[Spoiler for *Alien*, a movie that’s nearly 40 year old (yikes)]
Independent Film Channel (IFC) is showing the *Alien *movies tonight, presumably in anticipation of Alien: Covenant opening tomorrow. During the final scene of the first *Alien *(1979), there’s a really cool shot that’s intended to shock and it works spectacularly: after Ripley shoots away from the Nostromo, puts Jones in a stasis pod and gets into her skivvies, she makes preparations to get into a stasis pod herself. She’s flipping a couple of switches, and suddenly realizes that the xenomorph has made onto the Narcissus.
Here’s the thing: the xenomorph is in full view prior to Ripley flipping those switches in a shot prior to her going over to the wall, but she doesn’t see it – and, presumably, neither does the audience (at least on first view) because it’s sunk itself into some of the ship’s ductwork – but the alien is absolutely in view, especially its head, as long as you know where to look. It’s a great effect that really puts you into the primary character’s position.
What are some other instances of that – in which a character reveals him/her/itself, but only after being on the screen at least briefly (as long as you know where to look)?
I’ve got a couple more examples, but I’ll keep them to myself in order to not make this a super-short thread.
Also, shout-out to *Alien *and *Aliens *-- which are just fantastic movies.
Near the end of “Carrie” (1976), she is walking upstairs to wash off the blood and as she passes into the bathroom and turns on the light, her mother is standing just behind the door.
The end of Harry and the Hendersons had a scene like this. The family has brought Harry back to the Pacific Northwest, and they drop him off in a perfectly nondescript piece of forest. And then all of the other bigfeet who were standing right there step out of hiding to welcome him back.
Throughout the scene in The Goonies where the Goonies find the skeletal body of Chester Copperpot, you can clearly see rest of the boulder traps suspended from the ceiling of the cave. The camera never lingers or focuses on them, but certain shots are designed so they’re in the background, just out of focus.
Good examples, everyone, and thanks (and I have yet to see The Goonies, which is really surprising to me).
Here’s another one I was thinking of: near the end of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), Watson is typing in his office to finish his memoirs of working with the late Holmes, who didn’t survive his confrontation with Moriarty, when he receives a package. The package’s contents lead him to believe that Holmes did, in fact, survive the confrontation. Watson leaves his office, and the camera shows us that Holmes has been in the office all along.
(See at about 1:15 in this clip – I’d code it to go to the moment of revealing Holmes, but it works better in context.)
During the opening scenes of Fight Club, there are a few instances of Tyler Durden appearing in a single frame (literally blink-and-you-miss-it), as well as a brief shot on the escalator, before the character is introduced.
In memento (2001 – has it been that long?), there is the scenes depicting Sammy Jankis in the mental ward. At one point, a nurse passes in front of the camera and where Sammy was sitting is now Leonard – for maybe 1 or 2 frames – and then it’s gone.
Apparently there’s something about all the replicants’ appearances. Holden had to do the Voight-Kampff test on Leon and Deckard had to go thru a charade with Zhora rather than retire her immediately. Despite having photos and other data on them.
There’s a scene like this in Sex and Lucia. It’s a beach scene and Lucia is getting undressed to go swimming. The scene is framed so she’s in the distance. Then a man who’s been lying in the foreground of the scene the whole time sits up and calls her name. Granted the man had rolled around in the mud so he blended in with the beach he was lying on. (And Paz Vega taking off her clothes draws the eye.) But it’s still an amazing shot because he takes up about a quarter of the screen but you don’t notice him lying there until he moves and speaks.
My memory might be a bit hazy on this one, but is there not a scene in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels where a girl almost morphs out of an armchair and starts blasting people with a Bren gun?
They did a great makeup job hiding one of the tribal cannibals in the jungle. He’s blended into the surroundings with his make-up and you can only see him when he moves out. However, he is there and going back on the DVD reveals him if you know where to look.