37 Things You Didn’t Know About The Matrix

Few movies have had as significant an effect on pop culture as The Matrix. Everything about it, from the revolutionary “bullet time” action scenes to the leather-clad style, became instantaneously iconic. And on top of those inimitable stylistic choices, the movie was smart, with something to say that has kept viewers thinking about it and re-watching it over and over again ever since.

But just because you’ve watched The Matrix dozens of times doesn’t mean you know everything there is to know about it. Sure, you’ve probably noticed the obvious Easter eggs, like the very specific books in Thomas Anderson’s apartment, or the way Neo’s duel with Agent Smith mimics classic Westerns. But there are certain things you can only find out by digging into the ancillary materials created around a movie–in other words, by watching the special features and listening to the audio commentaries on the “Ultimate Matrix Collection” Blu-ray set.

With The Matrix 4 on the horizon (for better or worse), we did just that. These facts, quotes, and anecdotes were all pulled from either the audio commentary or the many making-of featurettes included with the series’ definitive collected release. Read on to find out what we learned. And don’t worry–this list only covers the original. We revisited the sequels already once, and that was plenty.