References: The Movie

References: The Movie was an indie film that gain fame due to its ridiculous amounts of cameos throughout the entire movie. Made by five university students, it was rated "Indie Film of 2018." The film follows a penguin named Roger who lives in a popular virtual-reality game titled GARS, where a big quest happens, and a notorious user tries to find it via his "mafia," where Roger and his gang of friends try to find and stop them once and for all.

Synopsis/Plot
The year is 2018, and GARS, a virtual reality game which came out two years ago (2016), which was having it's second year anniversary, and amongst it, a big quest is soon revealed in a video, where the clues are five hidden challenges. A fellow player, Roger, who goes online as "Big_man42," is one of the many participants. He soon narrates about how life is in the GARS world: online PvP battles, vacation worlds, arcade worlds, literature challenges, and big sporting events. In about two months, nobody has found the challenges. Roger participates in a race, an impossible race, where every driver fails. Amongst him and the fellow participants, a mafia known as the "LoL Mafia," leads by "Dick, the LoL Mafia." Dick is a fellow penguin who is basically the typical griefer turned crime lord online.

Then, Roger cracks the first challenge which is going through a secret invisible gate (which is designed like a wall, but once using a vehicle, you can go through), and races through the entire stage without no traps or hazards, and soon wins. It then shows Dick, where he and his fellow partners try to set up traps and ideas to wipe out Roger. It then shows Roger going to the second to third challenge, two challenges merged, one of which is listening through a whole music mixtape, and memorizes lyrics, to which he uses as a clue, and soon he passes, and soon in the third challenge, he must pick an instrument to play, and soon he chooses a guitar, and thorugh flashbacks of him practicing his guitar, he knew a bit of the chords of the song, and though he did not perform that good, the challenge says that "Anyone above 1000-2000 points will pass!" and soon, Roger passes. This ticks off Dick off of his chair. Literally.

He soon goes online, where he teleports online to him, and soon destroys his personal online igloo, and steals his belongings, leaving Roger with little tools, potions and online virtual food. He soon makes a video on his official fanpage where he was robbed online, and soon gains online sympathy. Dick soon mocks him online, to which everyone goes against him. He soon cracks the fourth challenge, where he must build an Armo city in under four hours, which show his timelapse. He wins this challenge as well. He is soon captured online by the LoL Mafia, and soon, he video live broadcasts himself, to which Dick let him go, to which he says, quote, "Sure, broadcast yourself, if your fans come and attack me, I will let you go, and if not, I will kill you!" In about three minutes, his fans come and other fellow players, and a big battle royale unfolds, right on the wastelands of a fictional planet dubbed "Planet Death."

Dick uses a bomb that kills everyone, but luckily for Roger, he had an "Extra Life" fish, where he gains an extra life and his previous winnings. The real challenge was in the castle of the creator, where he must win a full game of Astro-Barrier. He soon wins and soon, he is awarded with 500,000,000 GARS bucks, and soon is administrator of GARS, since the creator is retiring. It soon ends with Dick getting banned, and members of the LoL Mafia who were forced to joining where set free. It ends with Roger in his igloo, watery eyes of enjoyment, and soon, it cuts to him being happy, and being honored a hero, and ending with the quote "I feel happy, not because I am honored a hero, even though I am, I am happy because I am, who I am."

Production
The movie started production in the summer of 2017. Though very little information is available, all that can be said is that the movie was very hard, not because the scenes where the main protagonist and antagonist weren't that hard, but the amount of characters, objects, vehicles and overall references spliced in the movie was pain staking: each frame of character waddling, hopping, battling, talking or dancing where very hard, due to the fact that, well, there were a lot!

The idea was quote, by the main leader and director "just to see how many penguins can see references and how many said references we can cram in into a movie." It was distributed by Penguin Productions as a way to show young directors and teams to show their movies.

Release
It was released on May 26th, 2018.

Reception
The movie was met with positive reviews. The movie premiered at various film festivals, which gained applaud from the audiences at various said film festivals.

Various individuals also gave their opinion on the film.

Avatars (based on real individuals)

 * 12yz12ab: He is seen in the Entrance Plaza, then again at the race challenge and finally in the final battle piloting a Battle Bot.
 * Akbaboy: He is seen at the Goner Pyramid in the Planet Death PvP battle, where he is seen attacking penguins using a hammer. He reappears during the final battle.
 * Amigopen De Maple: He is first seen in the race challenge (where his car crashes) and then in the museum archives and finally during the final, wielding his hammer.
 * Aqua Jet: She is first seen in the Planet Death PvP battle being taken out by an avatar. She reappears during the final battle.
 * Austin8310: He appears entering the Planet Death PvP portal which during Roger's narration, he appears in said battle using the stairs (breaking apart via lava) the Goner Pyramid. He appears in the final battle.
 * Barkjon: He is first seen in the Entrance Plaza behind Roger's avatar. He appears in the final battle.
 * Batman24614: He is seen during the race getting into a modified taxi cab, where he crashes, then he reappears during the final battle.
 * Ben Hun: He is seen at the dance club scene, and appears during the final battle.
 * Blue Pengu 7: He is seen at the museum archives using one of the desktops to research. He reappears during the final battle piloting a Battle Bot.
 * Brant: He is seen at the arcade planet playing several arcade games and during the final battle, using a Beam Cannon.
 * Bro: He is seen passing Roger's avatar on the Entrance Plaza. He reappears in the final battle.
 * Brown51brown: He is seen during the Planet Death PvP battle, climbing and attacking enemies on the Goner Pyramid. He reappears during the final battle.
 * Bugzy: He is seen piloting a Battle Bot in the Planet Death PvP battle and during the final battle.

Items (weapons, toys, food, etc.)

 * Armo: There is a planet dubbed Armo Planet, along with the fourth challenge involving Armo.
 * Nummy Cake: A Nummy Cake is being seen thrown by an avatar during the final battle at LoL Mafia members.

Literature

 * Why would 1994 be my worst year?: Why would 1994 be my worst year? is mentioned by a scene of nerd penguins discussing possible ideas or clues to the challenges, specifically the fourth challenge.

Trivia

 * It is of course based on Ready Player One and it's movie adaptation.