Thread by @sheilakathleen

Always enjoy the fun cinematic references woven into early seasons of #Supernatural. In S2 "Crossroad Blues" - a/b crossroad deals w/devil - the brothers figure out the deals are happening at a "Lloyd's Bar", situated on a country crossroad. The bar in Walter Hill's CROSSROADS:

There's the "High Noon shot" from S2 episode 21. Even the little curve in the road matches. #Supernatural

And one of my faves from Season 1. The libraries in early #Supernatural were insanely dramatically lit. Like this one from S1, episode 5. Calls to mind Citizen Kane's Thatcher Memorial Library. Instantly clock-able for a nerd like me.

This is almost too obvious, but there's an entire S2 episode of #Supernatural that's an homage to THE SHINING.

1.

2. Long low tracking shots thru the creepy corridors of the creepy inn.

3. Of course the brothers are put in Room 237.

4. Insomniac Dean comes across a bar, with weird lighting.

5. And the bar counter has a light underneath it.

6. And there's a little PSYCHO visual reference thrown in, just to keep us on our toes.

Praise due to the brilliant cinematographer Serge Ladouceur. As well as production designer Jerry Wanek. These people are artists. #supernatural

And these things aren't just show off-y flourishes. They work w/the story. Example: the plot of the episode with the High Noon shot - is practically High Noon in its narrative (albeit w/demons). Sam is Gary Cooper trying to gather together a group of scared people to fight.

I'll do a couple more. This is fun. From S1, episode 3. Instantly recognizable.

S1, episode 5. #supernatural

Now this may not have to do with anything thematically, but I would bet you a bazillion dollars that Serge Ladouceur knows his SUSPICION very very well. S1, episode 6. #supernatural

This may be from a really funnily bad episode, but I'm sorry, I just have a feeling they were making fun for themselves with this shot.

I felt that S1, ep 16 "Shadow" had a lot - a LOT - of references to 1942's CAT PEOPLE, where you never see the cat - where everything happens in the shadows on the wall.

From S1, ep 16 of #supernatural there's an elevator shaft the spitting image of the Elevator to Hell in ANGEL HEART.

From S1, ep 19: STRANGERS ON A TRAIN-esque murder seen only in the reflection of eyeglasses.

S1, ep. 18 #supernatural : the monster is a mixture of NOSFERATU (which, again, there is zero doubt that Serge Ladouceur - Robert Singer - Kim Manners - all know it like the back of their hands - VAMPIRES) as well as Emperor Palpatine.

In S1, ep 22 - the demon-possessed people "present" as Village of the Damned. At least that's what this shot reminded me of. You don't need special effects to creep out your audience. Just have a bunch of people stand there. I mean, it's cheap and effective.

Also, in S1, ep 22: an almost shot for shot re-creation of "Heeeere's Johnnneee" in THE SHINING. #supernatural

S2, ep 4: Clear PET SEMETARY reference. Even the color of the dirt matches. #supernatural

S2, ep. 7: #supernatural Yet another reference to THE SHINING. And in this one Linda Blair guest stars and she is fantastic.

S2, ep. 7 ... continued:

S2, ep. 19 "Folsom Prison Blues." Almost exact re-creation of shot, and lighting, except sans baseball.

And sometimes the references are right out there in the text.

Re-posted, typo: I can't find an exact match-up but the entire mood - and many of the shots - of S2, ep 9 call to mind THE OMEGA MAN, name-checked in the script. A deserted town. Many "Omega Man" visual references in S5's ep "The End" - a sequel to this S2 ep.

This isn't a film reference so much as a connection, and evidence - imo - of how much fun they had with the symbolism/references early on. From S2, ep. 10. Match-up w/the importance of "blue roses" in T Williams' Glass Menagerie. The symbolism tracks in re: psychic kids.

I really get into "blue roses" in my re-cap of "Hunted." sheilaomalley.com/?p=92381 Once you start looking for them, there are "blue roses" in almost every scene Sam is in in this ep. Connected to Laura in Glass Menagerie? Why not. Fragile/rare/in danger.

You can imagine how overwhelmed I was when "Monster Movie" aired. I basically short-ed out.

Almost every Warner Brothers monster movie was represented. Plus many many references to Cocteau's La Belle et la Bete (prettier title than the English). and, sorry, one last thing ... I always thought Mary on the ceiling called to mind this moment from La Belle et la Bete.

So that final sequence was La Belle et la Bete meets Frankenstein meets Dracula meets...High Noon, when "la Belle" (Jamie) shoots Dracula, just like Grace Kelly's Quaker girl shoots the bad guy in High Noon. It was overwhelming. So many references. I flipped out.

If you're interested in more commentary along these lines - more than you ever hoped for or, frankly, would even want - here's the archive of re-caps on my site:
S1: sheilaomalley.com/?tag=spn-seaso…
S2: sheilaomalley.com/?tag=spn-seaso…
S3: sheilaomalley.com/?tag=spn-seaso…

A couple more since people are liking this: From S2, ep. 15, an almost exact re-creation of the "shiny object stuck under the grate, evil dude's hand reaching for it" scene in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. (movie referenced also in "Provenance").

This is not a cinematic reference but a fine arts one. You could pick any number of Renaissance-era paintings, where people lean in from the shadows staring at something intently, but since Caravaggio is often a ref. point in early #SPN (shadows/colors), I'll go w/this one.

This is a bit obscure, but if you saw ALICE, SWEET ALICE (which you should, wrote about it here: filmcomment.com/blog/tcm-diary…) you would recognize the "homage." S3, ep. 1: I mean, even the door color, the lock, the placement, PLUS that they're both looking at something ... skeezy.

For S2, ep 2 - one of the most moving shots in the ep - is a direct nod to a shot in ALIENS, which unfortunately I can't find online. It's like Dean, looking down at the child's fingers, is Ripley and Hicks combined.