Favorite Scene Friday! Bullitt: Just Keep Driving

Steve McQueen is the actor-of-the-month over at the LAMB, so I'm taking a moment to celebrate one of the best moments from one of his less good movies. Bullitt isn't terrible, but if it wasn't for the central chase sequence I don't think many people would discuss it today, so you can be damn sure that's the scene in question this week.

Bullitt painting by Arthur Benjamins

If you're unfamiliar with the plot, I'll take a stab at it: Steve McQueen plays Lt. Frank Bullitt of the San Francisco Police Department. He is tasked with protecting a star witness over the weekend, but events occur that require said witness to be hidden somewhere, with only Frank and his team knowing the location. As such, a couple of men (seen in the clip, known to me as "Stern Face" and "Glasses") are sent to follow Frank to see where he goes, in the hope that it'll lead to the witness' whereabouts. This is what happens next:

I only really want to follow on that first segment as being the best scene, as the entire chase goes on for at least another 7 minutes, but for the sake of not depriving you here's the rest of it too:

OK, now you've got that out of your system (did you count the hub-caps? Go back and count the hub-caps) let's get back to that first segment. The key moment occurs at 2:14, when Frank, having quite easily slipped his tail, appears in their rear-view mirror, turning the tables and making the hunters the hunted. It's an ingenious and wonderful manoeuvre, and is filmed beautifully, with the camera in the back seat of the villains' car, the mirror nonchalantly positioned in the centre - because that's where it would be anyway, given we're looking out the windscreen with them for Frank's car - and then it just appears in the mirror, popping up and saying "Gotcha!". I think the zoom in goes a little too far to accentuate the reveal, but only a little.

The whole chase uses the streets and hills of San Francisco perfectly, weaving in and out of traffic, utilising the sharp right angle corners to crash and screech all over the road, all the while tormenting those roaring, guttural engines and trashing the chassis on the bumps. The entire scene has no dialogue, it's all about the concentrated expressions and wheelmanship on display.

I'd argue it amongst the best car chases of all time - I previously looked at another contender from The French Connection - but this might just beat it, at least in terms of longevity. I like the temporary satisfied smirk Glasses gives to Stern Face when he thinks they've gotten away, when Frank stopped to check a crashed motorcyclist was alright. I love the use of the mirror outside of the reveal too, allowing us to see the face of the driver and/or passenger as well as the road ahead, just perfect.

What's your favorite movie car chase?

Favorite Scene Friday! Groundhog Day: Déjà vu

Having finally featured Rick and Morty for Escape-athon last week, it seems we're going with a "I can't believe this hasn't been featured for FSF before!" trend. It's particularly surprising since we at one point did a series on scenes featuring Bill Murray, star of today's featured film. We actually have a good reason for not featuring Groundhog Day before, however...the last time the holiday fell on a Friday was all the way back in 2007, long before we started this blog.

Matt Ryan

Groundhog Day, the film about Phil Connors (Murray) reliving the titular holiday over and over in
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is many things rolled up into a nice, neat package. It's an amazing Bill Murray showcase. It's a classic romantic high concept comedy. It popularized the time loop subgenre of science fiction that's been utilized in film and even in TV, as recently as Star Trek: Discovery. The film has really aged into a modern classic, going as far as spawning a Broadway play that Bill Murray famously saw two days in a row (it sadly didn't last).

Our scene this week is the first time Phil relives Groundhog Day. Murray's immediately and effortlessly a smug asshole, but Phil starts to get the sense of something wrong. He quickly goes to the window and sees the day unfolding just as it had the day before. I love that little bit of unsettling music that plays along with that.

Groundhog Day is pretty much wall-to-wall great actors/characters. "Porkchop" - played by Ken Hudson Campbell - is one such character. Billed as "Man in Hallway" his little scream when Phil pushes him up against the wall is perfect. His terrified expression when Phil finally walks away is great as well. This whole bit's great because Phil and the viewer really start to get a sense of the strangeness happening.

Even better than Porkchop, however, is Mrs. Lancaster, played by Angela Paton (sad to learn she just passed away in 2016). Her effortlessly charming "No, but I can check with the kitchen," is one of the best things in this scene.

With all that said, enjoy the scene. Looks like the next Friday Groundhog Day isn't until 2024.

What's your favorite scene from Groundhog Day?

What day would you love to relive over and over? 

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Bonus!

Here's a little recommendation...I recently watched Happy Death Day - a horror version of Groundhog Day, essentially - and it was amazing. The horror genre works so well with the time loop premise so I wonder why it's not used more often. Check out the trailer below.

Favorite Scene Friday! Rick and Morty: Keep Summer Safe

Where to begin with Rick and Morty? Its quality? Its mass appeal? Szechuan sauce? Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland's pop culture darling is so popular that it's got folks like yours truly starting Facebook groups just to discuss it with friends and like-minded fans. I actually can't believe we haven't written about it for FSF yet.

Taylor Rose

This week's scene - the last in this year's Escape-athon series - is the start of the "Keep Summer Safe" bit from Season 2's "The Ricks Must Be Crazy". It starts innocently enough. Rick, Morty, and Summer are in an alternate universe to catch a Ball Fondlers movie and eat some of the multiverse's best ice cream. Their ship is dead however, and it's definitely not the quantum carburetor.

This scene almost plays like a Rick and Morty greatest hits album. Alternate realities. Rick insulting Morty. Burping. The setup for an insane, sci-fi adventure. And that setup definitely pays off - "The Ricks Must Be Crazy" is one of the show's best episodes. But what this scene really sets up is the amazing B plot. Rick doesn't want to leave Summer unattended (due to the giant, telepathic spiders of course), so he instructs the ship to "Keep Summer safe." It goes to some insane lengths to do so.

Some of the smaller details of this scene really shine. The mention of "11 9/11s". The fact that flashlights are taped to the ship in lieu of headlights. "That was my daughter's pediatrician!"

This bit is truly the tip of the iceberg, as the ship's actions to keep Summer "safe" progressively lead to worse scenarios. It gets real dark. Summer becomes a party to murder and mayhem in the name of safety and she probably would have been better off with the spiders.

What's your favorite scene from Rick and Morty?

Would the best ice cream in the multiverse make up for giant, telepathic spiders? 

Favorite Scene Friday! Godzilla: Let Them Fight

Our FSF this week - which kicks off Escape-athon 2018 - comes from Nick from French Toast Sunday!

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I’m a big Godzilla fan. I had a VHS boxset back in the '90s and early '00s with all the classics. As a child, I watched Godzilla battle it out with Rodan and Mothra (before they became allies) and his greatest foes King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla. Hell, I even have a soft spot for when he battled Biollante, who was essentially a giant plant. Godzilla still kicked its ass up and down Osaka, but I digress. I was beyond excited for 2014’s Godzilla as it was a return to form for the franchise. A slow build where we catch glimpses of the monster, a meandering plot that really doesn’t matter, and a culmination of a massive fight. Sign. Me. Up. Every. Time.

Godzilla Official Movie Site

Gareth Edwards' take on Godzilla took me back to my childhood with one single scene. As the military attempts to simultaneously remove a warhead and bomb the MUTO's nest, Godzilla appears on the streets of San Francisco ready for battle. He approaches and delivers his signature roar and just starts throwing his weight around. The King of the Monsters just manhandles the MUTO for several city blocks, taking it to task. This puny creature is no match, but it’s really never that easy. WHAM! A second MUTO appears, catching Godzilla off guard. The two MUTOs begin ganging up on him and it looks like it’s game over for our antihero. Another curveball! The MUTOs' nest explodes, diverting their attention to the now burning eggs of what could have been their young.

Suddenly, the greatest thing happens. I had waited for this moment (for all my life) since the film was announced and nearly jumped out of my seat in excitement. As the MUTO inspects its nest, we get the slightest grumble and a pool of blue light. We see the light increase and form a spiky trail. It’s climbing up the back of Godzilla, winding up, whirring up, grinding up. At its apex, Godzilla draws his breath and unleashes his atomic breath. A blast of blue nuclear energy burns the MUTO, weakening it, and leaving it defenseless for Godzilla’s final blows. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get the win just yet, but he just might. SPOILERS, Godzilla unleashes the atomic breath again in the film and I was filled with just as much joy if not more. But that’s another favorite scene for another Friday.

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What's your favorite scene from 2014's Godzilla?

Are you excited for Godzilla to take on King Kong in 2020's appropriately named Godzilla vs. Kong?

Favorite Scene Friday! The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Orinoco Flow

Beware Spoilers!

Welcome to the final Favorite Scene Friday of 2017! We're really starting to get into some colder weather, so what better way to celebrate than with a scene from a film where cold, bleak weather is practically a character in the film? Hell, one of the taglines is "What is hidden in snow, comes forth in the thaw.". It's from a fairly recent thriller - 2011's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The Millennium series - first a Swedish book series, then a Swedish film series and then a stalled American film series, is soon to be rebooted yet again in the form of anther American film, The Girl in the Spider's Web. Director Fede Alvarez is at the helm with The Crown's Claire Foy playing the part of computer hacker and general bad ass Lisbeth Salander, the titular girl (I kind of thought Alvarez should reteam with Jane Levy, his star from the Evil Dead reboot and Don't Breathe). Quite excited for this film, actually - it's due October of next year.

Yannis Ger/AMP

But we're not here to talk about that film - it's TGWTDT we're worried about. My God, this thing really came out all the way back in 2011? It seems like yesterday. We reviewed it, actually - back when we did that sort of thing.

The film follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) as he investigates a missing person's case. During the course of the investigation he teams up with Salander (the underappreciated Rooney Mara). Our scene takes place towards the end of the film, after Blomkvist has been abducted by Stellan Skarsgård's Martin Vanger, who, it's been revealed, is the film's villain. One of the highlights of this scene is surely Skarsgård. He's sort of detached but chillingly intense at the same time.

It's really an interesting back and forth between Craig and Skarsgård. Fear. Boredom. Aggression. More boredom. The scene really kicks into gear when Vanger puts a bag over Blomkvist's head. The bag over the head is so simple but so chilling. Just look at that screen grab below for Pete's sake.  It's intense for two reasons - seeing Daniel Craig (or anyone) like that is very disturbing, but then director David Fincher also lets us see through his character's eyes. I'm not sure which is worse.

Vanger is sort of going through the motions when he realizes - while opening Blomkvist's fly - that he's never had a man down in his torture chamber before. But then it's back to business until Lisbeth shows up. And it's so cathartic when she whacks him with that golf club.

Lastly, if you happened to read that review, you may have noticed that even back then we were particularly affected by the choice of Orinoco Flow, which, by the way, Daniel Craig randomly picked from his iPod behind the scenes. I'll probably never be able to listen to this song the same way again.

What's your favorite scene from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?

What's your favorite installment in The Millennium Series, be it the books, the original films, or the American remake?

Favorite Scene Friday! The Dark Knight Rises: Victory Has Defeated You

This week's scene is by Nick from French Toast Sunday!

While The Dark Knight Rises may not be my favorite Batman film, it does feature my favorite Batman scene. When Batman meets Bane for the first time, I get chills. Even re-watching this scene for this post, the chills were still there. The fear was still there, the worry was still there. There’s no other way to put it, Batman gets his ass handed to him in every possible way. It’s not just his spirit that gets broken, but his back too. The Scarecrow tested his drive and motivations in Batman Begins while the Joker tested his morals and dedication in The Dark Knight. But in The Dark Knight Rises, Bane breaks him down mentally and physically in ways we’ve never seen nor imagined.

StudioKxx via AMP

As soon as Catwoman lures Batman into a trap and the cage closes behind him, he’s already lost. The film’s score is gone, there is no ambient music. Instead, we’re frozen as Bane’s voice echoes throughout the chamber. Immediately, Batman’s identity is compromised. Then his suit and abilities are compromised with Bane taunting him that his suit has cost him strength, and that his victories have made him weak. As many hits as Batman can land, he just can’t stop Bane. Bane takes hit after hit but continues to bombard Batman with powerful blows. The Caped Crusader is no match for Bane. We can tell Batman is growing weak, crying out in anger; something he didn’t do before in his previous fights. Batman was in control, but now he has none. He’s signaling the end, he just doesn’t realize it yet.

But the end does come when Bane has beaten him down and broken down all of his tricks. No smoke bombs and fear of the dark can stop Bane. Can anything at this point stop Bane? Cold and calculated, Bane shows Batman why he’s there: to take away Batman’s toys. Batman watches, in pain through a broken cowl, as Bane’s henchmen plunder through his armory. Now usually at this point in a movie, the villain explains his dastardly plans but miraculously, the hero saves the day via Chekhov’s gun and/or great dramatic irony that ruins said dastardly plans. But that doesn’t happen here. Instead we get a defeated Batman get pushed even further into this well of pain by having his back broken. (As someone who read the Knightfall series, this is something I never thought I’d see in theatres on the big screen.) Batman’s back breaks, cue the score, cut to Bane carrying the broken mask of Batman tossing it away like a candy bar wrapper.

Our hero has suffered the greatest possible defeat and is left with nothing. It’s here that he must rebuild himself and take back his beloved city on his own. There is a moment where it feels like Batman is not coming back. Bane is our savior now, and nothing or no one can save us. We all know what happens from here, but upon first viewing, and sometimes subsequent viewings, there is a feeling of true loss. A feeling that the bad guy might actually win… again.

What's your favorite scene from The Dark Knight Rises?

Festive Scene Friday! Arthur Christmas: The Elf Battalion

I often here people bemoan, especially at this time of year, that there are no modern classic Christmas films, with Elf and Love, Actually, both released in 2003, being the ones brought up as the last "good" ones. Whenever this occurs, Arthur Christmas is my go-to response. If you're not familiar, it's Aardman's 2011 computer-animated release centring on the family lineage of the Santas and how they function in a modern world. Jim Broadbent voices the current Santa, Imelda Staunton is his wife, Bill Nighy is his retired father Grand-Santa and his two sons are ambitious, career-hungry Steve (Hugh Laurie) and clumsy yet enthusiastic and endearing Arthur (James McAvoy). When Steve's military-style technology loses track of one present at the end of Christmas Eve, Arthur takes it upon himself - with the help of Grand-Santa, a single reindeer and an elf from the wrapping division (Ashley Jenson) - to return the gift before its intended recipient wakes up.

Arthur Christmas artwork from fanart.tv, uploaded by AndyForman001

There are many scenes I could highlight here - the African exploits, the family board game, the climactic Cornwall-set chase - but instead I'm picking the film's opening scene, which really introduces us to the world and exactly how Santa and his team of elves manage to pull off the seemingly-impossible mission of delivering so many presents to so many children in such a short amount of time. Take a look:

To date this is Aardman's only fully computer-generated animation, whereas previously they worked within the stop-motion realm, painstakingly modelling endless figures and scenes, and imbuing them with life through the arduous animation process. Trying out this more digital approach does definitely lose something - the style is a little less charming, feels a little more processed - but it also allows for far greater scope and scale, and that's no more evident than in this opening, with hundreds of elves descending from Santa's mile-wide ship to deliver thousands of presents simultaneously. There's so much going on so quickly in every frame here that I honestly don't blame them for eschewing the more limited stop-motion format.

The intro answers a lot of questions as to how Santa might work in the modern world, tackling such issues as children in hospitals, sleeping in vans, apartment blocks and houses that don't have traditional fireplaces. Of course there's a lot of nonsense here with regards to the wrapped presents - for some reason the fully-functioning yet entirely encased slinky bothers me more than the inflating bouncy castle - and I love the homage to possibly the greatest scene from the greatest feature Aardman released, the train chase in The Wrong Trousers. Oh and for some reason the sleeping dog being left a gift-wrapped bone warms my heart to no end.

What's your favorite modern Christmas movie moment?

Favorite Scene Friday! Deep Blue Sea: Enough is Enough

I've made no secret of my belief in the fact that Jurassic Park is the greatest movie of all time, so it should be no surprise to learn that I also love some other films that have taken more than a little inspiration from it. Deep Blue Sea follows an almost identical template - a skeleton crew of scientists, trainers and visitors are trapped in a remote, water-surrounded facility when, during a storm, a combination of human error and digestion-based natural instincts cause the crew to rapidly diminish in number whilst trying to safely find a way home - oh, and they both feature Samuel L. Jackson. The main difference between Deep Blue Sea and Jurassic Park - other than the abundance of giant brainy sharks instead of lysene-deficient dinosaurs - is that Deep Blue Sea is more often ridiculous, and potentially the pinnacle of this nonsense is the subject of today's FSF.

Deep Blue Sea wallpaper available on AlphaCoders from darkness

It's easily the most famous scene from the film. In fact, it's a scene I'd seen before I'd even heard of the film itself. It's the kind of film where someone will show it to you by skipping just to this scene, and ending it right afterwards. And yes, that's exactly what happened to me. It took me a few years to actually watch the rest of the film and, whilst I highly enjoy the various scenes of shark-spearing, helicopter-exploding and bird-eating, it's still this scene that stands out from all the rest. Prior to this point the pressure in an underwater shark research laboratory has potentially been compromised and the few remaining survivors - shark wrangler Carter (Thomas Jane), scientist Susan (Saffron Burrows), terrified marine biologist Janice (Jacqueline McKenzie), skittish engineer Scoggins (Michael Rapaport) and corporate executive/avalanche survivor Russell (Samuel L. Jackson) - are coming to blows over their best course of action. There are deadly sharks on the loose and their submersible is damaged, so the best means of escape seems to be climbing up an elevator shaft, but opening the door to the shaft could drown them all. Anyway, here's the scene:

Most of this is Russell's monologue. Sam Jackson has had a fair few phenomenal monologues in his time - Pulp Fiction of course springs to the forefront of my mind - so there really is no-one better to deliver these lines. Granted I could have done with the occasional "motherf*cker" thrown in here and there for good measure, but I'll take what I can get. What I really love about this scene though, and what makes it genuinely annoying that so many people see or hear about it before seeing the film as a whole, is that the end of it comes as a surprise. The scene itself is a cliche - the characters are panicking and heading in different directions, so one member, generally the most senior, makes a rousing speech to bond everyone together to face the climax as a team - but what breaks it from the mould is as Russell comes to the end of his speech and begins laying out his plan of action he is violently taken out by an appalling CGI shark emerging from the very pool Russell is suggesting they seal up. His body is dragged back into the pool which, after a little churning, becomes a bloody hot tub of commotion. We witness the reactions of the other characters and, unusually for this sort of film, we're as surprised as they are. Not only is it a shock that someone got taken out mid-motivational speech, but that person was Samuel L. Jackson, the biggest name in the film and one of the first character we met. As the outsider to the facility he has essentially been the audience surrogate so far, the character we've clung to during his tour and introductions to the rest of the characters, and now he's nothing but chum.

Deep Blue Sea is a film full of decent character deaths - very few characters actually survive the film - but Russell's demise is easily the most memorable and iconic, despite chronologically falling in the middle of them all. It almost feels as if the entire film has been created around this moment, and if it means getting to witness a scene like this then as far as I'm concerned that's a pretty great reason to make a movie.

What's your favorite Samuel L. Jackson movie moment?

Favorite Trailer Friday! Nightcrawler

While this might be the shortest clip we've ever featured, I think it's more than worthy. In Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, a thief who develops a taste for late night freelance photojournalism.

Dan Norris via AMP

In this teaser alone, Gyllenhaal is fantastic. He manages to be charming, creepy, and frighteningly intense in less than a minute. If his character seems like a "hungry coyote", that's exactly what he was going for.

Obviously central to this teaser is his speech. Gyllenhaal apparently memorized the entire film like a play, which, I guess you'd have to if you've gotta say this particular spiel over and over again. The teaser itself is special - it's got footage of his speeches from the movie, but it also has some stuff shot just for the teaser. He never sits behind the news desk like that or talks directly into the camera. After seeing this teaser, you just have to wonder what the hell this movie is. It does a great job of hinting at the kind of demented tone but doesn't tell you too much.  Gyllenhaal would go on to win awards and nominations for his role and director and writer Dan Gilroy nabbed an Oscar nomination for the screenplay.

What's your favorite scene from Nightcrawler?

Favorite (Horror) Scene Friday! Drag Me To Hell: The Button

Drag Me To Hell holds a special place in my heart. I'm a pretty big fan of director Sam Raimi's body of work, including The Evil Dead and Spider-Man franchises, along with random stuff like Darkman. So Drag Me To Hell was a treat for me. I even remember seeing this and Up the same night. The film - which followed our heroine Christine (Alison Lohman) as she tried to fight off a gypsy curse - had solid scares and atmosphere and Raimi of course nailed it.

SamRAW08

The scene below - which is literally the end of the film, so, spoilers - finds Christine having supposedly dealt with the gypsy curse that's plagued her throughout the film. She reunites with her boyfriend Clay (Justin Long) and it's here we see the bond between these two characters really shine through. Christine admits to Clay that her troubles throughout the film were maybe a little bit her fault, but Clay tells Christine that she's a good person. I should note here that I don't care much for Alison Lohman in this role. I think Christine maybe needed to be a little meaner to make what inevitably happens to her make sense. Justin Long, however, is fantastic as Clay. Long has a charm and an earnestness and genuineness. I had an idea for a sequel starring his character - Save Me From Hell. Pretty self explanatory: Clay figures out what happened to Christine and somehow goes down to hell to save her. Admit it - it would be pretty amazing to see Raimi's depiction of hell.

Anyway, with the fake happy ending over, Clay pulls out the cursed button (Christine was supposed to return it to the gypsy's grave to avoid hell but she accidentally left her with Clay's coin instead) and Christine, shocked, falls on the tracks. Not only is a train speeding towards her, but a hole appears under her and demons reach out, pulling her down to hell ("Holy shit, it's actually happening!" everyone watching the movie for the first time thought) as her body begins to decay and burn. Clay tries to save Christine, selflessly reaching down for her, but the train rolls over her. Justin Long completely nails the reaction of a man who just had to watch the love of his life get pulled down to hell. Tears streaming down his face, he glances one last time at what's got to be the most ominous button of all time. One can only hope he started planning his rescue mission right then and there.

What's your favorite scene from Drag Me To Hell?

Would you like to see a sequel?

Favorite Scene Friday! 28 Days Later: Flat Tire

Happy October! A recent rewatch of 28 Days Later confirms it's still a great film. It holds up. Even the sequel (28 Weeks Later) is pretty great. The cast of that one in particular is kind of a who's who of folks that made it big (Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, Idris Elba). Anyway, Days came out around that zombie resurgence a few years ago, along with Dawn of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead. In fact, now that I look, it appears that Days kicked this craze off, or at least lead the pack in the '00s (maybe Resident Evil helped?).

There's still talk of another film that would make the series a trilogy. And why not? Zombies are still popular, based off The Walking Dead alone.

Jana Heidersdorf via Alternative Movie Posters

Our scene this week might be the film's scariest. Our group of heroes (played by Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, and Megan Burns) must drive through a tunnel on their way to a supposed safe zone they've heard about in messages over the radio. After driving up and over a blockage in the tunnel they of course get a flat tire. While stopping to change it, a mysterious sound gives way to a flood of rats which are, you guessed it, fleeing from the infected.



I love the immediate dreadful atmosphere and tension after they stop to fix the car, along with the mysterious sound and then the awful image of rats crawling all over Hannah (Burns). But the best part is the nail-biting tension of the group changing the tire while zombies bear down on them. Car repair has never been so terrifying.

What's your favorite scene from 28 Days Later?

Would you like to see a third "28" film? What would the plot be? 

Favorite Scene Friday! The A-Team: "They're trying to fly that tank."

This week's scene is by CT from Nerd Lunch!

I love The A-Team. Perhaps more than any man should. I was the right age when the TV series launched. It was on from 1982-1987 which put me at about 6 to 10. Everything about it was over the top and schlocky fun.

By Source, Fair use, Link

A show like that though, you expect to watch it through adult eyes and not have the same fondness. Surprisingly, the opposite happened. I received the TV series on DVD for Christmas a few years ago and watched through them all again. I loved it more. And Hannibal Smith cemented himself as one of my favorite characters in pop culture. The first two seasons of the show are solid, 80s action fun. Hannibal is a wise-cracking Vietnam vet who has assembled a group of guys who are misfits when apart, but a force of nature when together.

Peppard is know for some unfortunate issues on the set. Reportedly he drove off the two female leads and was known to have a feud (seemingly one-sided) with Mr. T. That aside, Peppard played the role of Hannibal perfectly. And the characters were rich in backstory and personality that was infused into the scripts by creators Lupo and Cannell.

With such love and passion for this show, I both wanted a reboot and didn't want one at the same time. There were reports of a reboot movie for years before one actually came out in 2010. Early rumors indicated script treatments not very faithful to the original story including Faceman being the villain of the story. Although this same early script apparently had a scene that completely seemed like what a big budget A-Team movie should have—The A-Team flying a tank.

Years passed by and directors changed. Then a cast was lined up. Then a promo photo was released. And it looked like it was finally going to happen. Nervous, I still went and watched it. And I loved it.

I have some minor quibbles in regards to the portrayal of Hannibal, but I can easily look past those noting this movie takes place earlier in their career than the series does and the aspects of Hannibal that I would like to have seen would have developed in sequels. What they got right about Hannibal was his planning. Hannibal has an almost supernatural gift of seeing the world in such a way that he can plan multiple steps in advance and pull off anything he wants.

Anything. That includes what if you found yourself in a tank in the middle of the air that was now plummeting to the ground? Well, Hannibal finds a way to land it. So unrealistic, but so fun.



There are many great scenes in this film and if you haven't watched it, you can rent it for cheap and almost always find it for sale for the same price. It deserves a sequel that we'll never get. The plan for this film finally came together and I love that it did.

Favorite Scene Friday! Game of Thrones: Dracarys

SPOILERS!!!

This weekend is a big one for Game of Thrones - Sunday marks the season 7 finale. What will happen with Dany and Jon? Will everyone come together to fight the White Walkers, or will Cersei blindside everyone? I personally can't wait to find out, but let's jump back a bit for this week's scene.

Matt Talbot

Back in season five, Dany was ruling over Meereen. In the scene below, a rebellion by the Sons of the Harpy interrupts a match in the fighting pits, in which Dany's once and future advisor Jorah Mormont was a combatant. Dany and co. will try to get away, but they get forced into the middle of the arena. All will seem lost, with Dany seemingly resigning herself to her fate, until a dragon's screech silences the attack.



Drogon's screech coming out of nowhere, his sudden appearance and his attack on the Sons of the Harpy never fail to give me chills. But this scene is chock full of great moments. It goes so quickly from Jorah prevailing in the pit to saving Dany from the SotH (man those masks are creepy) and then the Drogon attack, it's enough to make your head spin.

Drogon. Rips. And. Burns. So. Many. Bad guys. And then Dany herself finally gets in on the action after her dragon takes a few spears to the neck. The fact that she pulls a spear out of Drogon and he doesn't burn her alive is a testament to her control over the animal. His roar in her face and the subsequent tender moment is great.

Of course, after this, Dany goes on to conquer her enemies in Meereen and elsewhere. Hopefully she'll continue to do so on Sunday.

(Our 200th) Favorite Scene Friday! Alien: The Chestburster

It's our 200th Favorite Scene Friday! To mark the occasion, we recorded a very special audio commentary FSF! Jay and I were joined by Lindsay Street and Nick Rehak from French Toast Sunday, two veteran FSFers. We checked out the Chestburster scene from Alien, surely one of the most classic bits from any horror/sci-fi film. And Alien: Covenant is so hot right now.

Mondo

I surely didn't get to 200 FSFs alone, and I've gotta thank a lot of folks. Tiffany, Nick, and Pat, of course. Our guests have been Ruth from "...let's be splendid about this...", Alex from And So It Begins..., Pete from I Love That Film, CT from Nerd Lunch, Pax from Cavalcade of Awesome, Lindsay, Jess, and Nick from French Toast Sunday, Daniel Lackey from Lackey Writes About Film, Sara from A Redhead at the Movies, Will from Exploding Helicopter, Tony Cogan from Coogs Reviews, Jacob Lusk of Panned Review, Bubbawheat from Flights, Tights, and Movie Nights, and, of course, Jay from Life Vs. Film. Thanks, guys! If I missed anyone I truly apologize. Thanks to EVERYONE who visits this blog and checks out this feature. Without further ado, enjoy some Alien nastiness and our commentary!

What's your favorite scene from Alien?

Check, please!

Favorite Scene Friday! Alien: Covenant: What's your favorite scene?

Spoiler alert for Alien: Covenant!

Alien: Covenant recently hugged the collective faces of the world. What was your favorite scene? I guess for me it was the David and Walter stuff? And, less interesting, the David and Walter fight? Other than that, nothing really stands out to me as a "favorite". That's obviously not a good sign. I'll tell you what was not my favorite scene (or rather, not my favorite part of an otherwise awesome scene) the Engineers that David wipes out. They really didn't look like the Engineer(s) from Prometheus. And why the f*ck were they all just standing around like idiots? Aren't they geniuses? I did like the Xenomorph stuff, of course. Or is it Protomorph? 

I enjoyed the Neomorph infections when they were first starting to happen. I like when two or more separate groups of people are on walkie talkies together in a film. I think there's a term for that. Something about establishing the reality/geography of a film? Anyway, here's the trailer to refresh your memory.

What's your favorite scene from Alien: Covenant?

Favorite Scene Friday! Clerks II: Pillow Pants

This FSF is brought to you by Nick Rehak at French Toast Sunday! What a guy!

I like Kevin Smith. I dig some of his podcasts and I enjoy most of his movies. He’s dipped his hand in different genres over the years, but he’s at his best when making comedies. Not fantasy/horror/sci-fi/gonzo comedies. Just regular old comedies. Two people talking. Straight man, funny man. Sometimes you can tell who's who and sometimes they change hats so often you just give up and hold onto your sides. I really like Clerks II. I probably like it more than the original. But maybe that’s because I’ve seen the second more than the first. Regardless, today I’m gabbing on about my favorite scene from Clerks II.

Wikipedia

At this point in the film, Dante has decided he’s leaving Mooby’s for greener pastures in Florida and will most likely never return. Disappointed, Randall realizes he’ll be alone until he creates new friends and focuses those efforts on Elias. So, after a conversation about which is the “True Trilogy” Star Wars or Lord of the Rings (I’m Team Star Wars), Randall pulls Elias aside and starts to dig deeper into who Elias is and what he’s about. He starts by prodding at Elias' virginity. From there, the conversation takes a dark turn into the realm of pussy trolls. Yeah, pussy trolls.

I’ve always liked this scene because of its absurdity and Elias. Elias, played by Trevor Ferhman, is never not funny. (Shame, Trevor hasn’t done anything since this film. Had he snuck into an Apatow film or two, dude would be a household name.). Everything from his look to his facial expressions to his expertly timed comedic beats kill me. But this exchange between he and Randall takes top prize by two furlongs. The confidence with which Elias delivers this moment is immeasurable and is truly something that can’t be taught. It wasn’t until I watched this film with headphones on that the humor was elevated.

When Elias explains who Pillow Pants is, we cut to Randall and his expression immediately changes. He goes from this cocky gum chewing dick to a man paralyzed by abject terror. At this exact moment, the opening theme to the The Shining begins to play. I never heard that before and it absolutely killed me when I heard it. The ominous wailing and unsettling synth tones that play under the exchange adds to an already hilarious scene. Never in a million years would I have thought of something like that. Any other film would play that scene straight with just two dudes talking it out. But Kevin Smith is able to take a goofy moment and launch it into the comedic stratosphere. I really hope a continuation of the Clerks story happens at some point. I’d like to see more Elias. Though if I’m being honest, I’m really just curious if he ever got past Listerfiend.

What's your favorite scene from Clerks II?

Favorite Scene Friday! King Kong: Grab the Raid

Kong: Skull Island, one of my most anticipated movies of the year, is released in cinemas today, so it seems like the right time to discuss another movie that featured the enormous ape, 2005's King Kong directed by Peter Jackson. It's a film I've discussed before when looking at our favourite fight scenes, because seriously, show me a better fight sequence than one between a 25ft tall gorilla and three giant T-Rex-like dinosaurs, but I'm here today to talk about another sequence from the film that has a completely different tone, but one that I love almost as much.

King Kong poster by Matt Ferguson

This scene takes place after our group of seamen and film-makers, in search of the kidnapped Ann (Naomi Watts), have been unceremoniously thrown from a log bridge down into a dark, rocky crevice. The meagre survivors - including writer Jack (Adrien Brody), director Carl (Jack Black), ship's cook Lumpy (Andy Serkis) and cabin boy Jimmy (Jamie Bell) - awaken to find themselves at their lowest point - literally - as they're surrounded by the corpses of their friends, and are soon to be feasted upon by an array of vile and horrific beasties.

It's fair to say that I'm not a horror fan. In fact, I often say so myself. So it puzzles me as to why one of my favourite scenes from this film is easily the most horror-like. I think it might be the nature of the horror, essentially being effects-driven creature-feature, meaning I can appreciate the design of the beasts attempting to devour our heroes, as well as the skill required to render them onscreen.

There's no question as to the most inventive and horrendous of these, and which character undergoes the most traumatising departure because of them, that of the giant penis-teeth slugs and their limb-by-limb consumption of Lumpy. When the first of these bulbous, nightmare-inducing death worms rears up and flails out the sniffing, probing mouth like the creature from Alien, it's downright terrifying. What is that thing? What is it going to do? WHY DOES IT EXIST? Lumpy sticks with his absolutely spot-on first urge - punch it in the closest thing it has to a face - and continues to do so until one starts to creep up his leg, then an arm, and finally his head. The way his scream becomes muffled as the ring of pulsating teeth consume his mouth makes me shudder, and his impotent thrashing of the machete as more of the creatures swarm in, poking and gauging at him truly removes any kind of dignity he had left. There's a chance I won't be sleeping tonight.

This really is the scene where our protagonists have lost everything. Not only are many of them dead and they're stuck at the bottom of what might very well be the gateway to Hell, but Carl's film, the one thing he's been fighting for this whole time, lies unspooled and ruined in the sunlight. Up until this point he has been a driven and single-minded presence, aiming above all else to bring the film canisters home, but the moment that is no longer a possibility he becomes a whirling dervish of fury, the only survivor to take on the hordes of beasts single-handed. Whilst Jimmy miraculously saves Jack from a swarm of bugs the size of cats without actually shooting Jack himself, Carl is kicking thorax and taking names as he dispatches anything and everything that dares approach.

How the scene ends is a little bit too convenient, but it allows for the great Bruce Baxter (played by the equally great Kyle Chandler) to swing in on a vine, gun blazing, in an attempt to redeem himself for earlier cowardice, and that surely must be a great thing, regardless of how super-imposed he looks against the background.

What's your favorite moment from a King Kong film?

Favorite Scene Friday! A Clockwork Orange: Yarbles

Our final Oscars appreciation FSF is by none other than Nick Rehak from French Toast Sunday!

When people think of A Clockwork Orange, they tend to think of a woman being brutally raped by a gang of bizarrely dressed men while the leader sings "Singin’ in the Rain" and kicks the woman’s husband, who’s being held down and forced to watch, repeatedly in the stomach. I’m not talking about that scene… today. Instead I’m discussing something that happens earlier in the film. In today's Favorite Scene, a woman is nearly brutally raped by a gang of possible neo Nazis and is somehow rescued (I use that word lightly) by a gang of bizarrely dressed men. But when you really sit down and watch the scene, it becomes apparent that it doesn’t belong in the film. Yes the juxtaposition of classical music over moments of violence are there, the hedonistic and sometimes animalistic tendencies of man are there, but this moment is unlike any other that happen in the film.

By Wikipedia

The moment begins after a quick introduction of Alex and his three droogs, that is, Pete, Georgie, and Dim. We cut to a classic style painting still life of roses in an assumed marble vase. We hear screams over the french horns, oboe and violins of Rossini’s "The Thieving Magpie". The camera pans down and we find we are in an old derelict theater, even though Alex refers to it as a casino. A gang of men, dressed in World War Two garb, is clawing at a woman, ripping her clothes off in hopes of bedding her. Ugh that sounds gross. Doesn’t that sound gross? Bedding. Yuck. Anyway, they pull this woman over to a pile of old disgusting looking mattresses when out of the darkness steps Alex and his droogs. Distracted, the gang pays no attention to the woman and she makes her escape. Alex then tosses some very light, almost elementary school level insults. Very tame in comparison to the rest of the Oscar nominated X-rated film.

But here’s where it gets interesting. For most of the film, anytime Alex is on screen, he is in control. When the film begins, it’s on his face and as the camera pulls back, it looks like he lifts a glass of moloko drencrom to us, toasting us as guests of honor as he guides us through this hellacious dystopian future. But in this moment, as Alex hurls insults at Billy Boy, we don’t see Alex. We see Billy. The camera is holding on Billy and comes across looking like a moving portrait. Billy doesn’t blink or flinch. Steadily chewing gum, for nearly ten seconds, then lifting his switchblade to show Alex he’s ready for a bit of the old ultraviolence. Why does this happen? In any other film, the camera would be on Alex and it would cut between members of the gang as they snicker in agreement or grimace in denial. Is it to strike fear? If we look at Billy’s attire, he’s wearing a Nazi Officer’s cap along with an Iron Cross medal. Clearly he’s the bad guy. In strolls Alex in all white, a metaphorical savior, even though he’s just as bad as Billy, if not worse. Is this an overall metaphor for society? That every country has a violent history of raping and taking, it’s just the name they claim it in is different. It’s a lot to read into in just ten seconds, but it’s the only time in the film this happens.

In the rest of the film (SPOILERS) we see Alex go from criminal to reformed man to a broken man on the verge of returning to his primal nature. But every time he’s on the screen, he controls the scene. Your attention is on him. Yeah, I get it, he’s the main character, it’s his story, but if he has such disdain for Billy Boy, why hold on him for so long? Why not further degrade the guy and show everyone else but him? These questions are abruptly forgotten as we spill into violence. But it’s not the ultraviolence this film is known for. Instead we get something that looks and feels like a standard bar fight in a western. Somebody spills something on someone or steps on a toe and suddenly bodies are flying through tables and windows, and chairs are being broken off left and right. The EXACT same thing happens here. It’s almost a Looney Tunes level of violence that gets further downplayed by the juxtaposition of "The Thieving Magpie". A man literally dropkicks another through a table.

But as soon as it begins, it’s over as Alex takes control of the narrative. He whistles to his droogs like a trainer to his dogs. We see now they’re not Alex’s friends or companions; just his droogs. Just people he has around to do his viddy well bidding. The best line though comes from Alex as he challenges Billy, “come and get on in the yarbles! If ya got any yarbles.” It’s wonderful and I wish it was cool to use that slang. It’s a shame the film didn’t take home the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1972. I believe the film is absolutely more deserving than The French Connection. Thing is, people see this film as nothing but shock violence with a boring second half. This film is so much more than that. It’s a satiric meditation on human nature and the inherent violence we grow up with. It takes a fun house mirror and points it at society, showing us where our priorities lay, rather than where they should. Now there’s something you can wrap your rassoodocks around for a few hours.

Note - this week's scene contains graphic nudity and violence. NSFW.

What's your favorite scene from A Clockwork Orange?

Favorite Scene Friday! Moonlight: Chiron's Revenge

More February, more Oscars appreciation! Jacob from Panned Review takes a look at a nominee for this year's Best Picture Oscar - Moonlight.

“I ain’t no boy,” Chiron says at the police station, as he ices his bruised face, which has just been smashed by Kevin, a guy whom Chiron thought was his closest friend. Chiron’s physical pain is nothing compared to the feeling of betrayal, and this is a particularly cruel treachery. But betrayal seems to be the only consistent factor in Chiron’s relationships. Chiron feels betrayed by his drug-addicted mother, by Juan, a kindly, gentle father figure who happens to be a drug dealer, and now by Kevin: they kissed on the beach once, and the kiss went further, a moment of intense passion, an unexpected urge between them, one bound to generate confused feelings, guilt, and shame, in a world that is militantly homophobic. Betrayal has tainted every relationship in Chiron’s life (with the exception of Teresa, Juan’s wife, played by the fabulous Janelle Monáe, whom readers may recognize as one of the three stars of Hidden Figures), rendering them as ineffectual as saltwater to a parched mouth.

By Source, Fair use, Link

Moonlight was, for me, the most moving film I saw last year. Although I loved La La Land, which has become trendy to hate on, Moonlight deserves to win the Best Picture Oscar (I’m not sure it has a chance, especially against a popular favorite that’s an adorable, Hollywood-obsessed confection.) Where La La Land feels clever and charming and happily content with its own nostalgic view of a particularly sun-dappled world, Moonlight feels deeply urgent and lyrical and honest about a world where the sun doesn’t bring warmth so much as blood-boiling heat.

In its story of a young black boy becoming a man, Moonlight casts three different actors to play Chiron, in three different stages of his life: as a young boy, called “Little” (Alex Hibbert), as a teenager struggling to come to terms with his sexuality, the only time when he’s referred to by his given name (and played by Ashton Sanders), and as a grown man, now called “Black” (played by Trevante Rhodes). Somehow, these three actors have created a seamless vision of Chiron, guided by the knowing instincts of writer-director Barry Jenkins.

The scene I want to bring into focus involves Kevin’s betrayal of Chiron. It’s really the only scene in which Chiron acts out because of his anger. Being both black and gay is a particularly difficult battle to fight for Chiron, who’s already endured enough torment when a high school bully pits Kevin against him, urging Kevin to “knock his faggot-ass down.” These are boys playing at manhood, questioning their own vulnerabilities, their own insecurities, which they see as signs that they are not men. Insecurities like these must be purged, by violence. And so, out of fear and hatred of himself, Kevin strikes Chiron, in a modern-day Judas kiss.

Chiron’s anger wells up inside him. He’s used to keeping quiet, he’s learned the value of not stirring things up. But while keeping control of his anger worked for him as a child, it is no longer enough, or he is no longer able to control it. But it’s not Kevin who receives Chiron’s fury, but the instigating bully. Is Chiron sparing Kevin? Cutting him some slack? Or maybe, does Chiron realize that Kevin has in a sense already punished himself in the act of betrayal? Regardless, when Chiron returns to school, he coolly walks into a classroom and smashes a chair over the head of the boy that goaded Kevin into hitting him. In that moment, the consequences of attacking the unsuspecting punk matter little; the feeling of vindication acts like a mantra that cannot be ignored; there’s something intoxicating about this revenge, both for Chiron and the viewer.

Moonlight is an intoxicating film, after all. And this scene encapsulates the complexities at work here. Moonlight explores the world from a very particular angle, and in so doing, offers us something very true: We cannot expect to survive in our own heads forever. Sooner or later, we crave human connection. Chiron, having bottled up so much, walks around with very thick armor (as I’ve already mentioned, he has good reason to be so guarded). Yet the feelings and the thoughts and the workings of his mind are palpable, as powerful as thunderclouds. There’s a tempest inside him, but there is also tenderness and love and compassion, too.

Moonlight is a gracious movie, one that deeply feels for its protagonist without offering him up as some object of pity. Instead, the film offers Chiron a moment of grace: In the third act, when “Black” appears, just as quiet and guarded as ever, but now physically tougher, harder, more in control, Kevin re-enters his life; the bad blood between them has dissipated, and what’s left is a lingering memory of that night on the beach. Moonlight wonders what might have been, had Chiron’s life been less fraught with hopelessness; but it also finds hope anyway; it isn’t too late for him to carve out some kind of happiness, some kind of life for himself.

What's your favorite scene from Moonlight?

Who do you think will take home the Best Actor prize at this year's ceremony?

Favorite Scene Friday! Up: Taking Off

All this month we'll be looking at the last decade of films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. However it's also February, which is the month of Valentine's Day, so I'm picking a film that was nominated for Best Picture, but also means a great deal to my relationship, as it was the first film I saw with my fiancée, and remains one of our favourites to this day, Pixar's Up.

Artwork by Posterinspired, available on Etsy

The most discussed - and most romantic - scene from Up is easily the opening montage, depicting the life-long relationship between Carl and Ellie, from mis-matched children through their wedding, failed attempts to have children, plans to seek adventures elsewhere and eventually Ellie's heartbreaking demise, but that's not my favourite part. It's not the scene where they meet Dug (although the lovable talking dog is easily one of my top Pixar characters, probably in the top 10), nor is it anything to do with the film's villain, Charles Muntz, or occasionally annoying sidekick Russell. No, the greatest scene in Up lasts just 6 seconds, and is when Carl's newly-flying house passes by the window of a little girl, casting her room in a kaleidoscopic disco of colours and shapes.

The moment is a classic Pixar notion, a creative extrapolation of how their main plot could tangentially - and beautifully - impact the most minor of characters around them. In this instance it's how Carl's house being carried away by hundreds of helium-filled balloons would look to the people nearby. Onlookers understandably stare in disbelief, mouths agape. A window cleaner on a skyscraper gives a confused wave. And a little girl delights in her room being temporarily decorated like a giant bag of Skittles. It warms my heart every time I watch it.

Granted that snippet is part of a bigger whole, so let's also take a quick glance at the rest of the scene. I really like the two orderlies who come to collect Carl to take him to the nursing home. I don't know why I love that one of them has the label sticking out of this shirt, but I do. And the other one, George, is voiced by Donald Fullilove, who also played Mayor Goldie Wilson in Back To The Future. I enjoy the storytelling of the scene. Beforehand we don't know what Carl's plan is, we just know he's due to be shipped off to the retirement home after attacking a construction worker for accidentally damaging his sentimentally invaluable mailbox, but clues are given immediately as the nurses walk away from his front door, remarking on the poor upkeep of the yard which was formerly pristine, but is now littered with empty gas canisters from all the balloons.

OK so some scene elements are a little far fetched - just where did Carl get that impossibly large bag holding the balloons from, and where exactly were they before he unleashed them, and what were they tied to, and how the heck does the tiny little weather vane act as a rudder for something literally the size of a house - but frankly who cares? Just forget all that rubbish and listen to Michael Giacchino's fabulous score and bask in the glorious visuals.

What's your favorite moment from Pixar?