At this point, we’re starting to wonder if Ready Player One is Steven Spielberg’s attempt to blow up the ‘80s nostalgia machine by completely overloading its circuits. You know, a “I made this monster, now I must destroy it” sort of thing. Case in point: Witness a new set of posters for the film that takes characters from the film (or, rather, their avatars from the immersive online game OASIS) and inserts them into posters for nostalgia-friendly titles from the ‘60s through the ‘90s like Back To The Future, Blade Runner, The Breakfast Club, The Lost Boys, and The Matrix. And…that’s it. Much like Ernest Cline’s book, it’s a series of references for the sake of references.
The posters were first spotted on street corners in Los Angeles and, according to /Film, will be available to view at the Ready Player One VR “Experience” at SXSW. In an email to The A.V. Club, Warner Bros. was more than happy to take credit for these unholy mashups of established and forthcoming nostalgia, and even provided the high-quality copies you see below.
Stay on high alert for roving packs of nostalgia-baiters until Ready Player One opens on March 29.