Saturday, November 17, 2007

TWQ: Modern Movie Moments

We all have our favourite movie scenes, but many can be in classic movies of the past. TWQ (The Weekend Question) is asking about more recent ones.

What recent movie moments have you come across that will always be regarded as classic ones. Go back up to about 15 years, and list as many as you wish.

My answers are:

1: The Godfather Part III: Towards the end of the movie, the scene in Palermo Opera House followed by the shooting on the steps is one of the longest and well made set pieces.

2: Pleasantville: The transformation from black and white to colour in the lovers lane area.

3: LOTR: Fellowship Of The Ring: The time with the elves in Lothlorien.

4: LOTR: The Return Of The King: The epic battle in the Pelannor Fields.

5: Sophie Scholl: The Final Days: The kangaroo court, where Sophie tells the Nazi judges they will not last.

6: Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Where Elizabeth, with flowing red hair, and decked in her suit of armour astride a white house gives the troops a rousing speech on the eve of battle.

Now it's over to you...

But before I go...

Here's another chance to see the details of the Enterprise Christmas Party Invitation, posted a few days ago:

This is your official invitation to the Enterprise Christmas Party that starts on Monday 3rd December!

What I'm asking you to do is write a short post of what happens from your viewpoint at the party. It will be then published in the Journal.

These are the rules to remember:

1: The post is from YOUR viewpoint only. You can involve Enterprise characters, plus other known races and figures, such as the Romulans, the Borg, Q, Lwaxana Troi, Seven, Jadzia Dax, Karena, Ensign Britney, T'Pol or make some up yourself. You can even include some bloggers that are likely to be there (see my Guest Quarters' list on my blog).

2: Remember that that this year, the event is taking placing at the Sands holographic nightclub on the Enterprise holodeck. It will be in the style of the early 1960's Las Vegas casinos, with the hologram Vic Fontaine doing a singing session. The catering will be done by Guinan and served by Sands casino holograms there. Anything can happen. You are only limited by your imagination!

3: The length should be whatever you consider suitable.

4: Remember this is a family-friendly Journal, so take heed of what you write.

5: In accordance with Rule 4, I reserve the right to trim entries or not to publish them if I consider them unsuitable.

6: The closing date for entries is Wednesday 28th November.

7: Send your entries to: Captain Picard (wibblywebb-1@yahoo.co.uk) marking your entry 'Enterprise Christmas Party'. The E Mail address is also under 'Secure Channel' on my Journal page.

8: Don't forget to include your blog ID and your blog URL address so you can be credited.

9: If I get a substantial number of entries, I will be doing several posts together, to be changed daily from the 3rd December onwards.

10: For any of those unsure of what their entry should look like, read some examples from last year's party in the December archives week commencing 4th December, or the year before, week commencing 5th December.

Good luck, everybody!


21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I recall a tons of scenes in Hindi movies that I consider classic.

However, in the movie Ghost, I think that potter's wheel scene is very well done. It remains embedded in mind. I know it has been spoofed but that has not taken the beauty out of it.

Michele sent me over to keep thinking of other scenes I have liked.

sage said...

Like Gautami, I think there are some movies from India that come to mind, especially Water (the scenes of the flames reflecting in the river) and the heartbraking movie Earth. Here from Michele's

craziequeen said...

Never Been Kissed - when Josie is waiting on the pitcher's mound.

50 First Dates - when Henry leaves on his yacht singing 'Wouldn't it be nice'........classic laugh and cry moment.

Jean-Luc, I need your help at the Palace :-)

cq

Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator said...

The Package -- There is a great scene with Gene Hackman and Tommy Lee Jones talking while in the back of a cargo plane. The scene wasn't spectacular, but it had two great actors in it.

Goodfellas -- At the end, things are crashing in on Ray Liotta. He does a voiceover while Layla plays. Among all the great scenes with great actors, this one is certainly underapreciated.

UHF -- When the bad guys catch Wierd Al and threaten to kill him, Wierd Al resonds by curling his index finger in front of them and saying "Red rum, red rum!"

Panthergirl said...

Oh man... this is a toughie. So many to choose from.

The Godfather: The baptism/murder montage scene. (oops...that's probably too old)

The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, on the beaches of Normandy.

Borat: The wresling scene!!

The 40-Year-Old Virgin: The chest waxing scene.

Pulp Fiction: The heroin overdose (and adrenaline shot) scene.

Black Widow said...

Children of Men (2006)- They are fighting a bloody war soilders on both side and a baby cries and the war just stops...

It brought tears to my eyes the symbolism that a baby's cry could stop grown men from fighting

it is a hard movie to watch but a great movie

Linda said...

I'm a romantic sap so one of my most memorable movie moments comes from the movie "You've Got Mail" where Frank asks Kathleen "What about you, is there someone else?" and Kathleen replies "No. No, but, but there's the dream of someone else." I,too, have a dream of someone else but that's all it is, a dream, so this moment really hit home for me.

Good question this weekend, as always!

Anonymous said...

Amitabh Bacchan has done a few memorable scenes. I especially remember one from Deewar.

Michele sent me here yet again.

Gordon said...

I'd have to say the Scene at Helms deep from LoTR:Two Towers for the sheer action in it, remember seeing that at the cinema and was just in Awe of it.
The end scenes in Gladiator where he's facing the corrupt emperor is another good one.
The ending to The Last Samurai where he takes the honorable way out and thus regains any respect he may have lost.

Bilbo said...

This is indeed a tough one, but here are my choices:

1. The scene in "The Return of the King" when Theoden rides out in front of his army and sees Minas Tirith in flames, surrounded by tens of thousands of orcs. The look on his face changes from fear and horror to angry resolve, and he rallies his troops to their duty. No matter how many times I watch it, this scene sends chills down my spine.

2. The scene in "Seven" when the detective played by Brad Pitt suddenly realizes what's in the box John Doe has delivered to him.

3. The first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan."

4. The scene in "Star Trek: First Contact" in which the Borg Queen is assembled when her top half is lowered onto the bottom half and latches into place.

5. The scene in "The Fellowship of the Ring" in which Gandalf faces down the Balrog in the Mines of Moria, defiantly shouting "You shall not pass!"

I have lots more, but these are probably my favorite five.

Unknown said...

Jack Lemmon in "That's Life" is called to the Chancel by Robert Loggia (playing an alcoholic Catholic priest). He is attacked by a bad case of "crabs" while reading from Matthew about the consequences of adultery! Worth a rewind to see the Altar Boys trying to hold it together on the sidelines.

Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews arguing in bed about the definition of the word "broad". Hysterical!

John Ritter playing "My Romance" on the piano in his mansion while inebriated. His umteenth girlfriend takes a can of lighter fluid and lights the piano on fire,gives him the finger and slams the door closed. In the next scene the mansion is an 8 alarm blaze!

Al Pacino in Godfather III, when he is sitting on a cheap metal folding chair wearing a hat, and suddenly croaks.

Maude Adams to Roger Moore as 007in Ian Fleming's "Octopussy": "My name is Pussy Galore" Moore: "I must be in Heaven".

Paul Newman to Charlotte Rampling in "The Verdict"--the pick up scene at a bar. Newman: "Furthermore you came back here tonight to see me". Rampling: "And what if it wasn't you I came back to see?" Newman: "Well, ya got lucky!"

Last One: Peter Lorre enters Humphrey Bogarts detective agency office in "The Maltese Falcon" and tries to swindle him. Bogart slaps him, there's hesitation as Lorre gets back on his feet and takes out a hanky to dab his bloody nose and comes up with another kooky plan.

Star said...

Wow, is it time for the Starfleet Christmas party again? how time flies. michele sent me. I am not much of a movie connosuer and it is too early in the am for me tho come up with classi moments.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

You've added a few I might have added on my list. The first 20 mins of 'Saving Private Ryan' is indeed memorable.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I'm having a gard time with this one Captain, I think because it is harder for me to conjure up memorable scebes in the more recent films---15 years you said....THere have been films I thought were memorable in and of themselves, but no scenes come to mind quickly that would be considered memorable! Hmmmmm. Does that mean I'm living in the past??(LOL)

kenju said...

When I am asked questions like this, I draw a complete blank! My memory doesn't work that way - unless it is jogged by someone's mention of a movie. In looking over the other's comments, I saw several that I would agree with; LOTR (nearly every part of them) and Godfather (the part about the horse's head in bed) and I remember others from before 15 years ago, too. MIchele sent me.

Pat said...

1 When the plane came straight at the camera in 'The English Patient'.

2. Is this back too far? Dr Zhivago - the long overhead shot at the end when the tow lovers are both in shot and completely un aware of each other.
Like kenju my mind goes blank and there are lots of moments when I have gasped out loud which escape me at the moment. I'll bet Michele coud remember some.

November Rain said...

okay try again :( it didnt post the first time

Michelle sent me
to say other than the scene from Children of men

Enemy of Mine (all of it )

Big Fish (all of it but the ending when he tells the story and then later sees that his dad stories had some truth to them a movie that moved me to tears)

ElizbethTown (I recommend it highly) The scene when the mother gets up and talks about her husband (I cry) and the ending when he is going through the emotions of the road trip with his dad's ashes

Anonymous said...

Thank you so very much for the thoughtful comment you left about my son leaving for Iraq again. It is literally killing me to know he has to go back for 15 more months.

Wishing you and yours a safe and bountiful Thanksgiving holiday!

Jaime said...

You picked some of my favorites, Captain!

I have dozens, but I'll just list one:

The scene from Schindler's List when Schindler sees the red coat of that little girl among the other corpses. Very dramatic against the black & white of the rest of the film.

Am working on my party entry!

Jana said...

I love the scene in Spider-Man 2 when he's fighting Doc Ock on the subway train.

The water wheel scene from Pirates 2.

The end of Return of the King when everyone bows to the Hobbits.

I think this already is a classic, but the "you had me at hello" speech from Jerry Maguire is an all-time favorite.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Good choices.

Jana, I like the hottir scene you mentioned in ROTK.

Dari, I understand how hard it is for you.