35) The Wedding of Kermit and Piggy (The Muppets Take Manhattan, 1984, dir. Frank Oz)
It will never be a canonical great moment in cinema, but for me as a little kid it was the perfect ending to the Muppet film trilogy. You get an insanely large cast of characters, including those from just around the block on Sesame Street. Also, Piggy's laugh when Kermit asks about Gonzo still cracks me up.
36) Pure Imagination (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971, dir. Mel Stuart)
Gene Wilder in the 1970s is always perfection. And this song works perfectly to introduce us to the inner working of the fantastical chocolate factory.
37) You're Shit (Happiness, 1998, dir. Todd Solondz)
One of the most funny and depressing movie openings ever.
38) Chance Enters The World (Being There, 1980, dir. Hal Ashby)
In Peter Sellers' final performance he gave us the best film of his career. The mentally challenged Chance is forced to leave the brownstone for which he gardened after the owner dies. It's implied Chance was the owner's illegitimate son, and he never left the house in his life. This scene is gorgeous piece of comedy following Chance on his first day out.
39) Sardine? (The 'Burbs, 1988, dir. Joe Dante)
This film was watched endlessly in my house as a child, and I think it is still one Tom Hanks' best comedies and criminally underrated. This is the perfect scene of awkwardness as the characters meet the neighbors they suspect are serial killers
40) Starchild (2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
The most hopeful film ending of all time!
Showing posts with label favorite film moments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label favorite film moments. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
My 40 Favorite Film Moments - Part 7
31) Dancing Chicken (Strosek, 1977, dir. Werner Herzog)
The final scene of a very odd film about Germans coming to live and work in rural America. Don't ask questions, just experience.
32) I Knew These People (Paris, Texas, 1984, dir. Wim Wenders)
This is a slow burning film, but when it hits it emotional peak (this scene) it devastates you. Harry Dean Stanton has never been better, and Nastassja Kinski is perfection. One of the most over looked films of the 1980s. If you haven't, find this and watch it!
33) He's So Happy, He's Crying (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 1987, dir. Frank Oz)
One of the best comedies of 1980s that holds up even today. Steve Martin was still funny at this point, and Michael Caine can even go toe to toe with him. Still makes me laugh.
34) Hope (The Great Dictator, 1940, dir. Charlie Chaplin)
It's not his best film, and its not his best scene, but for me its such a great speech. You can argue that it shouldn't count...but this is my list and I'm putting it on here dammit!
The final scene of a very odd film about Germans coming to live and work in rural America. Don't ask questions, just experience.
32) I Knew These People (Paris, Texas, 1984, dir. Wim Wenders)
This is a slow burning film, but when it hits it emotional peak (this scene) it devastates you. Harry Dean Stanton has never been better, and Nastassja Kinski is perfection. One of the most over looked films of the 1980s. If you haven't, find this and watch it!
33) He's So Happy, He's Crying (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 1987, dir. Frank Oz)
One of the best comedies of 1980s that holds up even today. Steve Martin was still funny at this point, and Michael Caine can even go toe to toe with him. Still makes me laugh.
34) Hope (The Great Dictator, 1940, dir. Charlie Chaplin)
It's not his best film, and its not his best scene, but for me its such a great speech. You can argue that it shouldn't count...but this is my list and I'm putting it on here dammit!
Monday, June 28, 2010
My 40 Favorite Film Moments - Part 6
26) I See Now (City Light, 1931, dir. Charlie Chaplin)
City Lights is so simple and perfect. This final scene showcases the fact that, while Chaplin is remembered as a great comedian, he also could tell a story of great emotional depth.
27) Who's The Commanding Officer? (Apocalypse Now, 1979, dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
This is the scene in the film that truly sums up the insanity of war for me. It is the last American outpost in Vietnam and it is a waking nightmare.
28) Forget it Donny, You're Out of Your Element (The Big Lebowski, 1998, dir. The Coen Brothers)
Walter Sobchek is one of the great American fictional characters. There's not much more than that.
29) Ministry of Information (Brazil, 1984, dir. Terry Gilliam)
A wordless scene that conveys all the information we need to know about this bureaucracy through the camera lens. Plus the late composer Michael Kamen inventively uses typewriters as an instrument in the score.
30) Zoe and the Spider (The Sweet Hereafter, 1998, dir. Atom Egoyan)
From a criminally underrated film, this scene features Ian Holm telling his daughter's childhood friend about an incident from the girl's life that metaphorically corresponds to the drug addiction he is trying to save her from now. Beautifully told.
City Lights is so simple and perfect. This final scene showcases the fact that, while Chaplin is remembered as a great comedian, he also could tell a story of great emotional depth.
27) Who's The Commanding Officer? (Apocalypse Now, 1979, dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
This is the scene in the film that truly sums up the insanity of war for me. It is the last American outpost in Vietnam and it is a waking nightmare.
28) Forget it Donny, You're Out of Your Element (The Big Lebowski, 1998, dir. The Coen Brothers)
Walter Sobchek is one of the great American fictional characters. There's not much more than that.
29) Ministry of Information (Brazil, 1984, dir. Terry Gilliam)
A wordless scene that conveys all the information we need to know about this bureaucracy through the camera lens. Plus the late composer Michael Kamen inventively uses typewriters as an instrument in the score.
30) Zoe and the Spider (The Sweet Hereafter, 1998, dir. Atom Egoyan)
From a criminally underrated film, this scene features Ian Holm telling his daughter's childhood friend about an incident from the girl's life that metaphorically corresponds to the drug addiction he is trying to save her from now. Beautifully told.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
My 40 Favorite Film Moments - Part 5
21) I'm Easy (Nashville, 1975, dir. Robert Altman)
In this ensemble cast film, Altman had his actors write and perform their own songs. Keith Carradine plays the third member of a country folk trio who is a bit of a lothario. The women gathered in the Exit/In all believe the song is written for them, when in reality its for Lily Tomlin's character a gospel singer and married mother of two who has been having an affair with the singer. The way the camera works in conjuction with the actors' faces is beautiful.
22)You've Got Me? Who's Got You? (Superman: The Movie, 1979, dir. Richard Donner)
Its by no means the greatest film ever made, but it holds a sentimental place in my heart. And this moment, where Superman makes his public debut is just wonderful. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it doesn't need to be grim n' gritty or "badass". It's just a perfect superhero moment. And I must admit, I've used the flying statistic line many times.
23)Kiss (Cinema Paradiso, 1988, dir. Giuseppe Tornatore)
The film follows film director Salvatore Di Vita, who receives news that his old friend and the village's film projectionist, Alfredo, has died. Salvatore goes home and, through flashbacks, we learn of his friendship with the old man. Alfredo leaves Salvatore a film reel and when he returns home Salvatore watches it. It contains all of those moments deemed inappropriate by the Vatican, which Alfredo had to cut out. He gives them as a gift to his old friend in an incredibly beautiful moment.
24)Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python's The Life of Brian, 1979, dir. Terry Jones)
Probably one of the best film endings ever. Where else will you find a chorus of crucified messiahs singing about how life is a load of shit?
25) The Order of Things (Network, 1975, dir. Sidney Lumet)
This is one of the most prescient films ever made. Lumet and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky are modern day prophets. This scene has Howard Beale, a 1970s era Glenn Beck who has been allowed be all crazy up until he criticizes the capitalist system. He is brought to the corporate owner of the station who puts him in his place.
In this ensemble cast film, Altman had his actors write and perform their own songs. Keith Carradine plays the third member of a country folk trio who is a bit of a lothario. The women gathered in the Exit/In all believe the song is written for them, when in reality its for Lily Tomlin's character a gospel singer and married mother of two who has been having an affair with the singer. The way the camera works in conjuction with the actors' faces is beautiful.
22)You've Got Me? Who's Got You? (Superman: The Movie, 1979, dir. Richard Donner)
Its by no means the greatest film ever made, but it holds a sentimental place in my heart. And this moment, where Superman makes his public debut is just wonderful. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it doesn't need to be grim n' gritty or "badass". It's just a perfect superhero moment. And I must admit, I've used the flying statistic line many times.
23)Kiss (Cinema Paradiso, 1988, dir. Giuseppe Tornatore)
The film follows film director Salvatore Di Vita, who receives news that his old friend and the village's film projectionist, Alfredo, has died. Salvatore goes home and, through flashbacks, we learn of his friendship with the old man. Alfredo leaves Salvatore a film reel and when he returns home Salvatore watches it. It contains all of those moments deemed inappropriate by the Vatican, which Alfredo had to cut out. He gives them as a gift to his old friend in an incredibly beautiful moment.
24)Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python's The Life of Brian, 1979, dir. Terry Jones)
Probably one of the best film endings ever. Where else will you find a chorus of crucified messiahs singing about how life is a load of shit?
25) The Order of Things (Network, 1975, dir. Sidney Lumet)
This is one of the most prescient films ever made. Lumet and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky are modern day prophets. This scene has Howard Beale, a 1970s era Glenn Beck who has been allowed be all crazy up until he criticizes the capitalist system. He is brought to the corporate owner of the station who puts him in his place.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
My 40 Favorite Film Moments - Part 3
11) Rhapsody in Blue (Manhattan, 1979, dir. Woody Allen)
New York is one of the great mythical cities, in that there is the New York that is real and there is the New York that is a fantasy of our minds. Allen captures this magical New York perfectly in the opening of Manhattan, using classic black and white photography as well as the signature George Gershwin tune.
12) Please Don't Tell My Mother (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1969, dir. Milos Forman)
This was one of the first films to showcase the acting chops of Jack Nicholson, but I like this scene because of the performances Louise Fletcher and Brad Dourif bring to the table. It is rare you see a scene so perfectly acted. All of these actors are at the top of their game.
13) Rabbits Stink! (Gummo, 1997, dir. Harmony Korine)
Its pretty impossible to explain Harmony Korine's Gummo. There really is no plot and the characters fade in and out. However, this scene reminded me of a lot of neighbor kids I knew growing up. So bizarre and so profane. Its gorgeous.
14) He Has His Father's Eyes (Rosemary's Baby, 1968, dir. Roman Polanksi)
Poor Rosemary has gone through a strange pregnancy where her husband and the neighbors in their new apartment are tending to her way too much. Finally, she has the child but when she wakes up its gone. She searches through the apartment, finds a secret door, and the truth about her child's true father.
15) I Know (Empire Strikes Back, 1980, dir. Irving Kershner)
This scene both tells us a lot about Han and had to have been incredibly nerve-wracking for those first audiences who saw it. Once again, John Williams score adds the perfect accent to the whole thing.
New York is one of the great mythical cities, in that there is the New York that is real and there is the New York that is a fantasy of our minds. Allen captures this magical New York perfectly in the opening of Manhattan, using classic black and white photography as well as the signature George Gershwin tune.
12) Please Don't Tell My Mother (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1969, dir. Milos Forman)
This was one of the first films to showcase the acting chops of Jack Nicholson, but I like this scene because of the performances Louise Fletcher and Brad Dourif bring to the table. It is rare you see a scene so perfectly acted. All of these actors are at the top of their game.
13) Rabbits Stink! (Gummo, 1997, dir. Harmony Korine)
Its pretty impossible to explain Harmony Korine's Gummo. There really is no plot and the characters fade in and out. However, this scene reminded me of a lot of neighbor kids I knew growing up. So bizarre and so profane. Its gorgeous.
14) He Has His Father's Eyes (Rosemary's Baby, 1968, dir. Roman Polanksi)
Poor Rosemary has gone through a strange pregnancy where her husband and the neighbors in their new apartment are tending to her way too much. Finally, she has the child but when she wakes up its gone. She searches through the apartment, finds a secret door, and the truth about her child's true father.
15) I Know (Empire Strikes Back, 1980, dir. Irving Kershner)
This scene both tells us a lot about Han and had to have been incredibly nerve-wracking for those first audiences who saw it. Once again, John Williams score adds the perfect accent to the whole thing.
Monday, June 14, 2010
My 40 Favorite Film Moments - Part 2
6) Waiting For a Train (Once Upon a Time in the West, 1969, dir. Sergio Leone)
Wordless, with a soundtrack provided by found objects in the setting. A squeaky windmill, a dripping water tower, the steady rhythm of a steam engine. It provides the perfect introduction to the film's protagonist, Harmonica (Charles Bronson).
7) Getting Baptized (Ed Wood, 1994, dir. Tim Burton)
Hack director Wood has gotten financing from an L.A. church. One of the conditions for the money to come through is that the entire cast and crew of Plan Nine from Outer Space will be baptized. The unaffected homosexual producer Bunny Breckenridge (Bill Murray) takes the hefty spiritual ritual with little thought in a cleverly funny moment. This is also Burton's masterpiece in my opinion.
8) Flowers (Harold and Maude, 1971, dir. Hal Ashby)
Ashby is one of the greats of the 1970s, and this scene featuring Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, and the music of Cat Stevens is a picture of perfect composition. The transition from the field of flowers to the military cemetery is a very beautiful one.
9) He'll Keep Calling Me (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1989, dir. John Hughes)
This scene is a perfect summation of the profound indecision and anxiety Cameron suffers from. Throughout the film, he's a character who is simply pushed around by his off screen father or by Ferris or by authority in general. This is every thing going on in his brain.
10) Make the Sun Rise (Black Orpheus, 1959, dir. Marcel Camus)
Set during Carnival in Brazil, the film retells the mythic story of Orpheus and Eurydice through an Afro-Brazilian guitarist and the woman he loves. In this final scene, we see that the tragic story of these lovers is part of a cycle and this children are beginning to play down a path that is both beautiful, but painful.
Wordless, with a soundtrack provided by found objects in the setting. A squeaky windmill, a dripping water tower, the steady rhythm of a steam engine. It provides the perfect introduction to the film's protagonist, Harmonica (Charles Bronson).
7) Getting Baptized (Ed Wood, 1994, dir. Tim Burton)
Hack director Wood has gotten financing from an L.A. church. One of the conditions for the money to come through is that the entire cast and crew of Plan Nine from Outer Space will be baptized. The unaffected homosexual producer Bunny Breckenridge (Bill Murray) takes the hefty spiritual ritual with little thought in a cleverly funny moment. This is also Burton's masterpiece in my opinion.
8) Flowers (Harold and Maude, 1971, dir. Hal Ashby)
Ashby is one of the greats of the 1970s, and this scene featuring Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, and the music of Cat Stevens is a picture of perfect composition. The transition from the field of flowers to the military cemetery is a very beautiful one.
9) He'll Keep Calling Me (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1989, dir. John Hughes)
This scene is a perfect summation of the profound indecision and anxiety Cameron suffers from. Throughout the film, he's a character who is simply pushed around by his off screen father or by Ferris or by authority in general. This is every thing going on in his brain.
10) Make the Sun Rise (Black Orpheus, 1959, dir. Marcel Camus)
Set during Carnival in Brazil, the film retells the mythic story of Orpheus and Eurydice through an Afro-Brazilian guitarist and the woman he loves. In this final scene, we see that the tragic story of these lovers is part of a cycle and this children are beginning to play down a path that is both beautiful, but painful.
Monday, June 7, 2010
My 40 Favorite Film Moments - Part 1
This month I will be looking at my favorite moments in movies. These are not necessarily the best ever in films, but they are my personal favorites. In no particular order, here we go:
1) Let Me Out (Young Frankenstein, 1974, dir. Mel Brooks)
Gene Wilder is at his best when he goes from calm to frantic in a split second. His red-faced blue blanket tirade from The Producers is a gorgeous moment. This one however goes up there as one of my all time faves. Wilder as the nephew of Victor Frankenstein shines. In this scene we see him go from calm, to manic, to desperate, and finally to confident in his macabre heritage.
2) Mike Yanagita (Fargo, 1996, dir. Joel and Ethan Coen)
Two actors here who deserve a lot more credit. Frances McDormand won the Oscar for her role of Marge Gunderson, but this scene also showcases the chops of Steve Park. Park is able to create a three dimensional character in a single scene of this film, its amazing what he does. Its hard not to imagine the life of Yanagita after watching this. A powerful example of what happens when good writing and acting are paired up.
3) Oh, Are They? (Rushmore, 1998, dir. Wes Anderson)
The film that really broke Anderson out and still one of his best. Max Fischer (Schwartzmann) turns a post opening night dinner into a farce when his love interest invites her male nurse friend along. Would be nice if Anderson tried to go back to his more comedic roots, not that his current work is bad.
4) Binary Sunset (Star Wars, 1977, dir. George Lucas)
It's a short scene, but it says a lot. The dual suns reinforce the alien nature of this world, the lighting sets the perfect tone as Luke Skywalker stares out across the vast landscape of Tatooine, and the music gets across his desire to explore. Simple and perfect.
5) Come Play With Us, Danny (The Shining, 1980, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
A perfect horror movie scene. The music and cinematography are in perfect unison and there isn't much more to say other than, experience the scene yourself.
1) Let Me Out (Young Frankenstein, 1974, dir. Mel Brooks)
Gene Wilder is at his best when he goes from calm to frantic in a split second. His red-faced blue blanket tirade from The Producers is a gorgeous moment. This one however goes up there as one of my all time faves. Wilder as the nephew of Victor Frankenstein shines. In this scene we see him go from calm, to manic, to desperate, and finally to confident in his macabre heritage.
2) Mike Yanagita (Fargo, 1996, dir. Joel and Ethan Coen)
Two actors here who deserve a lot more credit. Frances McDormand won the Oscar for her role of Marge Gunderson, but this scene also showcases the chops of Steve Park. Park is able to create a three dimensional character in a single scene of this film, its amazing what he does. Its hard not to imagine the life of Yanagita after watching this. A powerful example of what happens when good writing and acting are paired up.
3) Oh, Are They? (Rushmore, 1998, dir. Wes Anderson)
The film that really broke Anderson out and still one of his best. Max Fischer (Schwartzmann) turns a post opening night dinner into a farce when his love interest invites her male nurse friend along. Would be nice if Anderson tried to go back to his more comedic roots, not that his current work is bad.
4) Binary Sunset (Star Wars, 1977, dir. George Lucas)
It's a short scene, but it says a lot. The dual suns reinforce the alien nature of this world, the lighting sets the perfect tone as Luke Skywalker stares out across the vast landscape of Tatooine, and the music gets across his desire to explore. Simple and perfect.
5) Come Play With Us, Danny (The Shining, 1980, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
A perfect horror movie scene. The music and cinematography are in perfect unison and there isn't much more to say other than, experience the scene yourself.
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