Posted on 12/12/2005 7:57:17 AM PST by pissant
Everyone knows by now that Pissant is not an expert, like MaximusofTexas, when it comes to movie reviews. The main problem of course is that Pissant has generally avoided anything that Hollywood has produced in the last 20 years. Fortuantely, most of the cinematic classics were made well before this self-imposed boycott started. So now, I will list the definitive "most powerful moments".
They may be sad, scary, heartwarming, patriotic, etc.
Top 7 Most Powerful Moments in Cinema History
7. The Deerhunter- Russian Roulette POW scene --The actors in the Deerhunter, particularly DeNiro and Cristopher Walken make it seem incredibly real. The intensity of that scene as POWs being forced to play Russian roulette and the subsequent escape is one for the ages.
6. Outlaw Josie Wales - Snoose on the Dead guy's head -- After a gunfight where Josie (Clint Eastwood) and his sidekick end up killing the bad guys, his young companion frets that they should at least bury the dead out of respect. Instead, Clint hocks a mouthful of tobacco juice onto a cadaver's forehead, and flatly states that "the buzzards gotta eat too"
5. Casablanca- Rick says goodbye -- Thinking that she would be staying with Rick (Humphrey Bogart) as her husband Lazlo gets on the plane to America, Bogie gives Ilsa (Ingrid) the bad news. The strength to be able to give up her love in the cause of patriotism is amazing.
4. Exorcist- The head spin -- If you grew up Catholic, you believe in the devil. And that's what makes the Exorcist SO real (plus it was based on a true story). If the head spin scene did not creep you out, nothing will.
3. The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Girls playing -- I know, not everyone's cup of tea. But seeing Thomas' wife (Juliette Binoche) meet his mistress (Lena Olin) and the two have a playful, flirtatious rendevous.....well it's powerful to me. It helps that both are very gorgeous!!
2. Patton- "the speech to the Third Army" -- This movie is near perfect all the way through, but is most powerful just listening to George C. Scott recite the (somewhat sanitized) speech to the troops. Hollywood is incapable anymore of treating our Generals and Soldiers as the heroes that they are.
1. It's a Wonderful Life - George sees the light -- The angel Clarence's hard work finally pays off. George Bailey realizes how important he is to his family, community and to God, and has a tearful reunion with his family. It chokes me up, no matter how many times I see it. Merry Christmas!
I'm with you there, "Luke, I'm your father" was cheesy.
Exactly....
Which is why I think it needs to be listed more as a 'great guy flick' than a great flick in general. :)
and when the very Last Mohican kills Maguar right after that...deftly with that peculiar weapon.
It would be great to sit up late into the evening over adult beverages arguing the merits of GF1 vs GF2. I personally prefer 1, but can see the arguments for 2.
To me, however, here is one case where the TV presentation of these movies, reedited by Coppola as The Godfather Saga was the best way to see the films. GF2 gave me problems with the two widely separated prequel vs sequel stories. By putting the whole thing together sequentially it really clicked. Very powerful.
"Leave the gun, take the canolli."
Got bored, stopped watching in the first 30 minutes. ;)
"On July 30, 1945, after completing a top secret mission to deliver parts of the atom bomb "Little Boy," which would be dropped on Hiroshima, the battle cruiser USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; close to 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained, undetected by the navy, for nearly five days. Battered by a savage sea, they struggled to survive, fighting off hypothermia, sharks, physical and mental exhaustion, and, finally, hallucinatory dementia. By the time rescue -- which was purely accidental -- arrived, all but 321 men had lost their lives; 4 more would die in military hospitals shortly thereafter."
Perhaps a little poetic license.
Yep, she is. My favourite TV show was Northern Exposure. Cracked me up all the time.
"Life is hard... its even harder when you're stupid."
- SGT. Stryker
1. The last scene in the "Night of the Living Dead" (the original black and white version - a true cult classic), where the Sheriff shoots and kills the hero! A great and most unexpected ending!
"Is this Heaven?"
"No, it's Iowa."
Love that movie also.
Lol, Slim Pickins:
"Well I've been to two world fairs and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard come over a headset".
So Captain Quint got the date wrong, the Indianapolis was torpedoed and sank a month later. But that was the quote in the movie. 220... 221, whatever it takes.
High Noon, Gary leaving town at the end.
Strangelove again, both George Scott with his arms spread wide immitating how the bombers will get through, and Peter Sellers as the Group Captain telling the Sergent-Major to shoot open the pop machine.
Finally, the Natural, when his true love stand up in the stands and is illuminated by the rays of sunshine and he just senses it.
And Ol' Yeller dying provided a litmus test. If she didn't cry, it was the last date.
Easy---
"Passion of Christ"
Christ looks at his mother, his face covered with his own blood, and says...
"See Mother, I make all things new."
"Would it help if we ran away further?"-Brave Sir Robin
Hal Moore (played by Mel Gibson) crying after the battle in "We were Soldiers Once..."
And "The Passion", especially the scourging at the pillar.
Have you seen the original Champ? With Wallace Beery and (I believe) Mickey Rooney. You can NOT not cry your head off.
The wife refused to go see it with me, so I went, by myself, on a Sunday at 12:30 in the afternoon. There were only four or five of us in the theater. I sat dead center about 15 rows back so the screen pretty much took up all my periphial vision.
I was prepared to get choked up... especially at the end, but I didn't. I was kinda suprised at how exhausted and numb I was.
The whole thing made me want to go find a Vet and shake his hand. Now, when I watch it, it makes me want to go find a lib and kick his ass.
OK, these are all very good, so I gotta add one of my favorites "The answer is No, I am therefore going anyway"
Willian Shatner, Star Trek III
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