Great moments of movie magic


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Here are ten of my favorites, a rather eclectic list:

Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn version) When Robin walks into the manor house banquet hall with the dead stag killed illegally slung over his shoulders.

The Blues Brothers Lots of great scenes, but the top of my list would be the one in the tunnel with Carrie Fisher.

It's a Wonderful Life George's breakdown at home on Christmas eve.

When Harry Met Sally The deli scene is great, but my favorite is Billy Crystal's proposal speech to Meg Ryan at the end.

The Princess Bride The swordfight between Montoya and Roberts.

The American President Michael J. Fox's speech to the President about American values.

The Hunt for Red October When Scott Glenn is in temporary command of the Soviet sub.

Silverado After the warning shots - Deputy: "Let's keep going, he hasn't hit anything yet." Sheriff (played by John Clease) "You idiot, he's hit everything he's shot at. My jurisdiction ends here."

Star Trek: First Contact Great action scenes, but my favorite part is when a drunk Deanna is introducing Ryker to Cochrine.

Planet of the Apes (original version) The final scene.
 

Pirates of the Caribbean - Jack's entrance (best entrance I think I've ever seen in a movie, bar none).

Pirates of the Caribbean - The look on Barbosa's face when Jack comes waltzing into the cave just before he sacrifices Will ("It's not possible...") is priceless.

Master and Commander - The scene where Aubrey spots the French muzzle-flashes in the fog and instant before the SURPRISE gets mangled.

Fellowship of the Ring - The whole Moria sequence, from the awe-inspiring establishing shot to Gimli's reaction upon seeing Balin's Tomb to Gandalf vs. the Balrog to the character's reactions to Gandalf's "death."

Fellowship of the Ring - Boromir's death scene, from his refusal to lay down and die to his last words to Aragorn; "I would have followed you, my brother...my captain...my king."

The Two Towers - Pretty much all of the Helm's Deep sequence, from Haldir and the Elves marching in to help the Rohirrim to Theoden's monologue "Where is the horse and rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?..." and the way they interspersed that with shots of the young boys and old men taking up arms for the last stand to Haldir's death to Theoden's last charge ("Now for wrath, now for ruin, and a red dawn! Forth Eorlingas!") and of course the charge of Eomer's eored as the sun rises on the fifth day.

Return of the King - Faramir's suicidal attack on Osgiliath, interspersed with the Steward feasting and Pippin singing that really sad song.

Return of the King - The entire Battle of Pellenor Field, particularly the Rohirrim screaming "DEATH!" as they charge the huge orcish army, and also the Dead fulfilling their oath.
 

I'll toss in a few from movies that aren't currently in the list, in the hopes that someone may be curious enough to check them out:

-Unforgiven, Munny's speech: "All right now, I'm comin' out! Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and Burn his damn house down!"

-Let it Ride, when Trotter professes his love to his wife, and his desire to give up gambling after that one perfect day; especially, his friend Looney's narrative to the Racetrack audience: "...And he PISSED it ALL away!"
 

Well I'm gonna have to go with a couple from the Matrix. These are ones that always come to mind when I think of how cool the movie was.

First- "I need guns, lots of guns" and the racks as they zoom in.

Then the sequence in the lobby of the building as they enter to rescue Morpheus. Watching the pillars disintegrate under automatic fire as cover is reduced to concealment. I really love that scene.

Also another relatively unknown favorite- the scene in Red Dawn as the camera shows the bumper sticker on a pickup truck "If you want my gun, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers" and then rapidly pans to a Soviet paratroop prying a 1911 .45 from presumably the truck owner's cold dead fingers.

buzzard
 
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Ooooooh, I got a bunch...

The first shot of L.A. in Blade Runner. Also, Batty's death scene.
The dinner table scene in Alien.
The teahouse sequence in Hard Boiled.
Jurassic Park: When Dr. Grant stands up in the jeep, slackjawed, staring at the dinosaurs. Pretty much everyone in the audience had the same look on their faces.
The baptism scene in The Godfather.
The slow-motion scene in Road to Perdition when Tom Hanks guns down Paul Newman's gang.
Luke's run in the Death Star Trench.
The House of Blue Leaves fight in Kill Bill Vol. 1.
Jules's speech to Pumpkin in the diner at the end of Pulp Fiction. "But I'm trying Ringo. I'm trying real hard...(turns safety on)... to be the Shepherd."

And because I'm such a sentimental nerd:
Kevin Costner asking his dad to play catch with him in Field of Dreams. Gets me every time.
 

Here are a few more...

It's a Wonderful Life: The "honeymoon" scene when George comes home after saving the Savings & Loan from the Rush. "Welcome Home, Mr. Bailey," the camera pans as he looks at his new bride, the table, the bird roasting over the fire (attached to the phonograph)... and then the *gulp* as he looks at the queen-size bed.

It's a Wonderful Life: The ending scene with the entire town piling into the Baileys' living room.

Camelot: The whole "I wonder what the King is doing tonight" sequence.

Ocean's Eleven: "Check the tape! Does it say 'Bellagio' on the floor?" ... just as the SWAT team is making its way out of the casino and we see Brad Pitt's face.

Independence Day: "Do me one favor... tell my children I love them very much" as Russell, the whacked-out, alien-abducted fighter pilot goes kamikaze into the alien craft toward the end of the movie.

Prince of Egypt: Moses parting the Red Sea... you know it's coming but it still looks incredible.

Return to Me: David Duchovny arrives home after his wife dies at the hospital. He's still covered in blood and in shock. He closes the door and just sinks down, collapsing into a huge, shaking, sobbing mess.

What Dreams May Come: The "paint" world sequence. I especially love Cuba Gooding Jr.'s delivery of... "Are you your arm? Where does your consciousness exist?" "In my brain, I suppose." "Brain is meat, it's an organ... that's not you. Thought is real... physical is the illusion. Pretty wild, huh?"

Now, granted, some of these are, I guess, very HUMAN moments (Return to Me, Camelot, etc.), but the bare humanity with which they're portrayed just gets me.

--The Sigil
 
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Henry said:
-Unforgiven, Munny's speech: "All right now, I'm comin' out! Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and Burn his damn house down!"
I can't believe I forgot that one, man that's just a great movie.
 

jdavis said:
I can't believe I forgot that one, man that's just a great movie.
Indeed. :)

Props to the man who listed true grit also! :D

I would like to see what everyone consider as the single magic movie moment from one movie. How many scenes from each Star Wars movie, Aliens, and Pirates of the Caribbean do you think would be named? :)
 

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