Good one.
Another crazy asian fight scene (completely different genre and nation of origin) was the hallway scene in Oldboy
[QUOTE=jackelope]
Many, many great entries here. Here are three that I don’t think anyone’s mentioned yet:
[ul]
[li]The execution scene in Paths of Glory.[/ul][/li][/QUOTE]
Check post #75!
mm
The scene near the end of Overboard.
Johanna Staten had just returned from her amnesiatic sojourn as Annie, married to an uncivilized lout, and with whom she had fallen in love. Previously a spoiled rich bitch, she had learned to see life from a whole new perspective. The character, played brilliantly by Goldie Hawn, was now facing her lifelong Butler, toward whom she had always been brutally abusive and massively condescending. As he reminded her of one of the many ding-headed demands she had made of him, her face became awash with sincere regret.
“I’ve behaved so badly,” she said to him. “I don’t know how you put up with me for so long. You’ve done so many wonderful things for me, and I never even once said thank you. I’m sorry.”
Roddy McDowell, playing the Butler, tenderly accepted her apology, and the relationship was healed. I’m a sucker for scenes like that.
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Speaking of scenes like that, I love the scene near the end of Joshua, when Father Tardone (the great F. Murray Abraham) accepts Joshua’s love. Abraham manages to convey the release of guilt and the cleansing warmth of absolute love. It’s wonderful.
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Luke Skywalker wistfully staring off into the double sunset, with his motif swelling in the soundtrack. The quintessence of movie magic, in just a few seconds of pure cinema with no [Lucas] dialogue.
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The LSD meltdown/frenzied getaway scene in Flirting With Disaster. (“All right! I’m sorry that I put Windowpane in your quail, and I’m sorry that you ate it,” the cast-iron pan, Alan Alda’s hissy fit, the white Ford Tauruses getting mixed up, and so forth.)
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Having a civilized sherry at Uncle Monty’s, in Withnail & I. That screenplay was genius.
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The horse prank in Dean Wormer’s office in Animal House, including its disposal the following morning, with the chainsaw. “Just blanks, right?” “Riiight.”
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The advance of the Imperial Walkers towards the rebel base, in Ep. V. Not even the full battle sequence, with the unconvincing tow-cable bit… just the deadly, inexorable advance of those freakily tall tanks across the ice, ever closer…
Ok…
I’m a bit of a wanker when it comes to Trainspotting which is, IMHO, the best movie…ever…made.
So… to pick one scene out of that movie is a tough one but it has to be the scene in the bar… Begbie has just picked a fight with some doofus that innocently spilled beer on him. After a bloody fight in which his best mate Spud ends up with a cut up hand and Begbie ends up totally obliterating the poor guy that bumped into him- Begbie demands that Renton bring him a cigarette. He’s either too keyed up or too superior to light it himself so Renton lights it for him. Begbie inhales and then exhales right into Renton’s face. In the book, there was a lot about how his mates just tried to ride the tight line between being Begbie’s mate and Begbie’s victim and this scene basically summed up that tense relationship between them all.
In Godfather, I love the scene where the Don asks Tom Hagen what’s so bad that he has to have a drink first before telling the news to his Don. Alot of that may be that I’m fascinated with Tom Hagen’s character (and Robert Duvall of course)
In Empire Strikes Back almost every scene with Han Solo and Princess Leia. They are pretty much the stars of the trilogy (ok Alec Guinness is a reluctant tie with them). Any scene with tall, shiny helmet Vadar pacing and brooding over plans to take over the galaxy and/or Emporer will do as well.
In Sense & Sensibility, the one with Emma Thompson- I agree with the scene where Marianne has just learned of Elinor’s knowledge of Edward & Lucy’s engagement and would second also that the scene when Edward visits Elinor and is faced with both his current love and Lucy, his “how do I get rid of her” fiancee,
In Pride & Prejudice… Mr. Collins, Mr.Collins and then give me some Lady Catherine De Bourgh (sp?) Every thing that comes out either person’s mouth is hilarious, pathetic and wonderful.
Ok… so I have five but I need to add two Lonesome Dove scenes-
In Lonesome Dove when Gus gives a bartender a lesson in manners.
In Dead Man’s Walk when BigFoot Wallace meets his fate in a New Mexico leper colony with a musical eulogy.
Rocketeer: When our hero has landed and is preparing to hand over the jetpack to Evil Timothy Dalton. Just the look on his face and the way the guys step out of his way, you know he’s become a hero at last. Damn I love that movie.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: When Harry has just discovered the corpse in his shower, just the little grunt he make is hilarious.
Magnificent Seven: Charles Bronson’s speech to the kids.
Ghostbusters: The Arrival of Gozer the Gozarian.
Phantom of the Opera: His song at the Ball Masque.
Top 5 scenes I loved
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In Kung Fu hustle, where the two musician-killers were hailed by the landlady, and when they attempt to investigate (they did that little jump thing that) and the landlord suddenly appears grabbing them by the shoulder. It’s very typical and very cliche of wuxia shows, and I just love this sort of homeage.
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There’s this part in the Undiscovered Country, after the Enterprise fires the homing plasma topredo at the cloaked Klingon ship where the lead bad says “To be…or not to be”
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Neo rescuing Morpheus, The Matrix
I think the scene sticks in my mind because it was the first time I saw the “slow-mo-bullet-time-while-camera-pans-360-degrees” and also because you can see all sort of details, like the bullet striking the pools of water and the shattering glasses.
- The Bride vs. Oren Iishi, Kill Bill
Damn cool battle-scene, not too over-top, good choice of music. Something which I will always re-watch again and again
- **Amon Hen. **, Fellowship of the Ring
Yes, there were other more impressive battles in Lord of the Rings, but Amon Hen was the most human and intense. The build up to it was perfect. There were many moments of coolness that are way in character and not too “un-tolkenish” (Legolas riding the shield as a surfboard was cool, but seems so out of the story)
“YOU WERE A TOMATO! A tomato doesn’t have LOGIC!”
Or Bill Murray’s perfectly dead pan - “Don’t play hard to get”.
Regards,
Shodan
- All the scenes of Gelsomina waving goodbye from the back of Zampano’s motorcycle/shack in La Strada.
- Harpo running amok, tearing off the gypsy girls skirt, and sliding down the backdrop in Night at the Opera
3.Rupert Pupkin trying to kidnap Jerry Langford and chasing the plastic gun he’s dropped in The King of Comedy - Henry Hill’s cocaine paranoia with the helicopter in Goodfellas
- The surviving samurai walking wearily off to nowhere in particular while the villagers sing as they plant the rice in Seven Samurai
I’ve also always been partial to the dancing scene from The Breakfast Club.
**2001 ** The Blue Danube sequence.
Singing in the Rain Make them Laugh.
**Apollo 13 ** Some good choices so far, but the actual ''Houston we have a problem" sequence is excellent. And Clint Howard (as geeky mssion control guy) suggesting turning off the fuel cells, the shock that silences everyone, and the anguish as he says: “From my seat here, the Odessy is dying.”
(This movie is special to me. My father was the one who thought of using the Lunar Module as a lifeboat and to provide thrust and guidence in an emergency. Though unlike the film, he wrote it up as a possible emergency plan a full year before the mission. NASA does think ahead occasionally.)
**Apocalypse Now ** In the original release, the end credits of the village where Kurtz was leader being napalmed in the night. I don’t understand why this was cut in later releases.
**All That Jazz ** The auditions to “Broadway.”
The second rhinoceros hunt in Hatari.
No, the octopus sushi scene in Oldboy!
The Slap is one of the single greatest moments in all of world cinema.
('Hope I don’t duplicate anything—I haven’t had time to read the whole thing)
I thought I’d go for a few “Dark Horse” nominations (I figure Return of the King and Star Wars are getting all the other nods.)
In no particular order…
- The first attack of the “Tar Man,” in Return of the Living Dead.
- The helicopter gunship attack in Red Dawn (Wolveriiiiines!)
- Mrs. Brisby in the birdcage, The Secret of NIMH. (Rrrowr…)
- Any of the nuclear strikes in The Day After
- Q’s final exit, The World is Not Enough (“Always have an escape plan…”)
Runners up: Spock’s Funeral, The Finale to Nightmare Before Christmas; the aerial chase in Capricorn One, and the final shot in The Shawshank Redemption.
My answers are stupid, but here goes…
The Graduate: Ben (Dustin Hoffman) swings a crucifix at the mob of angry people rushing to the front of the church, and then he and Elaine hop onto a bus.
The Big Lebowski: The scene involving Donnie’s cremated ashes in a Folger’s can urn on a breezy cliff.
Mallrats: the gameshow scene.
The Godfather: At the end when Michael’s sister, Connie, confronts him about killing her husband, and then Michael’s girlfiend Kay inquires. The response: “Don’t ask me about my business, Kay” <door shuts>.
Half Baked: The scene where Bob Saget says to Thurgood (Dave Chappelle), “Marijuana is not a drug. I used to suck dick for coke. That an addiction, man. You ever sucked dick for some marijuana?”
To briefly list the ones of mine already listed:
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Marseillaise scene from Casablanca
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Charge of the Rohirrim from LOTR:ROTK
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Opening “On Broadway” number from All That Jazz
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First view of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park
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T-Rex sequence from Jurassic Park
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Mozart dictating the Requiem to Salieri in Amadeus.
And my additions… -
“Everything Old is New Again” number from All That Jazz
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Opening “Wilkommen” number from Cabaret
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Steve McQueen jumping the fence in The Great Escape
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Explosive climax of The Guns of Navarone (an explanation…not just because the actual explosion, and the guns toppling slowly into the sea, is cool, especially for 1960 special effects - it’s the brief moment of silence, followed by all the ships in the British convoy blowing their sirens, and the distant cheers of hundreds of sailors. Love that scene.
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Exploring the alien derelict ship in Alien.
Or the Monkey Rocket™.
Steering clear of those already mentioned:
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When Ellie meets the her father / the alien from Contact.
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The opening speech of Patton
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Introduction to Jack Sparrow and his sinking boat in Pirates of the Caribbean
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade “We named the dog Indiana.”
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I.Q.: When Ed tells Catherine about making Einstein go “Wahoo” on his motorcycle.