Top 20 Funniest Things to Ever Happen in the Background of Movie Scenes

There's a lot going on back there! For this list, we’ll be looking at the best intentional jokes left by filmmakers in scene backgrounds, occurring independently from the immediate plot. Our countdown includes moments from "Fast Five", "The Lego Movie", "Avengers: Infinity War" and more! What hilarious hijinks have you noticed behind the main action? Let us know in the comments.

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#comedy #movies #background #funny #harrypotter #avengers #mcu #legomovie

[WatchMojo]

What hilarious hijinks have you noticed behind the main action? Let us know in the comments.

[corkycobon]

To this very day, I use the line from Lloyd Bridges in Airplane! "I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue". Never fails to stop someone short for those that have no clue where it comes from but I also get belly laughs from people that get the line completely. I remember using that line on my dad once when I got into trouble about something. I mumbled it under my breath and my dad made me repeat it clearly. He almost wet himself from laughing and I got out of punishment because of it. Good times!!!😂😂😂

[michaelclark]

It's one of the things I love about those great spoof movies like "The Naked Gun", "Hot Shots!" and "Flying High", all the things that could be going on in the background.

[Tyranniod]

You could probably put the entire naked gun franchise on this list.

[THANATOS-PRIME]

Alan Tudyk kicking the dead knight at the beginning of A Knight’s Tale always has me laughing.

[graydanerasmussen]

I instantly thought of "Top Secret" too. The restaurant scene, where Nick Rivers is informed that "It is a jacket and tie affair" by the maitre `d, who calls over some underlings to measure Kilmer, then proceeds to sew a suit for him in the background, over a less than two minute conversation in the foreground.
Love that movie!

[sabrinah.]

I loved all the Naked Gun movies as a kid. There was always so much stuff going on in the background 🤣🤣🤣

[framesdaimaginacao]

"I am serious, and don't call me Shirley". LOL

[trinaq]

I never noticed the blackboard gag in "Hot Fuzz", and I've seen it roughly ten times. A testament to how skilled Edgar Wright is with foreshadowing and background gags.

[feralstorm]

A fave of mine comes from "Airplane II" - two main characters talk about how the shuttle is doomed, which causes one of two Japanese passengers listening in the background do a huge spit-take. The other guy is confused, as he doesn't understand English, then does a spit-take of his own after the first guy translates for him. 😅

[bawintermage]

The Scotty gag, c'mon, James Doohan was the Best!

[TheBalogna]

Honestly, you could make this entire list of scenes from the Naked Gun, Airplane!, Hot Shots, Mel Brooks movies, etc. and still have to leave out so many good scenes. Such a great style of comedy. The lab scene from Police Squad where the lab tech goes through the door, but Leslie Nielsen goes around the door still gets me every time.

[LucareonVee]

I personally love the Can-Can dancing in the background of Hot Shots. Should’ve been on this list.

[marcl]

Surprised that none of the Monty Python movies were mentioned as there is always funny things happening in the background

[thejackalope]

In Airplane!, the plane is a jet but you hear propellers.

[tyvulpintaur]

GoldenEye, pretty much the entire background of Q's lab while Bond and Q are talking. From a guy being flung out of his chair, to an unfortunate agent going to use a pay phone and an airbag filling the booth (and later being carted out still stuck in the booth and whining for help).

[chrismeulen]

one that gets overlooked way too much in Airplane!
is that at the airport, there is a magazine stall in the background,
which has small signs on it for all the types of magazines being displayed,
the sign underneath the nude magazines reads "jerk off material"

[erictaylor]

I had to go to the ER once because of an issue with my bowels. I told the admitting nurse and she said "What is it."
Without missing a beat I said, "It's a long tube in your belly where your food goes. But that's not important right now."
The look on her face was a moment of disbelief followed by delight.
It turned out that her boyfriend, who loved Airplane! had shown her the movie the night before. It was the first time she'd seen it.
Later I heard her telling others what had happened then later, as I left the hospital I saw her on the phone talking to her boyfriend, telling him what had happened.

[tbecker]

*"Surely you can't be serious."*
*"I AM serious. And don't call me 'Shirley'."*

[jpendowski]

The background gag is truly for those watching a movie the second time. The first I’m absorbed in the plot. I saw those gags in movies I had seen, now I have a list of others to watch.