Red Hook Summer (2012)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Cameo: It’s a bit of a cheat this one as it’s more down to budget constraints than design, but Bryan Singer found himself standing in for the mythical Keyser Soze during many mysterious shots of the man throughout the film.
Why It’s Cool: We’re including it here anyway because this counts as the real, legitimate answer to the question: Who is Keyser Soze?
Hairspray (1988)
The Cameo: John Waters appears in his own film as crazy psychiatrist Dr Fredrickson.
Why It’s Cool: In a film that is already brimming with colour and personality, Waters gives himself one of the more oddball characters in the film and pulls it off perfectly.
Oceans Eleven (2011)
The Cameo: Steven Soderbergh can be seen ever so briefly accompanying Don Cheadle as a member of the gang of vault-bombing robbers.
Why It’s Cool: It’s a great role to play and shows that the usually stone-cold and clinical director has a sense of fun.
To Die For (1995)
The Cameo: David Cronenberg plays the Man At The Lake who confronts Nicole Kidman in her car.
Why It’s Cool: It’s a genuinely great performance, with Cronenberg portraying ‘wonderfully creepy’ just the way you always hoped he would.
Slacker (1991)
The Cameo: Richard Linklater kicks off his own film as a guy credited as 'Should Have Stayed At Bus Station' who waxes lyrical in the backseat of a taxi about his dreams.
Why It's Cool: The start of the film is audacious any way, let alone the decision to take on the role himself, but it works brilliantly to set up the tone of the rest of the movie.
Dave (1993)
The Cameo: Oliver Stone appears in this film as a man on TV trying to convince the reporter that the President has been replaced by another man.
Why It’s Cool: Oliver Stone brought us J.F.K. just two years before so seeing him here with another White House conspiracy is a delightful gag.
Hugo (2011)
The Cameo: Martin Scorsese appears as the as the photographer taking a picture of George Méliès outside his new studio.
Why It’s Cool: As this film had been a passion project for Scorsese for many years, the chance to play the person who ‘captures’ Méliès at such an important moment in his life must have had too many parallels to resist.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
The Cameo: As we see a documentary about Malkovich’s career at the end of the film, David Fincher pops up as cultural critic Christopher Bing.
Why It’s Cool: It’s another in a long line of excellent cameos in this film, but this one is just slightly more subtle and pleasing for movie fans…
Into The Night (1985)
The Cameo: Amy Heckerling, director of Fast Times At Ridgemont High and Clueless , appears in the film as clumsy waitress Amy.
Why It’s Cool: It’s the only real acting part that Heckerling has ever performed onscreen (aside from an even smaller cameo in Clueless )
