Scream (1996)
The Cameo: Wes Craven appears as the school janitor, wearing a rather familiar-looking jumper.
Why It’s Cool: As cameos go, dressing up as a ridiculously OTT tribute to Freddy Krueger is right up there.
Any Given Sunday (1999)
The Cameo: Oliver Stone lets his love of football run wild as he takes a cameo role as one of a pair of over-excited commentators.
Why It’s Cool: Stone really gets wrapped up in his performance, spouting out clichés and whipping up the hyperbole life a real-life pro!
The Birds (1963)
The Cameo: Hitch’s obligatory cameo finds him sharing the screen with a pair of adorable pooches.
Why It’s Cool: There’s just something pleasingly incongruous about Hitchcock’s canine companions.
Groundhog Day (1993)
The Cameo: When Bill Murray desperately visits a neurologist to sort out his dilemma, said neurologist is played by director Harold Ramis.
Why It’s Cool: Put any of the Ghostbusters in a room together and good things happen…
Evil Dead 2 (1987)
The Cameo: Sam Raimi manages to get his mug on camera, popping up at the end of the film as one of the knights who greets their new saviour, Ash.
Why It’s Cool: The ending provides quite the twist, to say the least. Having the director pop in only adds to the sense of delirium!
Alien (1979)
The Cameo: When the facehugger makes its grand entrance onto John Hurt’s face, that’s Ridley Scott’s hand controlling the puppet inside the egg.
Why It’s Cool: Apparently Scott was unconvinced by the puppetry of his crew-members, so decided to take on the job himself. If you want something doing…
Chasing Amy (1997)
The Cameo: Kevin Smith reprises his role as Silent Bob, appearing here in a single scene in which he drops some truth-bombs concerning the nature of love. Word.
Why It’s Cool: It’s nice to hear Bob speak for once and we also get the title explained into the bargain. Lovely.
Gremlins (1984)
The Cameo: Amid a flurry of sci-fi references, Steven Spielberg can be spotted as a wheelchair-bound professor.
Why It’s Cool: The Beard’s appearance is made all the more pleasing to notice since Robbie The Robot is hogging the limelight as the more obvious cameo.
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
The Cameo: Gus Van Sant drops in as director of cynical sequel Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season .
Why It’s Cool: Van Sant is happy to send himself up as a cash-hungry mercenary, dismissing Ben Affleck’s request for direction with, “Jesus, Ben, I said I’m busy”, as he counts a big wad of bills.
Knocked Up (2007)
The Cameo: Harold Ramis appears in one scene as Seth Rogen’s dad, giving him some much-needed advice on fatherhood.
Why It’s Cool: Because Ramis comes off as the coolest dad ever. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” he tells his son. We have something in our eye…
