10 Incredible Movie Parodies Nobody Noticed
9. Grease
Grease is such an iconic pop-culture behemoth in its own right that most audiences have lost all sight of the fact that it was actually created as a parody of the very thing it's typically celebrated for embracing - corny 1950s teen musicals.
Contemporary audiences often complain - quite reasonably - that Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) changes herself entirely for Danny (John Travolta) by film's end, but this was actually intended to mock the '50s teen drama trope of the "good girl" who shows the "bad boy" the error of his ways.
To hammer the point home, most of the principal actors are way above high school age - Stockard Channing was 33 years old during filming - and it's a movie that ends with a totally nonsensical ride in a flying car of all things.
The original musical is admittedly far more upfront about being a parody, yet the film's music and performances are so dosh-garn catchy and entertaining that it's easy to lose sight of its sneakier, more thoughtful underlayer.