3 Movies Within Movies We’re Secretly Dying To See (#1 Gave Us An Iconic Christmas Movie Quote)

The movie industry seems to simply go from strength to strength, constantly evolving to match the needs and wants of global audiences hungry for excellent big-screen stories. Across many different genres and subgenres, the world of cinema pretty much has a story for anyone and any occasion, with different movies evoking a whole range of emotions thanks to the voices and talents of countless filmmakers, actors, producers, and other creatives. When ranking the best movies, subjective opinion always comes into play, because the sheer scope of cinema is too large for anyone to comprehensively decide what audiences should like.

That said, there are a few things we can all seem to agree on. Over the years, many movies have established meta narratives that have their characters interact with the movie industry. This has led to the creation of several fictional movies that exist only within the world of a single film or major movie franchise. One thing many fans agree on is that these entirely fictional films actually look as though they’d be well worth watching, even though none of us will ever actually get the chance.

3) Slater (Last Action Hero)

Some consider Last Action Hero one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most underrated movies, as its meta exploration of the movie industry through the lens of an action comedy failed to land with wider audiences upon its release. However, as the movie’s cult following will attest to, it’s a fun examination of exactly the sort of movies its star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is best known for. Its fictional action movie franchise, Slater, follows the character of Jack Slater, a Los Angeles police detective played by Schwarzenegger. The film sees its young protagonist transported into the franchise, while some of the franchise’s characters make their way into the real world. Regardless of your personal opinion on Last Action Hero, the movie’s presentation of the Slater movies makes them seem like they could be incredible action movies. Sharing qualities with Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, and various other action movies, Slater feels like exactly the kind of high-octane cheesy action film that audiences would undoubtedly enjoy if only it were real.

2) Satan’s Alley (Tropic Thunder)

While not all of its jokes have aged particularly well, Tropic Thunder is still one of the greatest satirical comedy movies of recent times. The 2008 movie follows a group of fictional actors as they set out to make a war movie on location in Vietnam, not realizing that the danger they find themselves in is real. Its fictional stars are played by various accomplished actors, with Robert Downey Jr. playing extreme method actor Kirk Lazarus. The beginning of the movie introduces the characters by playing some of their respective work and trailers, one of which is the fictional film Satan’s Alley, starring Lazarus. The trailer establishes Satan’s Alley as the story of a forbidden romance between two 12th-century monks, played by the fictional Kirk Lazarus and Tobey Maguire. While the trailer is obviously made for comedic effect, Satan’s Alley actually looks like a movie that could have been pretty great, in a very similar vein to Brokeback Mountain, which it clearly parodies. The simple fact is that if Satan’s Alley were a real film, it almost certainly would have won at least a few major awards.

1) Angels with Filthy Souls (Home Alone)

Across the history of cinema, many iconic movie quotes have resonated with audiences. 1990’s Home Alone is a Christmas classic and features a number of incredibly memorable moments. One of them centers on the fictional movie Angels with Filthy Souls, a noir crime drama that Kevin McCallister watches when left to his own devices over the holiday period. The brief violent scene of the movie used in the film shows its protagonist, Johnny, threatening another character called Snakes before opening fire on him with an automatic weapon. Once he has killed Snakes, Johnny utters the now-iconic line: “Keep the change, ya filthy animal!” The moment has been quoted endlessly, thanks largely to its comedic delivery, and it has led many to cite Angels with Filthy Souls as a movie they’d love to see. Unfortunately, it only exists within the continuity of the Home Alone franchise, so we’ll simply have to settle for the small amount of the fictional movie that Kevin McCallister watches.