Movie and TV Show references in fanfics

[on:]

Do any of you fanfic writers use references from movies or TV shows? 

[Reply #1 on:]

In the days of Spacedal fanfics...everything was a reference to movies and TV shows. I will not name any, if you really dare to go search PEEL for them (they have been removed from TMZ for years) then go forth you ignorant fool. To me it's like a Pandora's box, those fics should never be re-read for the public.

If so I think something along these lines might happen:



Just warning you now.

[Reply #2 on:]

In the days of Spacedal fanfics...

Hey, those were good days!

(they have been removed from TMZ for years)

No lie--I was actually looking for 'em a few months ago, when I started indoctrinating myself into the fanfic world again. I don't think I've ever read all your stuff, but what I remember wasn't half-bad (especially when you consider how young you were at the time). Don't be beatin' yourself up--we all have fics we're not too proud of...

And on that note: I once wrote a fic (that I am most certainly not linking to, since it's about 99% garbage) that was a vague parody of "Single White Female"--a movie that I have never actually seen, but whose premise I shamelessly stole. Now that, my friends, is good writing.

At any rate, though, I think part of what makes fanfic so neat in general (and what especially lends itself well to Futurama fics) is that you can put a spin on almost any pre-existing work of fiction. You can mix genres, and characters; it's a nice exercise in style.

Yeah, I don't sound pretentious or anything...

[Reply #3 on:]

I use a fair few nods to other TV shows and movies in my fics - I can't link to them as none of them are finished...

Professional writers do it - Futurama's got hundreds of examples. Terry Pratchett does it too; his subtle nod to Das Boot in Jingo had me in stitches.

It's fun - well I see it as fun. I enjoy doing it and if others enjoy reading it at least then I'm happy.
Managed to get the phrase Это курам на смех! into the fic I partially set in Russia so I'm happy with myself. Even if no one else gets the reference...

[Reply #4 on:]

This one's full of references and homages, if you're good enough to spot them all:

http://www.peelified.com/Futurama-Forum-6/Topic-15800-0-Blame_it_on_the_Brain_by.html

The author's easy on the eyes as well.

[Reply #5 on:]

He does have a certain je ne sais quoi... What does that mean? I do not know!

If I put in movie or literature refs I like to make them subtle, rather than just blasting them out there like some authors I could mention elsewhere. However my last but two had a lot of firefly refs in it. I loved that show. Oddly enough they were all missed, and one scene that wasn't a ref was seen as one. Shows how good I am...

[Reply #6 on:]

If I put in movie or literature refs I like to make them subtle, rather than just blasting them out there like some authors I could mention elsewhere.

Yo.

I mean, the plot of "The Fugitive" alone heavily relied on a pair of Simpson characters.  My stories weren't ever exactly light on "throwbacks to other fandoms."

[Reply #7 on:]

Well I didn't meant to sound negative about it. Much.

[Reply #8 on:]

If I put in movie or literature refs I like to make them subtle, rather than just blasting them out there like some authors I could mention elsewhere.

 

Guilty.  But what's the problem with using obvious references to other things from time to time?  Not everything needs to be concealed behind fifteen layers of subtlety, ya know...   Well, maybe 14.

[Reply #9 on:]

I feel vaguely guilty now...

Your refs never struck me as particularly unsubtle. Perhaps I should have worded what I said better: by unsubtle I meant blatantly obvious and unfunny, like my lawnmower man gag. Or lawnmower man.

[Reply #10 on:]

just messing with you Arch.  No worries :P

[Reply #11 on:]

Well I didn't meant to sound negative about it. Much.

Aw, I know.  I didn't mean to make you feel bad.

I enjoy the occasional reference (or several), and if they're done well then the bluntness of their presentation doesn't bother me so much (maybe the bluntness is even part of the joke).  What irks me more is when people outright steal jokes or scenes, word-for-word, without some bigger purpose behind it (like parody).  That just seems lazy to me.

However my last but two had a lot of firefly refs in it. I loved that show. Oddly enough they were all missed, and one scene that wasn't a ref was seen as one. Shows how good I am...

Well, now I feel really stupid.  Though in my defense, I still haven't seen half of the episodes.

[Reply #12 on:]

You all realize that Futurama the TV show is absolutely chock-full of overt references and parodies of other television shows and films, right? So why shouldn't any self-respecting fanfic endeavor to emulate the source meta-fiction?