10 Fake Movies Within Films We All Wish Were Real

10. Habeas Corpus As Seen In: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

The Coen Brothers (with Sam Raimi) are masters of recreating specific film eras, and this is a perfect example. Habeas Corpus is the title of the "fast-talking, black-and-white screwball comedy" that a young kid reads about in a newspaper. The film then shows a clip, and it's a pitch-perfect, dialogue-heavy parody of the 1940s films that clearly inspired the Coens, right down to the rapid-fire delivery.

9. The Case As Seen In: Super 8 (2011)

The "movie within the movie" is the entire heart of Super 8. J.J. Abrams' film follows a group of kids trying to make an amateur zombie movie in the 1970s. Their low-budget, high-passion project, The Case, is not just a gag but the "charming, driving force of the plot," and audiences loved it so much that Abrams included the full, finished short on the Blu-ray release.

8. Satan's Alley As Seen In: Tropic Thunder (2008)

Tropic Thunder is filled with fake trailers, but this one is a brilliant skewering of "prestige drama." It teases Tugg Speedman's (Ben Stiller) role as a monk in a "forbidden love affair" with another monk (played by Tobey Maguire). It is a perfect parody of overwrought, "Oscar-bait" films like Brokeback Mountain.

7. Logjammin' As Seen In: The Big Lebowski (1998)

This is a classic Coen Brothers gag that serves as a key plot point. The adult film, which The Dude mistakenly believes stars Bunny, is actually one of Maude Lebowski's "art" projects. The brief, ridiculous clip (and its sequel, Gutterballs) is a perfect, weird puzzle piece in the film's bizarre and hilarious tapestry.

6. The Night the Reindeer Died As Seen In: Scrooged (1988)

Bill Murray's cynical TV exec, Frank Cross, approves this absurdly violent promo at the beginning of Scrooged. It’s a "Santa's-workshop-is-attacked-by-terrorists" action film, which the article praises for its "ridiculous action film title" and its perfect, straight-faced cameo by Lee Majors. We'd absolutely watch the full, R-rated holiday-action-carnage.

5. Hamlet (Schwarzenegger's Version) As Seen In: Last Action Hero (1993)

"To be, or not to be... Not to be." This fake trailer is one of the most memorable jokes in Last Action Hero. It's a perfect parody of '90s action-hero tropes, reimagining Shakespeare's tragedy as a high-octane blockbuster, complete with Arnold Schwarzenegger blowing up a castle.

4. Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season As Seen In: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2002)

One of the most hilarious and star-studded gags in the View Askewniverse. It is the "unnecessary sequel" to the Gus Van Sant classic, which has now, inexplicably, become an action movie. Watching Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (playing themselves) film this ridiculous sequel, which climaxes with the line, "Applesauce, bitch," is pure comedy gold.

3. Simple Jack As Seen In: Tropic Thunder (2008)

Tugg Speedman's "disastrous attempt at an Oscar-grab" is a central plot point and a masterpiece of parody. The movie hilarious send-up of "Oscar bait" films where actors (like Forrest Gump or I Am Sam) chase awards by playing "simple-minded" characters. Tugg's "You m-m-make me happy" line is an unforgettable, cringey classic.

2. Stab As Seen In: Scream 2 (1997) & Beyond

The Scream franchise's meta-genius is perfectly encapsulated in the Stab films. This "movie-within-a-movie" is the glossy, Hollywood version of the events from the first Scream, complete with Tori Spelling as "Sidney." The Stab series became a "massive franchise" within the Scream universe, allowing the films to constantly, and brilliantly, parody themselves.

1. Angels with Filthy Souls As Seen In: Home Alone (1990)

This is the undisputed king of fake movies. Kevin McCallister uses this "brilliant, over-the-top" gangster movie parody to terrify Marv and the pizza delivery guy. Everything about it is perfect, from its hard-boiled dialogue to its iconic, quotable lines. "Keep the change, ya filthy animal" has become just as famous as Home Alone itself.