One of the main series of our time, Stranger Things, has returned with season 4. It features references to the works of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg and terrifying monsters whose makeup took 7 hours to apply. You will learn about this and other...
Millions are waiting for new episodes of this series. Then they actively discuss, build theories, and analyze it to pieces. Stranger Things has become a global phenomenon and continues to confirm this, breaking another viewership record on Netflix. Well, we have prepared 10 interesting facts about season 4 for you, from which you will learn about the obvious and not-so-obvious connections of the series with A Nightmare on Elm Street, the peculiarities of the filming process, and much more.
Spoilers for season 4 follow below
References to the works of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg
The Duffer Brothers have noted more than once that Stranger Things is a love letter to the 80s. And what are the 80s without Stephen King and Steven Spielberg?
In the fourth season of the show, you can find a ton of references to the two Stevens. For example, the entire storyline with the bullying of Eleven-Jane literally repeats similar scenes from Carrie. And when Dustin uses a payphone, you can notice the iconic quote "E.T. phone home" from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on the phone booth wall.
And also, it didn't just seem to you that the courier who delivers a package to Joyce at the beginning of the season looks a lot like Steven Spielberg?!
Creating Eleven's "classic" look took about 1 hour
In one interview, the actress playing Eleven, Millie Bobby Brown, said that creating the look of the girl with shorn hair took about 1 hour. Unlike the debut season, where the actress actually shaved her hair, this time a wig was used.
Brett Gelman actually practiced karate
Throughout several episodes of season 4, our favorite conspiracy theory fanatic Murray convinces Joyce that he has a black belt in karate. And at the most crucial moment, he indeed wins, despite it previously being revealed that he only sparred with children and teenagers.
To make this look as natural as possible, actor Brett Gelman actually practiced karate for 3 months.
I took it very seriously. Murray has a black belt. And so I thought I needed to make it look as authentic as possible. They [the show's creators] set me up with a karate coach. But I trained even more than they initially expected. For three months I was with these wonderful coaches, Simon Rhee and Phillip Rhee, who are taekwondo masters.
According to Gelman, practicing karate and confidently speaking Russian made him feel in his prime.
New wave of popularity for Kate Bush's song "Running Up That Hill"
In one of the brightest moments of season 4 of Stranger Things, Max escapes from Vecna's clutches thanks to hearing her favorite song "Running Up That Hill". After the season's release, Kate Bush's track shot to number one on the iTunes chart by Monday (the new episodes were released on Friday, May 27). By the way, listen carefully to the lyrics and watch the music video for it; we're sure you'll find a lot of interesting references to the plot there.
Sadie Sink and Dacre Montgomery filmed a scene separately, a year apart
Dacre Montgomery, who plays Billy, appears in a tiny but important cameo in season 4. Vecna takes his form when trying to grab Sadie Sink's character. Max, grieving for her brother, comes literally face to face with her trauma, which makes the episode so emotional and tense.
In reality, the actors filmed this scene on two different continents almost a year apart. The reason is prosaic — Montgomery was in Australia and could not leave the country due to COVID restrictions.
The director of the 4th episode, in which Billy appears, Shawn Levy, stated that this scene was "the most difficult Rubik's Cube of his entire career." But thanks to the magic of cinema, this episode became possible despite all the restrictions.
Applying Vecna's makeup took 7 (!) hours
The most striking character of the season was, of course, Vecna, the terrifying antagonist who kills his victims in the most brutal ways. The actor playing the monster (we'll refrain from this spoiler after all) had to start his shifts at 3 AM because applying the makeup took just over 7 hours. Returning to a human appearance took about an hour.
But such efforts were truly worth it. The actor playing Vecna even said that Millie Bobby Brown cried when she first saw him in that frighteningly realistic makeup.
David Harbour came to the season premiere in a unique jacket
The clothing of the actor playing Hopper featured the show's characters and many iconic elements from different seasons, such as waffles, walkie-talkies, and characters on bicycles.
It's unexpectedly heavy. But I like it. It's a standalone quirky piece of art. It's hard not to love the embroidery and rhinestones.
Dungeons & Dragons is indeed linked to the "Satanic Panic"
In the fourth season of Stranger Things, the influence of the game Dungeons & Dragons plays an important role in the plot. But whereas before it was the domain of nerds, now it stirs the minds of the adult population, who see occult undertones in it. In one episode, the "Hellfire Club", which the main characters belong to, is literally accused of Satanism and involvement in ritual murders.
To modern viewers, this may seem far-fetched, but in 80s America, this actually happened. This phenomenon went down in history as the Satanic Panic. Dungeons & Dragons, of course, was not the source of the hysteria, but this game alarmed many, as the youth of that time could spend dozens of hours on it, trying on a variety of creepy personas.
The Duffer Brothers forgot about Will's birthday in the new season and apologized to fans
According to the creators of Stranger Things, they want to think about this moment and try to explain the omission by the fact that Will actually felt bad that day when, instead of celebrating, Mike, Eleven, and Will went roller skating. Or leave everything unchanged, as it was in the original script.
Season 4 is closely linked to A Nightmare on Elm Street
This season has references to various horrors: from Halloween (mentioned by Eddie Munson's uncle) to The Evil Dead (a poster for it can be seen in Jonathan's room, and Vecna's murders largely reference Sam Raimi's creation). But the closest connection is with the work of .
Evil has never felt so close, and horror movies themselves have never seemed so smart. And all thanks to the master of horror Wes Craven, who made the horror revolution three times. Let's remem
Open materialFirstly, the characters themselves recall Freddy Krueger when trying to understand Vecna's principles.
Secondly, in the video rental store where Steve and Robin work, a cardboard cutout of the maniac in a striped sweater is on display.
Thirdly, the scene where Nancy questions Manson's uncle about the maniac Victor Creel references a similar episode with Nancy from Nightmare, where she tries to find out about Freddy from her mother.
And fourthly, of course, Robert Englund. The actor who played Freddy Krueger plays Victor Creel in Stranger Things, a suspect in the brutal murder of his family, and in one episode, he seemingly deliberately runs his fingernails along concrete, reminding us of his legendary character.
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