What are your favorite shots in a movie?

[Edmilson 7,504]

The thing that holds TDK back for me is the Joker's magical habilities of everything happening in his favor, even when it involved stuff that weren't under his control. For a movie that became synonymous with "realistic" superhero movies, it almost seems as if the Joker has magical powers. It's kinda like if he was more Mister Mxyzptlk and less Joker.

 

Which is why (and I know this is an impopular opinion) I think Batman Begins is the best Nolan Bat-movie. It's less ambitious than its sequels and it's just the more efficient because of that. Nolan tried to make less of a superhero movie and more of a treaty on chaos, order and politics and it didn't always land, even though TDK still remains a great movie.

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

TDK worked for me on a visceral level. I left the theatre feeling shaken and a little queasy. And I must've been really emotionally engaged, cuz I spontaneously applauded (like a dork) when Gordon was revealed to be alive and suddenly reappeared to arrest the Joker.

[JTN 2,096]

26 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Which is why (and I know this is an impopular opinion) I think Batman Begins is the best Nolan Bat-movie. It's less ambitious than its sequels and it's just the more efficient because of that. Nolan tried to make less of a superhero movie and more of a treaty on chaos, order and politics and it didn't always land, even though TDK still remains a great movie.

I agree with everything you write here.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,596]

5 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Which is why (and I know this is an impopular opinion) I think Batman Begins is the best Nolan Bat-movie.

 

No, it's not an unpopular opinion, at all.

It's my favourite Nolan Batman film, as well (although saying that is rather like saying "this week's root canal treatment was better than last week's root canal treatment" ).

[Marian Schedenig 8,222]

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

Unless I'm missing the intent, that seems a gratuitous use of a dolly zoom. But camera tricks are a trademark De Palma affectation. Sometimes they work and sometimes they just call attention to the fact that you're watching a movie.

[Marian Schedenig 8,222]

32 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Unless I'm missing the intent, that seems a gratuitous use of a dolly zoom. But camera tricks are a trademark De Palma affectation. Sometimes they work and sometimes they just call attention to the fact that you're watching a movie.

 

Tarantino wrote about the self-confident use of noticeable camera movements in his book (which I'm reading at the moment and which prompted me to re-watch Sisters the other day).

 

It's certainly not "necessary" here, but I don't think it's necessarily (pun not intended) superfluous either. The film has a number of through-the-windscreen shots like the one that comes out of the dolly zoom, so in a way it's an elegant (if not strictly necessary) from an outside-the-car shot to the film's standard inside-the-car view.

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

Unfortunately this trick just produces a jarring effect for me. Maybe it's conditioning from seeing it used so often to express horror/shock.

[Marian Schedenig 8,222]

I like it. The film on the other hand has never been one of my favourite De Palmas. But after finally seeing Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul this year, a rewatch was in order.

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

I felt like I needed a shower after watching it to get the grime of Tony Montana off. He may be one of Pacino's best roles, but the character's just so repugnant.

[Marian Schedenig 8,222]

I probably don't fully "get" the satire aspect of the whole affair. But I much prefer Carlito's Way, where De Palma and Pacino revisit the genre but play it straight. It's one of my De Palma favourites (and perhaps his best "serious" film along with Casualties of War), and maybe my favourite Pacino role.

 

BTW… watching Scarface this time, I got the feeling that Turturro channeled Tony Montana for The Big Lebowski:

 

Well known fact? Or just me being blinded by stereotypes?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,596]

11 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

 

 

Some great shots, there.

SCARFACE is one of Dr Palma's best, and one of the best films of the '80s.

Note what movie is on the TV,  in the second shot 

[Schilkeman 971]

On 21/10/2023 at 3:55 AM, Naïve Old Fart said:

SCARFACE is one of Dr Palma's best, and one of the best films of the '80s.

I um….yeah. Watching Scarface was where I started to realize that DePalma maybe wasn’t up to scratch with his contemporaries. But hey, I’m glad you like it. It takes all kinds.

 

On 20/10/2023 at 4:21 PM, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

No, it's not an unpopular opinion, at all.

It's my favourite Nolan Batman film, as well (although saying that is rather like saying "this week's root canal treatment was better than last week's root canal treatment" ).

That’s how I feel with most Nolan films. Unregardless, I like Batman 89 better than any of his, and that’s not nostalgia. I saw it for the first time a few years ago.

[Chen G. 3,968]

9 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

the character's just so repugnant.

 

I feel like that about...just about every character in any crime drama ever made. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,596]

3 hours ago, Schilkeman said:

Unregardless, I like Batman 89 better than any of his, and that’s not nostalgia. I saw it for the first time a few years ago.

 

That's "irregardless".

 

 

 

13 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

I felt like I needed a shower after watching it to get the grime of Tony Montana off. He may be one of Pacino's best roles, but the character's just so repugnant.

Isn't that a testament to how well Pacino plays him?

[Chen G. 3,968]

3 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Isn't that a testament to how well Pacino plays him?

 

If it is, than its tantamount to cutting one's nose off to spite one's face.

[Glóin the Dark 1,229]

I find performances of repugnant characters more interesting to watch, generally speaking.

[Edmilson 7,504]

6 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

SCARFACE is one of Dr Palma's best

Wow, I didn't know he has worked as a doctor besides his movie career! Is this why his movies have so much blood? 

[Marian Schedenig 8,222]

3 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Wow, I didn't know he has worked as a doctor besides his movie career! Is this why his movies have so much blood? 

 

His father was a surgeon.

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

4 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Isn't that a testament to how well Pacino plays him?

Sure, I was just saying that it's not my cup of tea. I was heavy into De Palma back in school, and Scarface was probably my least favourite to watch. I was more into his psychological thrillers.

[JTN 2,096]

Staying on BATMAN:

It’s a “cheesy” shot, but it’s a very cool one. Back when comic book films were fun, not funny.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,596]

I saw BATMAN in America, on its opening weekend.

The audience applauded this shot.

It's still my favourite shot in any Batman film.

Granted, the execution is not that brilliant. Derek Meddings' effects for the film often leave a lot to be desired, but it's the imagination that counts 

[JTN 2,096]

2 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

but it's the imagination that counts 

And of course Danny Elfman’s brilliant score also helps.

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

6 hours ago, JTW said:

Love it, but I remember thinking as a kid: "Batman—while you're showboating up here, people are dying of Smylex gas! Get back down there!!"

[Edmilson 7,504]

16 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Love it, but I remember thinking as a kid: "Batman—while you're showboating up here, people are dying of Smylex gas! Get back down there!!"

He was obviously showcasing his awesomeness to Superman as a warning in case he goes to Gotham 

[Tallguy 3,410]

Nice album cover.

[Groovygoth666 685]

 

This is one of my favourite shots from Transformers The Movie, mostly from a technical point. In animation the backgrounds are always static, it's incredibly rare to have the background animated to adjust for the camera movement.

 

1 hour ago, Tallguy said:

Nice album cover.

That album was one of my first score albums I ever bought.

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

Transformers: The Movie! Hell yeah!
 

 

3 hours ago, Groovygoth666 said:

That album was one of my first score albums I ever bought.

Same here. One of these days I'm going to frame it.

[JTN 2,096]

10 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

Love it, but I remember thinking as a kid: "Batman—while you're showboating up here, people are dying of Smylex gas! Get back down there!!"

[Groovygoth666 685]

On 22/10/2023 at 6:52 AM, Mr. Hooper said:

Transformers: The Movie! Hell yeah!
 

 

Epic stuff, even without Stan Bush blaring! 

 

A few more of my favourite shots - 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 22/10/2023 at 6:52 AM, Mr. Hooper said:

Same here. One of these days I'm going to frame it.

I gave mine to a friend after I found out about the LLR release, in fact I don't think I've got many of those old albums, since most have had the expanded treatment I always upgrade and give away the original. That'll be so cool when you do, do you think you'll frame any others? 

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

6 hours ago, Groovygoth666 said:

That'll be so cool when you do, do you think you'll frame any others? 

It's one of the few soundtrack LPs I kept, besides The Empire Strikes Back (My brother claimed the other Star Wars albums.), and the Jaws trilogy. I also later got The Shining on eBay, which has that striking yellow cover and Saul Bass art, and would also look great framed.

 

Album frames can be bought pretty inexpensively at IKEA I think, or maybe at a Michaels store, if you have one in your neck of the woods.

[JTN 2,096]

STARGATE has been the perfect escapist film for me for nearly three decades. This scene combined with David Arnold’s EPIC score still has a huge impact on me every time I see it.

[Tallguy 3,410]

I wish Emmerich had kept making movies like this. Hell, I wish ANYBODY had kept making movies like this.

[JTN 2,096]

37 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

I wish Emmerich had kept making movies like this. Hell, I wish ANYBODY had kept making movies like this.

I agree. These films have that “awe and wonder” factor. The last two films that were similar are THE MUMMY & THE MUMMY RETURNS. They were better Indiana Jones films than the last two Indiana Jones films. 

[Schilkeman 971]

42 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

I wish Emmerich had kept making movies like this. Hell, I wish ANYBODY had kept making movies like this.

He really had a hot two years, never to be repeated. We should’ve had more David Arnold scores like those, also. 

[JTN 2,096]

17 minutes ago, Schilkeman said:

He really had a hot two years, never to be repeated. We should’ve had more David Arnold scores like those, also. 

Agreed. STARGATE & ID4 have become classics, and Arnold was on fire when he scored them. Alas with GODZILLA Emmerich was already starting to lose steam, but I’m sure his subsequent films would’ve been far more entertaing had Arnold written the score to them. 

[Groovygoth666 685]

On 23/10/2023 at 6:40 PM, Mr. Hooper said:

It's one of the few soundtrack LPs I kept, besides The Empire Strikes Back (My brother claimed the other Star Wars albums.), and the Jaws trilogy. I also later got The Shining on eBay, which has that striking yellow cover and Saul Bass art, and would also look great framed.

 

Album frames can be bought pretty inexpensively at IKEA I think, or maybe at a Michaels store, if you have one in your neck of the woods.

Those ones will definitely look great on display. I find The Shining one confusing , mostly because I'm not sure what it has to do with the film 😂. 

 

Ah I still listen to my vinyls as I got a pretty expensive Yamaha set up (well I would but it's all in storage at the moment). 

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

5 hours ago, Groovygoth666 said:

I find The Shining one confusing , mostly because I'm not sure what it has to do with the film 😂. 

It's one of those indelible images that was burned into my mind as a child. There's no telling who (or what) that face belongs to, but it's suitably unsettling to look at.

 

 

 

[Faleel 5,380]

10 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

It's one of those indelible images that was burned into my mind as a child. There's no telling who (or what) that face belongs to, but it's suitably unsettling to look at.

 

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,596]

Redrum. Redrum.

[Edmilson 7,504]

When I was young, the poster for The Exorcism of Emily Rose left a big impression on me. Such an eerie poster for a movie with the word "exorcism" in its name made it particularly creepy. I think I may even have dreamt about it...

 

 

A decade later, as an adult, I saw the movie and found out it was underwhelming. The poster is scarier than the actual movie.

[Mr. Hooper 1,826]

4 hours ago, Presto said:

You've just ruined Thomas the Tank Engine for me! 

[Tallguy 3,410]

3 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

You've just ruined Thomas the Tank Engine for me! 

 

[Groovygoth666 685]

6 hours ago, Tallguy said:

 

[Holko 9,539]

9 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

You've just ruined Thomas the Tank Engine for me! 

[JTN 2,096]

13 hours ago, Edmilson said:

When I was young, the poster for The Exorcism of Emily Rose left a big impression on me.

How young ARE you, child? :-)

On 25/10/2023 at 6:59 AM, Mr. Hooper said:

It's one of those indelible images that was burned into my mind as a child. There's no telling who (or what) that face belongs to, but it's suitably unsettling to look at.

 

 

 

It’s Stephen King’s face when he saw the film.

[Tallguy 3,410]

Wait, this isn't the reply with a gif thread?

[Edmilson 7,504]

3 hours ago, JTW said:

How young ARE you, child? :-)

Let's just say that I am younger than Harrison Ford but older than these kids that are a hit on TikTok 

[JTN 2,096]

Just now, Edmilson said:

Let's just say that I am younger than Harrison Ford but older than these kids that are a hit on TikTok 

So you're 80. ;-)

[Jurassic Shark 12,116]

It's the mileage.