What is your "wow" moments in films?

[TordelBack]

I'm always banging on about this one on here, but the silent music-free swordfight at the end of Rob Roy blows me away every time - Neeson being sliced up like a block of cheese by Roth's massively superior skill, and then he's on knees, and it's all over: "No Quarter Asked" - and then his hand goes up and he grabs Roth's rapier "...or Given", and the claymore comes down like a butcher's cleaver on Roth's shoulder.  What a moment.

And the beauty of it, and many of the 'wow' moments in this thread, is that it flows directly out of the story.  McGregor is no duelist, and most of the movie is about establishing that he would rather die a thousand times than ever even appear to cheat - Montrose's man is a master swordsman, and a psychotic bastard to boot.  How can McGregor ever win?  Because in his arrogance Montrose sets aside the demands of honour by removing the option of quarter, allowing Rob for just one moment to set aside his self-imposed restrictions and finally do what he needs to do to win.  Amazing set-up, amazing payoff.  Gawd, I love that film.

Rather than double post, another one already mentioned in this thread:  the Falcon's return at the end of Star Wars.  

I hesitate to even speculate how many times I've seen that film since 1978, but it has to be more than 50 (12 times in the cinema alone), and every single time I am completely surprised.  Vader has Luke in his sights, R2 is fried, Biggs and Wedge are gone, Luke has to Stay On Target or the Rebellion is over right there and then, how the hell is he going to get out of this?!?  And then a rebel yell, and something disc-shaped coming barrelling out of the sun.  

Best single moment in all of cinema.

[TordelBack]

Ach damnit, I'm going to double post anyway:

Also in Rob Roy, when Jessica Lange (bravurra casting, BTW) reveals that is pregnant, probably by Roth/Cunningham, she tragically apologises for not trying to abort the baby: "I could not kill it, husband."

Rob replies:  "Itâ??s not the child that needs killing."  

Fantastic stuff.

[johnnystress]

I stumbled across this clip on someones blog.

It's an amazing piece of film-making. I haven't seen the film itself and some say that this clip is a bit of a spoiler--so be warned

Apparently the UK had it's own attraction

The Barnesly Whale

http://bigwhaleonalorry.co.uk/intro.asp

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi9urRRuHUU" target="_blank">werckmeister harmonies

[Richmond Clements]

I hesitate to even speculate how many times I've seen that film since 1978, but it has to be more than 50 (12 times in the cinema alone), and every single time I am completely surprised

Ha! We're like, sisters or something!
Indeed, I remember once mentioning this to a mate, and feeling the relief when he admitted to the same thing.

[Goaty]

I always watch Star Wars A New Hope, Empire Strike Back and Return of the Jedi till i was kid, and when it was subtitled for first time, i was shocked to see that Leia Luke's sister!!!

[Mardroid]

As far as buzz moments go:

The speeder-bike scene through the forests of Endor, particularly the first perspective shots as the bike weave under fallen tree trunks etc...

I suppose the similar whizzie shots in the Phantom Menace (although that's my least favorite of the Star wars films, and I find the idea of a little kid in a hover car kinda daft, those shots are spectacular. They probably even beat the speeder bike shots, but if I had to pick, I'm going with those as they did it first. And all those trees really add something...)

The first person perspective Evil force shots in The Evil Dead films, an example being the one when Ash gets taken in Evil Dead 2.

The swoopy scene in Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf is on the top of Orthanc, then the camera seems to swoop down into the huge orc excavation bellow.

And of course the Gandalf James-Bond moment at the start of The Two Towers. (I'd forgotten that one when thinking of scenes, so I'm glad one of you reminded me. That truly was a buzzing moment!)

I'm sure there are more but that's what I'm going with for now.

[monty--]

The first time I saw the opening sequence to 'Fellowship Of the Ring' blew me away.

The Endor Chase sequence in 'Return Of The Jedi'.

The scene in Blues Brothers where they are literally racing at over 120mph.

I still like the 'StayPuft Marshmellow Man' sequence in 'Ghostbusters'. In 1984, it really opened my eyes.

The 'Temple Of Doom' mineshaft chase.

There are loads...

[Eric Plumrose]

I know there must be, ooh, just loads of WOW moments I'm forgetting but, if we're talking special effects, that bit in the opening titles of Galactica 1980 where a cylon craft goes on a suicide run.

Fuck CGI. The modelwork here not only has convincing weight and scale, THE CYLON CRAFT SCUDS AND SPARKS OFF THE DOCKING BAY FLOOR AND WALL IN GLORIOUS SLOW MOTION.

And not being a big fan of BattleArse Galactica, I've absolutely no idea the scene from which it's taken.

[ThryllSeekyr]

Mardredd has said.....

The speeder-bike scene through the forests of Endor, particularly the first perspective shots as the bike weave under fallen tree trunks etc...

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I wish I remembered to say that as well.

Though I will mention, the Milliniem Falcon twitsing and turning dog fight sequence in 'Empite Strikes Back' oeften taking advantage of the larger Imperial Star Destroyers to shield itself before flying into the mouth of a giant worm/lizard inside a cave on a asteroid.

Artoo-Dee-Two being spit out of the mouth of smoem submarine-swamp creature in the Dagobah system.

Luke being sent into the cave/tree by Yoda as part of his Jedi Trianing. The vision of Darth Vader and than of his own face staring up at him after cleaving Vader in two.

Yoda using his own Jedi powers to free Lukes's X-Wing from the swamp. 'Do or Do not!!!, there is
no try!!!'

From 'Return of the Jedi'. Lukes daring rescue at Jabba's Palace and resulting action sequence on Jabba's Personal Hover Sail barge at the pitt of Carkoon. Prnces Leia wearing that metal bikini. I think that alone set a new standard.

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Mardredd also said....

The first person perspective Evil force shots in The Evil Dead films, an example being the one when Ash gets taken in Evil Dead 2.

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The scene where he attached the chainsaw to the
stump of his wrist saying 'Groovey' for emphasis and abit of contrast to mostly what was a very gory horror movie.

I also like it whe he is suked into the medievil past forfilling the prophecy/vison of a strange one armed savior from beyond right at the end.

Which served as a appetiser for the third film in that trilogy. Containing even more one liners. 'Hail to King', 'Give me some Sugar',
'Yo, She-Bitch!!' 'Clatto Verata N... Necktie... Nickel... It's an "N" word, it's definitely an "N" word!' and telling Lord Arthur decked out in full chain mail and plate armour that his fly was undone. He even looked.

Fighting his evil double at the wind mill.

'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

Right at the start when Indy disarms a gunman with his famous whip.

When the bad Nazi dude pulls out a series of  sticks attached together by small chains like he was going to stranger somebody and merely making them into a coat-hanger.

When Indy dressed in Arab garb sneaks into one of the underground excavations with a staff and that speical medallion attahing them and themn placikg them in right spot to catch rays of the sun which show the true location of the ark.

Drawing a gun on a some bad loooking man in black turban waving swords around his head with expert precsion and timing. This particular scene emphaised by te crowd of people fighting and then how they drew aside for the main character.

I almost forgot the the swapping of the idol witha bag of sand of equla weight and size.

Of Indy jumping into the passenger cockpit of his friends bi-plane and discovering the snakes.
Which he has a phobia of. I have often wondered if this was inspiration for the 'Snakes on a Plane 'film. Harrison Ford should have been asked to Cameo on the same flight.

Being dragedd behind a Nazi truck with only his whip.

The Angels of Death.

of  'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'

There is a part where Indy is in on a rope bridge over ahuge gorge trapped in the middle with swordsmnen at either side.

Once again he goes for his revolver which isn't there. he exclaims 'SHIIIIIT'. Which must be the furst ever swear word used in this family film. Of course that is not a bad thing. Very rarely is there ever any unessasary swearing in a Steven Speilberg film. I think it was part of his original code. Indy swings the cliff side after after wrapping some of the rope around his leg and slicing through the bridge with a scimitar.  

There is a part where Indy is trapped in a room with moving walls and having to rely on the love interest to get him out. I think she had to stick here arm in hole filled with lots of over sized creepy crawlies.

The banquete at where they were served monkey brains, newborn snake among other things.

'Conan The Barbarian'

On the tread wheel shown to have grown in to adult hood.

Scaring the wild dogs after slicing throughhis bonds with most recent acquiestion of his fathers sword.

The discipline of steel.

Conan, decking a camel with one punch.

Walking past the hookers in the street chuckling derisively at them.

The planned raid on the Snake temple while they were preparing a sacrifice.

His recently slain love interest appaering to him in a vision now dressed in gleaming armour plate as a valkyrie saying 'Do you really want to live forever'

Preparing for battle with the bad guys, at those ruins where they set up spikes, other clever types of traps.

Conan's methods for stealing the robes of one of the acolytes for the new religion and sneaking in.

'Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring'

The battle of the Last Alliance of men and elves against the Orcs and Sauron under mount doom. here we get to see the speically made software used to animate that many orcs on the big screen at once. Then Sauorn making a entrance literally head, shoulders and hips above everybody else swinging a mace, scatterering anyone in his path. Knocking some flying.

The facing off against Elendial and Isildur. The shattering of Narsil and the fall of Sauron.

Who just explodes like a nuclear warhead.

Incidently this scene ( The exploding Maia.) reminds me alot of something I noticed in 'Slaine : Time Killer'. Just the way he exploded, the release of energy.

 

[Tex Hex]

Always loved this scene:

Last of the Mohicans

At the end when Chingachgook fights through the Huron and easily kills Magua.

I loved the lack of "showdown" - he gets to him and kills him. Very unconventional for Hollywood and whole lot more powerful for it.

-hex

[TordelBack]

Absolutely agree about the end of Last of the Mohicans, the ledge/trail fight is just magnificent in its understatement and absence of dialogue.  The central trio of Magua, Chingachgook and Uncas are great.

The film also boasts another of my favourite scenes, where Hawkeye and Co. get into the besieged Fort William Henry.  The preceding nightime battlefield traverse is worthy of note itself, a really terrific pre-Napoleonic fireworks display.  When the defenders are surprised to see him show up in the midst of the seige, Hawkeye quips: "Just dropped in to see how you boys was doing".


Less 'wow' and more 'heh' is:

Blond Knob Officer (Duncan?):  "Scout, there is a war on. How is it you are headed west?"
Hawkeye: "Well, we kinda face to the north and real subtle-like turn left. "

[Eric Plumrose]

The denouement to Cracker: One Day a Lemming Will Fly.

Works even better if you've been sucked in by the two preceding stories. Shame the second season was disappointing, the third, shite.

[Mardroid]

Thryllseekyr: The scene where he attached the chainsaw to the
stump of his wrist saying 'Groovey' for emphasis and abit of contrast to mostly what was a very gory horror movie.

That was a great moment. One of those scenes which manages to be totally cheesy and cool at the same time much like the bit when he cut off the witch's head with his chain saw and rest his foot on it's neck:

Witch: Suck your soul! Suck your soul!
Ash:  Suck on this.
Boomstick: BOOM!

Lovely. He's good with the one-liners is Ash.

[ThryllSeekyr]

'BraveHeart'

The battle scenes were well detailed and  showing a very impressive array of these violent sequences linked together by a interesting and at sometimes historically accurate storyline.

I like the bit where the King Edward or his son recruited some Irishmen into their army only to have them warmly greet their scottish mates on the opposing side when sent to do battle with them.

Highlander ( The first film only).

I like that way that the archiac battle scenes/'The quickening' training scenes were meshed with modern day New York. Like when Connor Macleod was watching the wrestling in Madison Square Garden which then morphs into his first battle with the Kurgon. There's another scene where he's sitting on that circular couch in his apartment and he's looking at the fish tank which becomes another memory from his past. Not realy sure if it's just loch near his home village or where he's about to fall out of the rowboat he's sharing with Rameriaz.

The Kurgon drivi through the streets of New York to the tune of 'Gimmie the Prize' on his car radio.

Later in the derilect hotel room taking his compound sword out of the suitcase and putting it together not much unlike a assassin would put together his compound firearm.

Haveing shaved his head, claiming to be perfectly disguised while making a specatacle of himself in front of the nuns at one of those city churchs.

[satchmo]

This is the scene near the start of season 1 that hooked me completely on The Wire.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1HUlTKvDUI" target="_blank">The king stay the king