Scenes to Remember

1. The Idol



Even before I had seen any of these movies, this is how I imagined them. The exotic landscapes, the dangers, the trust-no-one spirit; it's all there. It shows both Indy's strength and wisdom he's gained from his previous journeys, but also his weaknesses. Even the changes of pace are there as it starts out mysterious and slow, and later erupts to fast action. The opening is like a mini-movie in itself - it doesn't have much relevance to later events in the movie but it packs everything that Indy movies are about in 10 minutes.

2. The Sword Duel



Yes, we all know the story. Mr. Ford felt constipated so they had to get this scene out of the way faster than planned. Poor sword guy trained for months but you got to admit this is (probably) the more memorable way compared to that convoluted epic fight we never got.
However, there are differing angles to this story. According to Ford himself, he suggested that it would be better for the flow of story or something like that, cause maybe he doesn't want to admit that he's a human off-camera and has bowel movement. Whatever the case, it plays brilliantly with your expectations.

3. "Iridescent Algae"



Love the robbery. Adore the diner scene. But quite simply, the first scene that made me realize I'm probably gonna like this movie A LOT, was this one: Neil and Eady sharing a moment on the balcony with an absolutely beautiful view of the city opening in front of them, which Neil describes as "iridescent algae that come out once a year in the water in Fiji", accompanied by Terje Rypdal & The Chase in the background. All this while learning about who's really behind the ruthless bank robber.

4. Slice of orange



This scene breaks my heart. Such an innocent moment with a child and his grandfather sharing some quality time with famous ad-libbing by Brando. After that, not too many seconds left.

5. The lineup



Sometimes we're better off with a blooper. Director Bryan Singer couldn't get his actors to play the scene with straight faces (what with Benicio del Toro FARTING and all that) so they went with a screwed up take. And that's what's so great! Not only is it funny but it's informative as it gives these unrepentant pack of criminals a whole new side: they're so familiar with line-ups that it's one big laugh to them.

6. U.S.S. Indianapolis Speech



"Show, don't tell," is what they say but in this case a monologue is just as, if not even more, terrifying a solution. After having drunk fun with our main heroes and sharing a few laughs at the expense of ex-girlfriends and dead wives, Robert Shaw silences the cabin with painful memories of his past. All those details about the shark's "doll's eyes" and "high-pitched screamings" make it all the more significant, as if it really happened to Shaw. Of course, Quint tells it like it was nothing, even smiling a bit here and there, but we know, from the intensity in his eyes and the pure concentration in his voice, he's no ordinary seabear.

It is well-known that Shaw was difficult to work with and that he was on the verge of getting his a** sacked until he redeemed himself with this speech. Ever since his performance has been known as one of the biggest Oscar snubs.

7. Kung-fu Priest



This is the greatest - NO - the most IMPORTANT scene in movie history. It's up there with Rosebud. A New Zealandian kung-fu Priest kicking zombie ass. What should I even say to that?

The only downside is that he dies in about two minutes. Even he's no adversary for Peter Jackson's living dead. But for those two minutes, he was undoubtedly the Oceanic equivalent of Bruce Lee.

"I kick ass for the Lord!" You sure do, Kung-Fu Priest.

8. Il Triello



Warning. May cause heart attack.

By that I don't mean like a horror movie scary moment but the masterful build-up of tension. The movie has already played over two and a half hours up until this point but it still takes itself time about ten minutes just to create the atmosphere of the last battle by simply having the three main characters slowly walking to their places in the triangle and waiting for the moment when someone draws their gun. Naturally, Ennio Morricone backs it up.

Funnily enough, this scene kinda plays like a comic book in a way. There's barely any movement in a singular shot. But, bit by bit, their hands move closer to their pistolas, editing gets faster and faster as Morricone music reaches its' climax and BAM! Nice.

9. "Long Tall Sally"



What seems like a scene that's merely about transferring the soldiers to the jungle and nothing else, the helicopter ride actually showcases quite pithily who these guys and what their statuses in this rescue team are. Good-natured ballbusting, raunchy jokes, sexual tyrannosaurs and Little Richard on the stereo. Not much is needed, but enough so you get the sense that they go way back.

10. Buffalo Hunt



Usually, I don't care for huge historical epics. I do not care for battle scenes where battalions of soldiers run towards each other like maniacs, either.
Now, replace the soldiers with buffalo - you just may hit the jackpot.

It isn't quite a battle situation either but I think I get the same feeling most people do when they see these humongous action scenes in movies like Braveheart or Gladiator.
The magnitude of this scene makes me sweat - and the sound of the buffalo roam along with John Barry's music hardens my nipples.

I bet you really wanted to know that.

11. Miami Chainsaw Massacre



Here's a scene where they knew exactly when to pull off the camera and leave the rest for the viewer's imagination... Sort of. Okay, there's blood but rather than showing an arm dismembered, they show the guy's face as blood splatters on the side of his head. The effect is nothing less than horrifying.
Other than shock value, the scene also shows how far Tony's loyalty goes. He doesn't want his friend get wasted but he's not gonna rat on anyone either. Tough choices have to be made.

12. The corridor fight



One continuous shot, Yeong Wook Jo's downbeat theme song playing, and a guy beating up a crowd with a hammer. Notice how the sound effects never go over the top, which only adds to the reality (as if one guy beating up a bunch of people was realistic, but aside from that).

Other than that, I don't have much to say. Possibly the most memorable fight scene in the 2000's. Not all Asian fight scenes have to be martial arts and bullet ballet.

13. "We Have All the Time in the World"



After Goldfinger it seemed like the Bond series could only reach mediocrity. Even this movie was a very hit & miss (in my opinion) up until the first real major action climax in Bond history (history that included 5 movies before this) and the very last scene.

This ending had BALLS.

In many Bond fans' eyes this made up for the mistake known as George Lazenby and to this day the movie keeps on dividing opinions. To me, as a whole, it's not one of the worst, but, however, not among the best either. But that singular scene definitely stands out. It's no wonder Diamonds Are Forever couldn't compete with this as it barely acknowledged that ending after its opening scene. What a pity.

Meet Q

You know what kind of feeling I get from this scene? I imagine the first cut of the film running too long so Martin Campbell gets a note from the producers to cut it down. Only they still have one scene, a staple of Bond films, to shoot: Bond getting his gadgets.

So they have all this stuff in the script to show, but no time. So what they do is they move all the random booby trap tests, that used to have the spotlight exclusively on them earlier in the series, in the background. Thus, we may just see a guy in the background suddenly be catapulted in the air while Q is talking! That's hilarious! The same principle is applied to the gag where a person is stuck inside a phonebooth and some guys are just casually moving him away while we focus on Bond and Q.

Okay, so what's special about it? Well, not only does it add up to a considerably funnier scene with Q than any other before it, it really depicts a wilder atmosphere in Q's lab. But it's the kind of chaos, enhanced by thoughtful editing,(take a look at the editing between Q shooting a missile off his cast, saying "Hunting!", and cutting to the next shot) which every employee there is already used to as Q's nonchalant reactions clearly convey us.

Okay, so why should you care? Well, think about the time we live in. We're constantly cranking out re-imaginings of established franchises and characters - often opting for darker interpretations, am I right? - and GoldenEye was possibly the most drastic change in the British agent's form at the time. This little scene to me represents the near SURGICAL care they updated the series with, tossing away anything out of fashion but ultimately keeping it highly recognizable.

Dinnertable decorum with Annie Sullivan



For anyone skeptic of the power of "old movies," The Miracle Worker may just work as a proper stepping stone into the realm of older cinema, because it's so archetypal Oscar moviemaking; an inspiring and uplifting biographical drama of a disabled person featuring overcoming obstacles, powerhouse performances and at least one of those signature moments of a wide-eyed character full of innocence, looking off the side to the camera, face ethereally lit.
It's very accessible in that sense. Very familiar to anyone who likes any cinema of the last 30 years even.

But there's at least one scene that pushes The Miracle Worker to something exceptional. I have to admit, I thought this would be a fairly safe film depicting a cute, harmless disabled person full of misunderstood spirit, who only needs a patient, but slightly eccentric tutor to make them soar.
Sure, one could describe Arthur Penn's Helen Keller biography in those words, but that would be ignoring the fucking outrageous clashes Helen and Annie have in this film; the central of them happening around the 40-minute-mark, when Annie is left alone with Helen to try and teach her to use a spoon. What ensues is a near dialogue-free (cause why would there be dialogue for a deaf person?) fight that just keeps on going, RELENTLESSLY, food flying, spoons flying, both pummeling each other like prizefighters over tableside manners. It goes on for so long it actually turns from horrifying and distressing to funny. One of the most effective adverts for childlessness you could ever imagine.

And, to cap it all of, Annie walks outside to meet the rest of the family, declaring "she can fold her napkin," and this happens OFFSCREEN, thus depriving us of the fruits of all the labour, while stressing the battle of getting there.

14. Blake



There's Ed Harris. There's Jack Lemmon. There's Alan Arkin and Kevin Spacey. Who the FUCK ever thought that Alec Baldwin would outdo them all? He just drops by for less than ten minutes and then disappears altogether, but for that ten minutes he takes no bullshit from any of them. Even with his back to the camera, "AUTHORITY" is written all over him.

And what is he talking about? Murder investigation? Bank robbery? His evil plan to take over the world?

No, just sales.

Hardcore.

15. To infinity and beyond

Toy Story is, of course, nothing short of genuine pleasure for all ages with its colorful groundbreaking visuals and story that combines both exciting adventure and actual character development. Love both of the characters, but still Buzz's story is the juicier one. For a toy, that dude has some delusional sense of reality and now he's destined to jump and fly through the window with uplifting music giving him strength - but it's no help. His physical damages abut on a dismembered arm but his identity and self-image must've shattered into thousands of pieces. He's not a space ranger, only "a child's play thing."

But as we learn in the end, that's no shame.

16. "Well do you, punk?"



Dirty Harry is basically just one awesome scene after another but the best lies in the very end. They recreate the scene from the beginning with one of the best-known (and yet, often misquoted) monologues in history, only this time we have seen Harry chase Scorpio for 90 minutes and it's time for our reward. Andrew Robinson did a terrific job in making us hate the filthy maggot Scorpio, so seeing Clint Eastwood finally catch his ass is soooo satisfying. It is vigilantism, but you can't help it feels so justifiable.
The sheer rage Harry is trying to hold inside, just... you don't question the seriousness of this inspector.

This was probably the moment that cemented Eastwood as the most awesome badass in movies as we know them. If he wasn't already.

17. Nightclub Shootout



Paul Oakenfold's "Ready Steady Go". Alone, it's a pretty basic Ministry of Sound song that I couldn't care less for. But in this scene, it was a perfect fit. I mean, yeah, I could think of a million better songs to play in the scene but when you really get down to it, what are the odds that something GOOD is gonna play when you enter a nightclub? You're not gonna hear Eric Clapton. Or Queen or something. No, you'll hear Oakenfold. It's also one of those cases that you forget the song plays in the movie's world ('diegetic sound' is what they call it) rather than the usual orchestrated score.

And as I learn to appreciate the song, I appreciate the overall scene. The music, the lights, the crowd - it definitely captures the liveliest side of nightly Los Angeles.

18. Final scene



This is a newcomer as I saw this movie only about a month ago, but the ending really left an impact and I had to watch it again on YouTube the next day. Don't worry, there's no major spoilers or surprises to be ruined. It's such a relief to see those guys finally get home (or whatever's a home for Candy's character) after all the shit they've been through and... that's about it. Really, there's no magic tricks there. Its impact mostly lies in the heartwarming feel of coming home from a long and frustrating trip. Very little dialogue, Blue Room's rendition of "Everytime you go away" plays in the background and Del meeting Neil's family. The very last look on Del's face, the feel of acceptance, melts the coldest of hearts.

Of course, if you know anything about John Candy and his insecure nature, you can see even deeper into the movie.

19. The Counterfeit Montage



In 'The French Connection' director William Friedkin gave us an intriguing glimpse into police work with the scene where Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider tore down an entire car to find a few bags of drugs.
This time around, in 'To Live and Die in L.A.' it was the thug's turn. Friedkin basically turned counterfeiting money into an action scene with its brisk editing and Wang Chung's fast, energetic instrumentals. It's like something you'd expect from Hot Fuzz.
How accurately does it portray counterfeiting? I don't know. I don't think it's supposed to be a 'Funny Money 101' anyway, but it's fascinating, nevertheless, when a movie goes into such practical details.
Also notice that Dafoe's character is an artist whose capabilities are at good use in counterfeiting, but who immediately lights his finished painting on fire because he can't get artistic satisfaction. I don't know what purpose it serves to the story but, on the other hand, something that unravels too easily won't stay in your mind for long.

20. Conversation with Orson Welles



You know what I love? Bitching about historical inaccuracies. Don't get me wrong, it does add weight to your creation when you show you've done your homework, but if the inaccuracy is there to make a point relevant to the story, I say go for it!

Again, what I find interesting about this scene is: here we have a film maker who's often named the worst director of all time. Opposite to him is one of the pioneers of film making. However, there's actually little difference between those two. They get along pretty well. They share the intransigence towards their productions. The other one just happens to make shitty films. But it doesn't make him less respectable an artist.

Also, it IS pretty epic seeing Orson Welles brought to life by Vincent D'Onofrio's looks and Maurice LaMarche's voice work. And don't gimme that "UGHH But he was supposed to be fat by then!" crap, I don't wanna hear that.

21. Dances with Leopards

I know it's a cheap shot to come here and ridicule a movie, but just thinking about this King Kong rip-off from Hong Kong makes me wanna pee. The definite highlight of the movie is this scene here described as "something out of a 'Naked Gun' film" by our local newspaper critic. He was right.

However, I should warn you: watching Danny Lee in 'The Killer' could be hard after this.

22. The Planet Hollywood meeting



For me, as a whole, The Expendables is OK. Nothing more, nothing less.
But this church scene was a classic even before the movie was out. It was already legendary when someone (Sly presumably) came up with the idea.
It's undeniably mostly fan service but I thought it was also a neat little summary of what each of these guys meant to action movie audiences back in the day and what kind of characters they played. Arnie walks in like the king of the world, and the dialogue that follows is exactly like I always imagined their statuses in action movies:

Trent: "Big Barney Ross."
Barney: "BIGGER Trent Mouse."

That's just one of the little details that are this mind explosion of an encounter.

23. Whoop That Trick!



I think the music itself in this film is mediocre at best, but how hard is it out here for a viewer to not get excited when the whitest of all skinny white people, DJ Qualls, gives Terrence Howard some funky-ass bassline in a crappy home studio soundproofed with egg cartons while Howard is spitting his heart out? Howard, of course, looks at Qualls with disapproval at first like a straight-from-the-ghetto person is basically obligated to do, but when they get down to business, differences are set aside.
If that doesn't showcase the uniting power of music, I don't know what does.

24. Unforgettable demise



I've probably given Watchmen a higher rating than I should've if I were honest, but then again, watching this scene reminds me why I did so. This is the kind of thing I wanna see more in action movies: have a tender atmosphere lighting and play something soothing, like Nat King Cole here, while showing someone get brutally murdered, thus creating one hell of a contrast. It almost makes the violence kinda painless.
But really, just to hear something else on the soundtrack of a superhero adaptation than overpowering orchestra music is sooooo refreshing. Yet sadly so rare.

25. Go Bama!



I'm not the militant kind of guy who goes apeshit over tanks and weeps whenever I hear my national anthem, but I could really feel the excitement and pride to be part of the troop in this particular scene. Not to mention, the heavy rain, Gene Hackman's speech and that friggin fantastic Hans Zimmer score go together like... something with something. No wonder sparks are flying in the background.
Also, I noticed that if Hackman's character had a really big dog, like a Doberman, it would be a bit too much, don't you think? So it's actually kind of fitting that he's a man tough enough to have a small terrier next to him.

26. City Tour



I used to think Superman was silly, but as time went on I warmed up to it and understood what it was going for. This scene is definitely one of the main reasons for my increasing affection for this film. In addition to its romantic nature and John Williams's absolutely gorgeous music, this is a prime example of why I find Donner's Superman so historically attractive: it's something from a time when, instead of being dark and brooding all night long, there was a superhero film that was simply out to make you believe that man can fly.

Despite obvious green screen and implausible laws of physics, whether literally or metaphorically, I do believe.

27. Hush heist

Everyone always talks about the bank robbery in 'Heat' but if you really want a heist (and not the after-fight that everyone calls the heist), go for 'Rififi.' Granted, this scene takes about one sixth of the movie's running time but that's one captivating 20 minutes, I tell you.
Of course, this scene wouldn't even be famous if it weren't for the fact that it has no dialog or music. Only occasional noises and a group of four working their way to riches, the lack of dialog accentuating their co-operation skills.

I wanna stress though, that the scene is not, as I had thought beforehand, soundless, which would probably have a vastly different, presumably much more distressing, effect. The natural sounds ease the viewing experience considerably.

28. Dreams Come True

What we have here is hardly a revolutionary idea: there's nothing new about demonstrating character's mood by playing "Walking on sunshine" or "Raindrops keep falling on my head" while they simply walk down the street.
But the way (500) Days of Summer extends this moment into a mini-musical number simply caught me off-guard. The things that happen during the scene are very exaggerated but everything describes the main character's mood so enjoyably that his happiness becomes my happiness.
When even Han Solo winks at you, things couldn't be any better.



It would be perfectly good on its own, but it's crowned by what happens right after Gordon-Levitt gets in the elevator.

29. Three Stooges and a Hooker

Deleted scenes usually have a reason to be left on the cutting room floor. In Lethal Weapon's case though, I just feel bad for those who don't own the extended version.
It's a scene that perfectly captures the loneliness and yearning for company, something that was only hinted at before, as Riggs picks up an underage hooker on a rainy night and pays her 100 bucks just to watch 'Three Stooges' with him. That's it! And considering Riggs's unstable mental state, you don't even know where this is going at first. For all I know he could've gone all "bad lieutenant" on her ass.



Also, WHAT THE HELL! The hottie in this scene is played by Charlie Sheen's sister! That's exactly the kind of useless trivia that only I get excited about.

I tried sharing that information with a friend of mine. Her unspoken words pretty much told me to get a life.

30. Naked chicks

Warning! Gratuitous nudity!
There's a scene in this movie with a group of women in a communal shower. The scene does little to advance the plot or story in any way, but if you were to scrap it, you would lose something truly precious: women yapping about their day, shields all down and relaxed, having a good time while taking a shower. I also have to disappoint all you horny frat boys out there but there are no Victoria's Secret models on display here. It's saggy boobs, cellulite and thick bushes. No titillation value, whatsoever.

And it's beautiful. It's about time someone shows the naturality of naked body, without drawing attention to it by over-sexualization or humiliation.

32. Inappropriate joke

"The Lives of Others" offers one of the more subdued depictions of an authoritative state whilst conveying the point exactly as needed. State Security Service Stasi was to make sure the right people ran East Germany and get rid of people attempting to change that. Journalists, playwrites and stage actors in particular...
We do take a moment off of them though. In this scene, an employee of Stasi sits down to have lunch with his chums. He starts with a joke at the expense of high-ranking officer, Honecker, not realizing he's sitting at the other end of the table. Naturally, when pointed out your boss is listening to you making fun of him, the situation becomes slightly awkward - even moreso when Honecker urges the employee to finish the joke. They all laugh it off until suddenly Honecker stops, dead serious, to ask his employees name, rank and assignment. He then continues to threaten the poor bastard, implying there'll be hard times ahead of him.
Until laughing it off as a joke, of course!

What a mother douche.

But you know, it only gets better if you keep your eyes open until the very last minutes. It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.