motorcycle after driving off a ramp while the moon appears in the background on a Full Moon poster, mirroring a scene in the film.
First Blood 1982 The in-game film Evacuator spoofs elements of the film.
Scarface 1983
  1. Armando Mendez is based on Alejandro Sosa (played by Paul Shenar) while Diego Mendez, who can not speak English, is based on Sosa's assistant Alberto (played by Mark Margolis).
  2. The Mendez Brothers are also a reference to the Diaz Brothers mentioned in the film.
The Breakfast Club 1985 Couzin Ed, on the V-Rock radio station, states "You won't accept tongue in your mouth...", which is a reference to John Bender (played by Judd Nelson) asking "You won't accept a guy's tongue in your mouth, and you're going to eat that?"
Back to the Future 1985 During the mission Domo Arigato Domestoboto, while looking from the Domestobots point of view, a reference is made to flux capacitors.
Commando 1985 The in-game film Evacuator shares elements of the film Commando.
Rocky IV 1985 The in-game film Push-Up - The Movie spoofs elements of the film.
Raw Deal 1986 The in-game film Short Deal is a reference to the film.
Over the Top 1987 The in-game film Push-Up - The Movie spoofs elements of the film.
The Secret of My Success 1987 The in-game film The Secret of My Shortness spoofs the film.
RoboCop 1987
  1. The point of view of the Domestobot during Domo Arigato Domestoboto is similar to that of RoboCop in the film.
  2. The Domestobot also spoofs three of the directives that RoboCop follows, including the classified Directive 4.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? 2000 The films name is parodied with the mission title O, Brothel, Where Art Thou?.
Kill Bill Volume 1 2003 The films name is parodied with the mission title Kill Phil.
Kill Bill Volume 2 2004 The films name is parodied with the mission title Kill Phil: Part 2.

Referenced in

Film name Year of Release Reference
The Happening 2008 The GTA Vice City Stories game case be seen in front of the television in two separate scenes.

Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)

The bank robbery from Three Leaf Clover.
A shootout between the bank robbers and police during Three Leaf Clover.
The character of Sasha from Behind Enemy Lines.

Film references

Film name Release year Reference
Midnight Cowboy 1969 During the cutscene for Clean Getaway, Vladimir Glebov can be heard saying "I'm walkin' here!" after almost being run over by a taxi, which also happens to the character Ratso Rizzo in the film.
The French Connection 1971 A name of a mission, The Puerto Rican Connection, is taken from the film. The mission also involves chasing a train with a car, which also happens in the film.
A Clockwork Orange 1971 After playing GTA IV for seventy-two hours the addiction level reads "Ready for the Old Ultra-Violence", a reference to the idea of "ultra-violence" in the film.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977 The beginning of the Republic Space Rangers program features scrolling text explaining the story so far much like in the film.
Dressed to Kill 1980 The mission Undress to Kill is a reference to the film.
The French Connection 1981 Brian Meech references the scene where Indiana Jones is being chased by a boulder.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984 A pedestrian is dressed in a black and red stripped top just as Freddy Krueger in the film.
To Live and Die in L.A. 1985 The mission To Live and Die in Alderney is a reference to the film.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1986 The mission Portrait of a Killer is a reference to the film.
Weekend at Bernie's 1989 The mission Weekend at Florian's is a reference to the film, as Florian Cravic now lives under his new name, Bernie Crane.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day 1991 The mission I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots, and Your Motorcycle is a reference to a line in the film from the Terminator to a biker.
Point Break 1991 The bank robbery during the mission Three Leaf Clover is very similar to the bank robbery at the end of the film.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 1991 The business Kronos is likely a reference to the Kronos One, a Klingon ship.
Reservoir Dogs 1992 When police officers are shot they sometimes lay on the ground and moan similar words to dialogue in the film between Mr. White and Mr. Orange.
Heat 1995 The mission Three Leaf Clover features a bank robbery that goes wrong leading to a engage in a gun fight with the police, much like the film.
Ronin 1998 The mission Union Drive features a car chase where a Police Car flips over in a road tunnel causing the chasing car to avoid it while in the film a BMW crashes in a tunnel during a car chase.
Behind Enemy Lines 2001 Niko Bellic is based on the character Sasha (played by Vladimir Mashkov) in terms of background and physical appearance.
Corpse Bride 2005 The film is referenced with the haunted house at the fair ground on Firefly Island, which is called the Corpse Ride.
300 2007 A book inside in-game safehouses is called Madness & Blasphemy - The Do's and Don't's, a reference to two words the provokes Leonidas in the film.

Referenced in

Film name Release year Reference
You Don't Mess with the Zohan 2008 A billboard in the background of the film advertises GTA IV.
Bam Margera Presents: Where the ♯$&% Is Santa? 2008 Jess Margera says he wants GTA IV for Christmas.
Grand Theft Auto: XXX Parody 2010 The film is a porn parody of GTA IV.

The Lost and Damned (2009)

Curtis Stocker wearing the mask of Hannibal Lecter during the mission Off Route.

Film references

Film name Release year Reference
The Godfather 1972 A target is taken out at a tollbooth with heavy weapons during the mission Heavy Toll just as Sonny Corleone is in the flm.
The Warriors 1979 In the mission Bad Standing, Johnny Klebitz shouts to Brian Jeremy: 'Brian, come out to play', in a similar way to Luther from the film.
The Shining 1980 In the mission Bad Standing, Johnny Klebitz tells Brian Jeremy: 'Brian, Johnny's here!'. This is a reference to a scene where Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) partially breaks down a door and says "Here's Johnny!".
The Silence of the Lambs 1991 Curtis Stocker wears the same mask as Hannibal Lecter in the mission Off Route.
Wayne's World 1992 The Rhapsody's name is a reference to the film, specifically the famous scene where Wayne and Garth sing along to "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen while driving. A photograph can be seen within the Rhapsody depicting two people resembling Wayne and Garth, with their catchphrase "Schwing" written on the bottom. Furthermore, a "W" (as in "Wayne's World") is seen badged inside and outside the car.

Referenced in

Film name Release year Reference
The Trashmaster 2010 The Trashmaster is a film made entirely of footage from The Lost and Damned.

The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009)

Film references

Film name Release year Reference
The Shining 1980 In the mission For the Man Who Has Everything, Yusuf Amir says 'All work and no play makes Yusuf a dull boy' much like Jack Torrance types 'All work and no plays makes Jack a dull boy'. Joni also says this during a Club Management mission.
Aliens 1986 In an episode of the Republican Space Rangers, a robot cuts through the door to awaken the rangers from their cryotubes eight years later than expected.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan 2006 The mission Sexy Time is a reference to the film.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (2009)

Film references

Film name Release year Reference
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977 The mission Store Wars is a reference to the film, which was the first in the Star Wars franchise.
Natural Born Killers 1994 The mission Natural Burn Killer is a reference to the film.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 1999 The mission The Fandom Menace is a reference to the film.
Rat Race 2001 The mission Rat Race may be a reference to the film.
The Warriors 1979 In the mission Bad Standing, Johnny Klebitz shouts to Brian Jeremy: 'Brian, come out to play', in a similar way to Luther from the film.

Film personnel

The "trunk shot" in the mission Rub Out.
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.
Jackie Chan April 7, 1954 The mission Jackin' Chan in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a reference to Jackie Chan.

Other

The Knife After Dark poster.
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.