Introducing Myself
My name is Dave Becker, and I am a film geek.
No, this isn’t a cry for help. I’m not looking for a comforting hug, or a support group that meets once a week in the local community center. I crave no sympathy, invite no pity, nor desire any reassurances that my condition will improve. Truth be told, I don’t want my ‘condition’ to change in the least. I wear the label of ‘film geek’ as if it were a badge of honor.
I watch hundreds of movies every year (I averaged 500 per year between 2003 and 2006), read every book I can on the history of film, and even take time out to write about movies once in a while. When I surf the net, I spend 95% of my time on movie-related web sites, learning all I can about a director’s newest project, or a film that’s taken the most recent festival by storm. It seems I can never escape the draw of the cinema. When I lay down in my bed at night, I drift off to sleep with the gentle sounds of a classic movie channel playing softly in the background.
Director Ingmar Bergman once said, “No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls”. I believe this. In fact, I’ll go Mr. Bergman one better by declaring film to be the perfect art form, one that stimulates the senses as it challenges our perceptions of reality. To view a film is to enter another world, laid before us through the combined efforts of artisans and entertainers. As entertainment, film serves as an escape from the everyday; as art, it exposes us to emotions, thoughts, ideas, and realities that are as persuasive as they are complex.
And movies are more, besides. Beyond art and entertainment, the great films can also stir within their audience a genuine interest in their subject matter, an interest that often extends well beyond the viewing experience. Watching SCHINDLER’S LIST caused me to seek out more information on the real Oskar Schindler, a man whose life was marred by a constant stream of failures, both before and after the war. LENNY, Bob Fosse’s brilliant biopic of comedian Lenny Bruce, led me to recordings of Bruce’s stand-up performances, from which I have garnered a genuine respect for this tragic figure’s spin on everyday life. I would never have believed that both PSYCHO and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were inspired by the same person had I not read about Ed Gein, the murderer and grave robber who quietly terrorized a small Wisconsin town in the 1950’s. This is yet another wonderful facet of film; its ability to unlock a desire for knowledge, one that might otherwise have remained dormant within us, never to be set free.
This is what film means to me, the effect it has on my life on an almost daily basis. Now, thanks to John at Film Grotto, I’ve finally been given an opportunity to share this obsession of mine with a living, breathing audience. I will be posting movie reviews, the odd article or two, and anything else that pops into my mind on a regular basis, and please know that I’m very happy to be doing so. After years of self-imposed silence, I will finally speak out, and it’s my hope that my love of film will continue to grow as a result.
Now that I’ve decided to take my opinions public, I think it’s only fair that I share a little bit about myself, or more importantly, about those movies that have meant the most to me. But instead of merely trotting out a list of my favorite films, I chose to challenge myself by selecting instead what I feel are 101 of the greatest moments in film history, moments that helped shape my passion for all things cinematic. With what follows, I want to offer more than a simple breakdown of the films I love; I hope to also provide a little insight into why I love them.
So, without further adieu as they say, I present my list of 101 great moments in movie history:
1. Chief Will Sampson hurling that water fountain through the window in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
2. Warren Beatty riding his horse against a driving wind in the opening moments of McCABE & MRS. MILLER
3. Every single musical number in SINGIN IN THE RAIN
4. The unforgettable gaze of a mortally wounded Slim Pickens as he locks eyes with distraught wife Katy Jurado, in Sam Peckinpah’s PAT GARRETT AMD BILLY THE KID
5. Each and every scene of THE GODFATHER, and THE GODFATHER PART II
6. The awe-inspiring opening sequence of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, which caused me to fall in love with movies in the first place
7. George C. Scott leading his driver off the beaten path to visit an ancient North African battlefield, in PATTON
8. Every moment Orson Welles appears on-screen in THE THIRD MAN
9. Klaus Kinski losing control in AGUIRRE, WRATH OF GOD
10. Gangster Ben Kingsley marching through an airport in the South of Spain, on his way to make Ray Winstone’s life a living hell in SEXY BEAST
11. The magnificent adrenaline rush of the chariot race in BEN-HUR
12. The sharp sound of a Polaroid camera snapping a picture in the dark, the bright light of the flash revealing a scene of absolute terror, in Tobe Hooper’s low-budget horror masterpiece, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
13. The awesome spectacle of Peter O’Toole’s ride through the desert in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
14. Liam Neeson’s ultimate change of heart in SCHINDLER’S LIST
15. Max Von Sydow’s chess game with Death in Ingmar Bergman’s THE SEVENTH SEAL
16. Vincent Price, in pretty much any movie he ever made
17. Marlon Brando screaming up the stairs to Kim Hunter in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
18. Petty thief Kevin Spacey telling detective Chazz Palmienterri about the greatest trick the devil ever pulled, in THE USUAL SUSPECTS
19. John Travolta telling Samuel L. Jackson what Big Macs are called in France, in PULP FICTION
20. Frances McDormand asking Peter Stormare what all the killing was about in the closing moments of the Coen Brothers’ FARGO
21. Russell Streiner’s now-famous line, “They’re coming to get you, Barbara”, uttered in George Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
22. The kinetic energy that pulsates throughout the entirety of Wong Kar-Wai’s CHUNGKING EXPRESS
23. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson serenading each other at a late-night Tokyo Karaoke bar in LOST IN TRANSLATION
24. Clint Eastwood surrendering to his true nature as he confronts Gene Hackman in UNFORGIVEN
25. Fred Williamson and Thalmus Rasulala, once the closest of friends, scrapping with each other in a winner-take-all fistfight that closes out Arthur Marks’ underrated 1975 action film, BUCKTOWN
26. Kate Winslet ‘flying’ as she hangs off the bow of TITANIC
27. John Wayne standing just outside, framed in the doorway, as he comes to terms with the inevitable loneliness of his life in THE SEARCHERS
28. Robert DeNiro arguing with himself in the mirror in TAXI DRIVER
29. Gene Hackman tearing up the town with his two young grandsons in THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
30. Frank Sinatra helping Laurence Harvey break out of his hypnosis in one of the final scenes of 1962’s THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
31. The showdown between Charles Bronson and the three gunmen sent to kill him in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
32. Learning that Darth Vader was Luke’s father in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
33. Every animated movie Hayao Miyazaki ever made, but especially SPIRITED AWAY
34. Pam Greir taking charge in COFFY, and FOXY BROWN, and FRIDAY FOSTER, and JACKIE BROWN
35. Henry Gibson in the studio recording a patriotic song, in the opening scene of NASHVILLE
36. Audrey Hepburn cocking her head to one side as she peers through the window of Tiffany’s department store early one morning, in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
37. Bill Nunn walking down the street, Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” blaring from his radio, in DO THE RIGHT THING
38. Orson Welles muttering the now-immortal “Rosebud” in CITIZEN KANE
39. Joe Pesci losing control time and again until fate catches up with him in Martin Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS
40. Joe Pesci losing control time and again until fate catches up with him in Oliver Stone’s JFK
41. The story of how it came to pass, which opens Peter Jackson’s LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy
42. Marcello Mastroianni’s dream sequence in Federico Fellini’s 8 ½
43. Kier Dullea’s showdown with the HAL 9000 in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
44. John Malkovich entering the portal into his own mind in BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
45. Humphrey Bogart lying to Ingrid Bergman to get her on that plane in CASABLANCA
46. Helicopters flying into battle to the tune of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” in APOCALYPSE NOW
47. Maria Falconetti’s eyes in the silent masterpiece, THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
48. The opening sequence of TOUCH OF EVIL, as well as the immediate aftermath
49. James Stewart trying to transform Kim Novak into the girl she once was, in Alfred Hitchcock’s VERTIGO
50. The nearly four hour version of Sergio Leone’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA
51. Willem Dafoe returning from his meditation in the desert to begin his divine mission, in THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
52. The non-intrusive directing style of Yasujiro Ozu in TOKYO STORY, FLOATING WEEDS, and many others.
53. Every line of dialogue that passes between Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn in THE LION IN WINTER
54. The bank robbery that spirals into a chilling realization of violence in BONNIE AND CLYDE
55. The pre-title sequence of Paul Thomas Anderson’s MAGNOLIA, which gets my vote as the best pre-title sequence in movie history
56. The quiet irony of the moment Jane Wyman realizes her children have moved on with their lives, in ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS
57. Fred Williamson dropping a severed ear onto a plate of spaghetti in BLACK CAESAR
58. The closing moments of LOCAL HERO, where a phone can be heard ringing in the distance.
59. The first time we set eyes on the monstrous Max Schreck in the scariest vampire movie ever made, F.W. Murnau’s NOSFERATU
60. The roller skate routine that Charlie Chaplin performs with perfect timing and grace in MODERN TIMES
61. Jon Voight leaving Texas behind to the tune of Nillson’s “Everybody’s Talkin” in MIDNIGHT COWBOY
62. Lillian and Dorothy Gish acting together in ORPHANS OF THE STORM
63. Kirk Douglas telling Adolphe Menjou to go to hell in PATHS OF GLORY
64. Dustin Hoffman performing Lenny Bruce’s material, in LENNY
65. The moment William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates and Ben Johnson realize they can simply walk away after shooting Rebel General Emelio Fernandez in THE WILD BUNCH, but decide to stick around anyway to finish the job
66. Watching Mia Kirshner dance for Bruce Greenwood in director Atom Egoyan’s EXOTICA
67. The shot of the Bridge at sunrise in Woody Allen’s MANHATTAN
68. Roy Scheider telling Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw that they need a bigger boat, in JAWS
69. The way Malcolm McDowell delivers his dialogue in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
70. Boris Karloff rising to life in the original FRANKENSTEIN
71. The battle of wits between Harpo Marx and Edgar Kennedy in DUCK SOUP
72. The beauty of the images in Andrei Tarkovsky’s ANDREI RUBLEV
73. Slim Pickens being interrogated by Toshiro Mifune aboard a Japanese Submarine in Steven Spielberg’s criminally underappreciated WWII comedy, 1941
74. Anthony Perkins in drag, in PSYCHO
75. The dark, desolate ship that lends the perfect atmosphere to the terror that is ALIEN
76. All three of Peter Sellers’ roles in DR. STRANGELOVE, but especially his President Merkin Muffley
77. The closing shot of EASY RIDER, bringing the perfect irony to Peter Fonda’s earlier line, “We blew it”
78. The brilliance of Buster Keaton’s physical humor in THE GENERAL
79. Lionel Barrymore standing up to boss Wallace Beery in the lounge of the GRAND HOTEL
80. The climactic highway scene in Ron Zombie’s THE DEVIL’S REJECTS
81. Jim Carrey getting trapped in his own mind, in ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
82. The first time Ewan McGregor pays a visit to the MOULIN ROUGE in Baz Luhrmann’s fast-paced musical drama
83. The first time Rodney Dangerfield strolls into Bushwood Country Club in CADDYSHACK
84. Peter Finch getting everyone in New York City to shout out their windows in NETWORK
85. The beauty, and horrors, of the Australian Outback as seen in Nicolas Roeg’s WALKABOUT
86. Watching Bruce Lee do his thing in ENTER THE DRAGON
87. Debating with myself back and forth as to which is the best film whenever I watch Kieslowski’s THREE COLORS trilogy
88. The house of ice in DR. ZHIVAGO
89. Topol trying to hold on to tradition whenever his daughters want to marry, in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
90. Franka Potente running her heart out in RUN LOLA RUN
91. The innovative genius that went into making THE MATRIX
92. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, in almost any horror movie they made for Hammer studios
93. Spencer Tracy and Fredric March going back and forth in the courtroom in INHERIT THE WIND
94. Uma Thurman as the Bride in KILL BILL, both volumes
95. Edward Norton cursing everyone he knows while staring into a men’s room mirror in Spike Lee’s 25TH HOUR
96. The crucifixion scene in MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN
97. Dustin Hoffman banging on the church window when he thinks he’s too late, only to discover he isn’t, in THE GRADUATE
98. Jim Carrey slowly realizing the truth in THE TRUMAN SHOW
99. George Romero actually topping himself in the genre he created with 1978’s DAWN OF THE DEAD
100. Michael McKean and Christopher Guest trying to sound philosophical in THIS IS SPINAL TAP
101. Mob boss Bob Hoskins’ downward spiral in THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY
John Allison said
November 11 2007 @ 8:17 am
Thanks for joining in on Film Grotto and a big thanks for reminding me of about 10 movies that I need to go buy/rent in the very near future.
My favorites on your list would be:
The showdown between Charles Bronson and the three gunmen sent to kill him in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
The crucifixion scene in MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN
The moment William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates and Ben Johnson realize they can simply walk away after shooting Rebel General Emelio Fernandez in THE WILD BUNCH, but decide to stick around anyway to finish the job
Every animated movie Hayao Miyazaki ever made, but especially SPIRITED AWAY
One that I would add is the final scene with Leon in the Professional. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a better death scene.
Dave Becker said
November 11 2007 @ 8:21 am
John,
Thanks for the welcome, and for the feedback. I would agree about LEON THE PROFESSIONAL…it was a great ending.
Anyone else have a scene they think sould be added? I’d like to hear about it.
Dave
Jim Dorey said
November 11 2007 @ 5:19 pm
Excellent list! You’ll be adding some 3D ones to that list soon I’d wager… Check out www.marketsaw.com
TheSnowLeopard said
November 11 2007 @ 6:39 pm
I’m a sci-fi fan, so here’s my contribution:
1. Luke looking at the twin suns setting near the horizon on Tatooine in Star Wars
2. Batty’s final speech in Blade Runner
3. The appearance of the Mothership in Close Enconters Of The Third Kind
4. The bone changing to a space station in 2001: A Space Odyssey
5. The camera tracking along the ground in a frozen New York in A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Kurt said
November 11 2007 @ 7:20 pm
Wow. Anyone who can squeeze LOCAL HERO, TOKYO STORY and ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS onto the same list has my respect!
Kudos there Dave. You sound like a fellow that really knows his stuff!
new york broadway ticket said
January 2 2008 @ 9:11 pm
Local briefs for Wednesday, Jan….
They all grew up in New York City and now are grandmothers who are still close. The Indio Performing Arts…