50 Movies That Used Recycled Movie Footage

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Shots and scenes to cause cinema déjà vu

Fight Club (1999)

How Noticeable? Edward Norton's CGI breath in the cave scene is actually the exact same CGI breath that came out of Leonardo DiCaprio's mouth during the end of Titanic . And if you recognise it, you're basically some kind of movie savant.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Recycles: Queen Kelly (1929)

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How Noticeable? In a film where former silent movie star Gloria Swanson stars as former silent movie star Norma Desmond, it makes perfect sense to use Swanson’s own old film to represent a movie from Norma’s career – not so much a sly trick as a knowing, meta nod.

What's Up, Tiger Lily (1966)

Recycles: International Secret Police: Key Of Keys (1965)

How Noticeable? In what is probably the most obvious use of reused footage, Woody Allen overdubbed this entire Japanese spy film with original dialogue. You may not know the film he has used, but that’s not really the point is it?

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