# Best scenes in the best movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610 "2011-03-05T19:41:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/41 "2011-03-06T18:18:07Z")
> [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken in _True Romance_, also the scene with Patricia Arquette and James Gandolfini in the same movie. What makes this scene great is the change of power. Sure Hopper’s character dies but he doesn’t get tortured and Walken’s character will have to live with Hopper’s speech the rest of his life. Genius! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/42 "2011-03-06T20:11:25Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > From Keaton’s “The General”: the steam locomotive bringing down the bridge. > From Lloyd’s “Safety Last”: Harold climbing the building and hanging from the clock. In _The Freshman_, the scene with his suit falling apart and the tailor tucked away behind the curtain. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/43 "2011-03-07T01:31:05Z")
Bill and Chevy hang out for a bit, in _Caddyshack_. ---
**Author:** ![Blisters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Blisters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blisters)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/44 "2011-03-07T01:40:36Z")
I love the scene(s) in The Shawshank Redemption where Andy plays Mozart over the public address system. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/45 "2011-03-07T15:04:49Z")
The singing scene in Casablanca. “Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passing” “Take those old records off that shelf” from Risky Business. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/46 "2011-03-07T16:21:47Z")
The very last scene in _Brazil_, somehow soul-crushingly depressing and full of hope at the same time. [Dedicated, this week, to the people of Libya] ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/47 "2011-03-07T16:50:22Z")
Thirding Lawrence riding out of the desert. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/48 "2011-03-07T16:58:41Z")
> [@Glory](#): > > I always loved the [Matrix Lobby Shooting Spree](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpc1SpDgUIA) This was my “let me show you how awesome DVDs are” scene in 1997-98, before everyone had one. The Lord of the Rings movies have some great ones, but my favorites have to be facing the Balrog in FOTR (“You SHALL NOT pass!”) and the entire Battle of Pelennor Fields from ROTK - I’ll look over the stupid ghosts in favor of the oliphants and the charge of the Rohirrim. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/49 "2011-03-07T17:07:09Z")
> [@SpartanDC](#): > > This was my “let me show you how awesome DVDs are” scene in 1997-98, before everyone had one. > > The Lord of the Rings movies have some great ones, but my favorites have to be facing the Balrog in FOTR (“You SHALL NOT pass!”) and the entire Battle of Pelennor Fields from ROTK - I’ll look over the stupid ghosts in favor of the oliphants and the charge of the Rohirrim. And I meant 1999-2000 for The Matrix. Missed the edit window by _that_ much. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/50 "2011-03-07T18:34:00Z")
**Amadeus** has multiple truly fantastic scenes. Perhaps my favorite is [The performance of Don Giovanni](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxcjxN0rPzs) with Salieri narrating and coming up with his plot. (Side note: another scene in Amadeus has a production of a parody of Don Giovanni with lots of bawdy humor for the lower classes. One of the performers is a little person (midget). And I just recently learned that the actor playing that performer is none other than Kenny “R2-D2” Baker.) **The Iron Giant** [Superman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UkZOZIO63I) And while it’s not really one scene, the final 20 minutes of **Back to the Future** just lead perfectly from one climax (George punches Biff) to the next (George kisses Lorraine) to the next (Marty plays in the band) to the next (the storm almost ruins Doc’s apparatus) to the next (Doc has a bulletproof vest) to the next (Marty’s family is much improved) to the next (Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need… Roads). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/51 "2011-03-07T19:06:57Z")
I second the singing of Le Marseille in _Casablanca_. The most awesome scene ever. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/52 "2011-03-07T20:01:34Z")
I’ve always liked the scene in “Samson and Delilah” where Victor Mature brings the house down. Everybody is laughing and jeering at him, then there is this low rumbling grating sound, and one of the pillars moves a millimeter, and there is suddenly DEAD SILENCE before it moves another inch, and panic ensues. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/53 "2011-03-07T20:29:03Z")
I coulda been a contenda ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/54 "2011-03-07T20:54:52Z")
The Cruise-Nicholson scenery meal in _A Few Good Men_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/55 "2011-03-07T20:59:05Z")
I’ll third singing in Casablanca. I get more weepy every time I see it. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/56 "2011-03-07T21:32:19Z")
Boris Karloff’s “Cabman Gray” in Robert Wise’s “The Body Snatcher” especially his dialogue with McFarlane in the pub concerning the mysteries of life and death and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/57 "2011-03-07T21:57:50Z")
The scene in “Barbarian Queen” where Tamaris, unhinged after being kidnapped and raped by King Argan’s men, and having voluntarily joined his harem, makes a play at being King Argan’s consort, offering to exchange her affections for a puppy to play with. The scene in “The Amazons” (1973) in which the Greek king chides the Amazon queen, saying that without men the Amazons must engage in practices that others might regard as “unnatural” and the Amazon queen immediately comes back with “I have heard that the same things occur between Greek men and boys” and the Greek king is reduced to blushing and saying, “It has been known to happen.” Amazingly smart and funny scene for 1971. The scene in “Bikini Chain Gang” where the Undead Bandit makes the bartender empty out all the cash from the till and give it to him, then returns a few bucks to him as a tip for doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/58 "2011-03-07T22:41:15Z")
Rod Stieger and Marlon Brando in [On the Waterfront](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeVq1e6JKlw), two master actors at the absolute peak of their craft. ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/59 "2011-03-07T23:01:19Z")
[Jenny Gump dies](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISJ0VsnCvDo&feature=related) [The sheriff is near](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcZ9ku_wInw&feature=related) [Slingblade–you will be happy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ10oIs8LLc) ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610/60 "2011-03-07T23:11:56Z")
Another great scene, Eric Roberts and Jon Voigt in [Runaway Train](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTdjoA8HeAM). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scenes-in-the-best-movies/573610.md?page=4)