The Sheila Variations

Lists, lists, lists

Came across this list of the "100 Greatest Moments in Film History" - and really enjoyed reading them, remembering some of these moments, wondering why others weren't included, etc. It was compiled by the Guardian - which explains why many of the choices are COMPLETELY boneheaded. I cannot remember where I found the link, though - I printed it out a while back so forgive my shorthand.

Also: "You know how to whistle, don't you Steve?" is not on the list, which pretty much negates the whole thing right there.

But still. Feel free to bluster your annoyance or crow your approval about all of these in the comments.

I list them here and comment on them when I feel like it.

1: The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, US, 1995)
Kujan realises that he has been conned. The "revelation" scene.

2: Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, US, 1960)
The shower scene.

Er - enough said?

The scene is 45 seconds long, it took 7 days to shoot, and they used 70 separate camera set-ups. Janet Leigh was in that shower for 7 days.

3: The Third Man (Carol Reed, UK, 1949)
The appearance of Harry Lime (Orson Welles, with star billing, didn't appear until over an hour into the film). Haven't seen this one though.

4: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, UK, 1968)
Flying bone turns into space ship

5: Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, US, 1979)
The dawn helicopter attack. Just thinking about that scene gives me chills. Robert Duvall, the swarm of helicopters appearing, the speakers blasting out Wagner's 'Ride Of The Valkyries' as they zoom over villages ... an insane scene. An onslaught.

6: Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, US, 1982)
Batty's dying speech in the rain

Poor Rutger Hauer. He can only play inhuman characters or evil soulless men. This might be one of his greatest moments - his final soliloquy in the rain. Apparently, when he finished it - the entire crew burst into applause. Everyone was crying. Pretty cool.

7: The Great Escape (John Sturges, US, 1963)
The Cooler King escapes on his motorbike

Do not kill me. I have not seen this movie.

8: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, US, 1942)
The airport scene at the end.

9: Planet of the Apes (Franklin J Schaffner, US, 1967)
Taylor finds the Statue of Liberty

Anecdote about that unbelievable moment:

Charlton Heston screams, when he comes across the Statue in the sand: "You did it, didn't you...You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you! God damn you all to hell!" The original script just had him say "My God" because at that point "God damn" was still not allowed. Charlton Heston re-wrote the speech, and argued that he wasn't using "God damn" as a curse, he was using it quite literally: he was calling on God to damn those who did this. The powers that be, thankfully, let him change the line.

10: Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, US, 1959)
The very last moment: "Nobody's perfect".

Perhaps the best ending of a film EVER. IAL Diamond, responsible for that great line, said he was always pestered by people forever after: "What happens to them after that??" He always responded, "I have absolutely no idea. You cannot top that. 'Nobody's perfect.' It says it all."

Great.

11: Singin' In The Rain (Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, US, 1952)
Gene Kelly singing in the rain

Kelly had a fever of 103 while they filmed this scene.

12: The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino, US, 1978)
The Russian roulette scene

That's one of those scenes which, in my opinion, you only need to see once.

13: Ben Hur (William Wyler, US, 1959)
The chariot race.

I know. I know. I haven't seen it yet. It's on the list, guys!!!

14: Don't Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, UK/It, 1973)
The hooded figure

Never seen it. Donald Sutherland? Julie Christie? Think I have to check this one out. LOVE those two!

15: Saving Private Ryan (Steven Spielberg, US, 1998)
The Normandy landings

Another scene I only think I can endure once, so horrific and so well done was it.

16: The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, US, 1963)
The crows gather on the climbing frame

My blood runs cold just thinking about it.

17: Platoon (Oliver Stone, US, 1986)
Sergeant Elias staggers out of the jungle

That is, most definitely, an iconic scene. Willem Dafoe came to my school (you all must be sick of hearing me say "so and so came to my school) but he talked a lot about filming that scene.

18: Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Steven Spielberg, US, 1977)
The mothership appears

19: Lawrence Of Arabia (David Lean, UK, 1962)
The entrance of Sherif Ali

Amazing. The mirage. Apparently, David Lean said to his cinematographer, "I want to do a mirage shot. I have no idea how the hell to pull it off. Give it some thought."

Unforgettable moment.

20: Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, US, 1975)
'You talkin' to me?'

I recently saw this movie again and forgot how scary this private moment is. I forgot because "You talkin' to me" has now entered our culture to such a degree that everyone imitates it, everywhere - it's hard to remember the original.

21: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (Sergio Leone, It, 1966)
The cemetery gunfight

22: The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, US, 1994)
The escape hole is discovered

Yeah. I dig that scene. All those faces peering into that hole with dawning understanding and shock.

23: Alien (Ridley Scott, UK/US, 1970)
The birth of the alien

Disgusting.

24: Dirty Harry (Don Siegel, US, 1971)
'Do you feel lucky punk?'

Forgive me. I haven't seen it. (Ducking.)

25: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman, US, 1975)
Chief Bromden escapes

I remember watching that movie in high school and literally feeling like I was having a heart attack from too much emotionw hen Chief escaped. My heart literally HURT.

26: Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, US, 1981)
Indiana shoots the swordsman

Spielberg tells a funny story about how that scene came to be: The scene was written to be an extended duel - Indy with his whip, swordsman with his sword - and would take a day or 2 of shooting. Harrison Ford came up to Spielberg on that morning and said, "I ate something bad last night - I'm sick - and I only have about an hour of work in me. Can't I just shoot the guy?"

Spielberg said that when Harrison Ford said that, a couple of crew members overheard it - and a couple of them started laughing.

Speilberg knew, then, when he heard the crew guys laughing: "Okay. That's gonna be a good moment. Let's just have him shoot the guy."

27: The Full Monty (Peter Cattaneo, UK, 1997)
The dole queue dance

That is a hilarious scene. Donna Summer, all of them queueing up for the dole ... and slowly ... imperceptibly at first ... the lads start to move.

28: Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (George Roy Hill, US, 1969)
The final, doomed shootout

Perfect. Perfect filmmaking.

29: North By Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, US, 1959)
The crop-dusting plane scene.

Can't get enough of that scene. Love it.

30: Seven (David Fincher, US, 1995)
What's in the box?

The final scene. Pshaw. I hated that movie.

31: Brief Encounter (David Lean, UK, 1945)
Laura says goodbye to Alec

I don't know this movie.

32: Gone With The Wind (Victor Fleming, US, 1939)
'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn'

Yeah. It's a pretty great ending. I think when he carries her up the staircase, though, is almost better.

33: Kes (Ken Loach, UK, 1969)
Brian Glover's football lesson

I don't know this movie. Just read a description of it, though, and it sounds terrific.

34: On The Waterfront (Elia Kazan, US, 1954)
'I coulda been a contender'

Nothing else needs to be said. One of the greatest scenes of all time.

35: Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, US, 1994)
"Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face!"

Yes. An outrageously funny moment. But one of the greatest film moments of all time? No.

36: The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, UK, 1980)
'Heeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!'

37: True Romance (Tony Scott, US, 1994)
'You're Sicilian, ha?'

I was SO happy to see this stupendous scene included and acknowledged. It is a phenomenal piece of writing, and I think it's some of the best work that either Dennis Hopper or Christopher Walken ever did. Brilliant. Juicy.

38: E.T. The Extraterrestrial (Steven Spielberg, US, 1982)
E.T. and Elliot ride a bike against the moon

(as cops with ... er ... walkie-talkies chase them...)

39: Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, US, 1990)
'What do you mean funny?'

I have seen this movie SO many times and this scene never ever fails to make me so uncomfortable I want to wet my pants or run screaming from the room. Joe Pesci's moments here make me feel TRAPPED. Very very good.

40: Spartacus (Stanley Kubrick, US, 1960)
'I'm Spartacus!'

I need to start keeping track of how many times certain directors works show up on this list. Kubrick's been here a number of times already.

41: The Italian Job (Peter Collinson, UK, 1969)
The final cliffhanger

I do not know this one.

42: The Wizard Of Oz (Victor Fleming, US, 1939)
The journey to Oz

The magic of that moment when she opens the door never palls for me.

43: Jaws (Steven Spielberg, US, 1975)
The opening

I found this film, while amazing, almost unwatchably scary at times. The opening is the WORST.

44: Now Voyager (Irving Rapper, US, 1942)
Two cigarettes, one light

Good old virtuous leading man Paul Henreid lights two cigarettes and passes one to the leading lady. Simple, yes, but it apparently was a gesture which took the nation by storm.

Doesn't seem like a worthy entry on this list. But who asked me ...

45: Star Wars (George Lucas, US, 1977)
Destruction of the Death Star

I think the opening of that film is far more impressive.

46: The Crying Game (Neil Jordan, UK, 1992)
Fergus discovers Dil's true gender

Yawn. (Sorry.)

47: The Producers (Mel Brooks, US, 1968)
The chorus sing 'Springtime For Hitler'

I truly cannot think of a funnier moment.

"Don't be stupid - be a smarty -
Come and join the Nazi Party"

48: When Harry Met Sally (Rob Reiner, US, 1989)
The fake orgasm

49: A Few Good Men (Rob Reiner, US, 1992)
'You can't handle the truth'

What?? Yes - it is one of those acting moments which literally leap off the screen and grab you by the throat ... but I don't think it should be on the list.

50: A Matter Of Life And Death (Michael Powell, UK, 1946)
'There's a catch...''

David Niven - who I love. Only I haven't seen this movie. That man makes me LAUGH.

51: Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, USSR, 1925)
A stroller bounces down the Odessa steps

Famously imitated by Brian DePalma in "The Untouchables". But the moment in Battleship Potemkin is better.

52: Bullitt (Peter Yates, US, 1968)
Car chase through San Francisco

53: Carrie (Brian DePalma, US, 1976)
The horror ending

Anyone remember that moment? The hand coming up through the earth? Freakin' TERRIFYING.

54: It's A Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, US, 1946)
George discovers he's still alive

Tears of joy just thinking about that beautiful scene.

55: LA Confidential (Curtis Hanson, US, 1997)
Dudley Smith shoots Jack Vincennes

God, so many other great scenes in that movie, though!! How to choose! I'd pick Ed Exley's interrogation scene when Bud White breaks the chair. I'd venture to say that it was that moment alone that made Russell Crowe a star and made women melt in their seats.

However, Vincennes' last moment is so fantastic as well, isn't it???

"Rollo ... Tomassi..."

56: Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino, US, 1991)
The ear amputation

I feel like I can never listen to the song "Stuck in the middle with you" and enjoy it - because of that scene.

57: Shane (George Stevens, US, 1953)
'Shane! Come back!'

Echoing ... "come back Shane, come back Shane!"

Yeah, it's a classic moment.

58: The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kershner, US, 1980)
'I am your father'

I particularly enjoyed the sequence in the asteroid belt, but that's okay - "I am your father" was a stunning revelation, if I can remember my own response way back when.

59: The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, US, 1971)
The horse's head

It's the LEAD UP to the horse's head that I find so scary. You watch how it occurs. You watch when the decision is made - only no words are said. You know what's coming, but that poor guy doesn't ... and the coldness and callousness of these people ... It's awful.

60: The Railway Children (Lionel Jeffries, UK, 1970)
Bobbie's father walks through the steam

I do not know this one.

61: Thelma And Louise (Ridley Scott, US, 1991)
Drive over the cliff edge

I love that ending. It's the only way it could go. HowEVER - I was disappointed that they then immediately faded the screen to white, and as the credits rolled showed up images of the women in happier times. It completely missed the point, I thought. Or maybe that WAS their point ... but I thought it could have been so much more. If they had just had a black-out. Dead-end. That's it. Let the audience decide how to feel. Don't enforce nostalgia on the audience, please. It's obnoxious.

62: Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, UK, 1996)
Renton quits heroin cold turkey - his parents lock him in his room

One of the scariest real-est most frightening depictions of drug withdrawal I have ever seen. The baby on the ceiling.

63: Witness (Peter Weir, US, 1985)
Dance in the barn

Oh Lord help me. How I love that scene.

64: Manhattan (Woody Allen, US, 1979)
The opening sequence

The New York montage and Woody Allen's voiceover. Pretty funny.

65: Manon Des Sources (Claude Berri, France, 1986)
César discovers he has a child

I do not know this one.

66: Once Upon A Time In The West (Sergio Leone, Italy, 1968)
The mystery man's flashback

I do not know this one.

67: Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, WGer/Fr/UK, 1984)
The peepshow booth encounter

Jeez. Anyone remember this scene?? What a movie.

68: Play It Again Sam (Herbert Ross, US, 1972)
Woody and the Oscar Peterson album

Howlingly funny movie. And moment.

69: The Graduate (Mike Nichols, US, 1967)
Sitting at the back of the bus

Yeah, that was a good moment. I think the moment when all you see is Mrs. Robinson's leg (the "Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Robinson?") is much better.

70: The Princess Bride (Rob Reiner, US, 1987)
The clifftop duel

Perfection

71: The Searchers (John Ford, US 1956)
Ethan Edwards' final cut

I don't know this movie. More's the pity.

72: There's Something About Mary (Bobby and Peter Farrelly, US, 1998)
The unusual hair-gel

73: Titanic (James Cameron, US, 1997)
Lovers at the ship's bow

Quiet in the gallery, please.

74: Zulu (Cy Endfield, UK, 1964)
The final battle

Okay, I haven't seen this movie - but people reference it ALL THE TIME. I hear it all the time. So obviously it's great, and I'm just an idiot. I will put it on the list.

75: Delicatessen (Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, Fr, 1990)
The bedsprings scene

What an absolutely bizarre movie and moment.

76: William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet (Baz Luhrmann, US, 1996)
The young lovers gaze through an aquarium

Uh. No.

77: Scarface (Brian DePalma, US, 1983)
'Say hello to my leetle friend'

Another line like "You talkin' to me?" It's entered into the culture.

78: Dr Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick, UK, 1963)
Bomb descends to 'We'll Meet Again'

Brilliant. Kubrick again.

79: The Piano (Jane Campion, Aus, 1993)
Piano playing on the beach

One of the most gorgeously filmed sequences I've ever seen. Breathtaking - strange - unexplainable. Like something out of a dream.

80: Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, It/Fr 1988)
Compilation of love scenes

I smiled just to think about this scene.

81: Edward Scissorhands (Tim Burton, US, 1991)
Ice sculptures

No. I don't accept that. With so many other great scenes out there.

82: Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel, Denmark, 1987)
The old general tastes the food

I do love that scene.

83: The Jungle Book (Wolfgang Reitherman, US, 1967)
Mowgli meets Baloo

Mowgli Schmowgli.

84: Henry V (Kenneth Branagh, UK, 1989)
Henry carries away his dead page

Shit, man, wasn't that great? Kenneth Branagh on those fields of slaughter - carrying his page on his back?

85: La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini, It/Fr 1960)
The frolic in the fountain

Glorious.

86: Cabaret (Bob Fosse, US, 1972)
Tomorrow belongs to them

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. And that scene ... of singing fervent Germans - joining the song and standing up one by one ... is one of the most terrifying things I've ever seen.

87: Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali, Sp, 1928)
Eye-slicing

I have not seen this film and judging from the eye-slicing reference I don't think I could take it. I have a phobia about my eyes.

88: Four Weddings And A Funeral (Mike Newell, UK, 1994)
The W. H. Auden recital at the funeral

That was a lovely little scene, wasn't it? Not sure it deserves to be on the list - but I do remember liking that scene.

89: Great Expectations (David Lean, UK, 1946)
Pip meets Magwitch in the graveyard

Never seen it. Great book. Never seen the movie.

90: Happiness (Todd Solondz, US, 1998)
The masturbation moment at the dinner table

Just thinking about this movie makes me uncomfortable.

91: Braveheart (Mel Gibson, US, 1995)
The battle of Stirling Bridge

92: High Noon (Fred Zinnemann, US, 1952)
Will Kane realises he is alone

Wow. Forgot about that moment. Yes. It is truly something. Gary Cooper walking out into the empty street - it is high noon - glaring light - and he looks around him.

93: Ice Cold In Alex (J. Lee Thompson, UK, 1958)
'Four ice-cold lagers'

Never heard of it. Freakin' Guardian.

94: Les Diaboliques (Henri-Georges Clouzot, Fr, 1955)
He rises from the dead: 'Don't be devils. Don't ruin the interest your friends could take in this film. Don't tell them what you saw.'

95: Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg, US, 1993)
The girl's red coat

Yes. Yes. Yes.

96: Cool Hand Luke (Stuart Rosenberg, US, 1967)
The egg-eating contest

97: The Thomas Crown Affair (Norman Jewison, US, 1967)
The chess scene

I love that scene.

98: Bambi (David D. Hand, US, 1942)
The death of Bambi's mother

And children everywhere were traumatized for all time.

99: The Sound Of Music (Robert Wise, US, 1965)
'The hills are alive'

Okay. I'll give them that. Even though it's so well-known now that it's a cliche. But that first sweeping shot is pretty spectacular.

100: Heat (Michael Mann, US, 1995)
Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna first meet

Oh, please. I hated that scene, actually. I was disappointed. It was two CLOSE-UPS acting with one another - you rarely saw the 2 of them on screen at the same moment - they might as well have filmed Al's close-up one day and Robert's close-up the other. It left me flat.

Posted by sheila