Here I present a collection of scenes from films I beleive are truely exceptional. Some have fantastic dialog,
others have great cinematogaphy or story, etc. The list is by no means complete, just the ones that were
convinient to place on the page first.
Due to size restrictions each clip is about 1 min in length. You will need the
DivX codec
installed to view them. Please be aware that the load times
will consume a few seconds on a broadband connection and several minutes using an analog modem.
Above all other filmakers I enjoy Stanley Kubrick the most. Nearly all of his films are among the greats.
The Shining in particular makes use of twisted camera anlges and radical cinematography to enhance the
insanity taking place at the Overlook hotel.
In this scene, rather than leave the camera still or tighten
on Jack, Kurbick follows the motion of the axe as Jack wields it through the door.
The Shining, Clip 1
It's about fighting windmills.
The Stuntman, Clip 1
Zardoz is an allegorical sci-fi film that explores what happens to human beings when the elements that make us
human are removed. Essentially we die or at least the soul does. However, the beings in this film are immortal
and miserable. That is, until Sean Connery brings his wrath upon them.
The scene below shows the immortals endowing Connery's character, Zod, with the sum of their knowledge. This is
one of the most brilliant and innovative visual effects I've had the pleasure of viewing. It's not high tech,
but it is ingenious.
Zardoz, Clip 1
The Ruling Class is a film about an insane member of british royal society who thinks he's the "God of Love."
Once the character, played by Peter O'Toole, is convinced he's not God he becomes Jack the Ripper. The film is
both a satire and indictment of british royal society. From my perspective, the best attribute of the film is
watching O'Toole shift from the God of Love to Jack the Ripper and his ingenious delivery of the characters.
It illustrates the tremendous talent of O'Toole as a character actor.
In this scene O'Toole, as the Ripper character, delivers firey rhetoric to the Hourse of Lords in an effort to
have them unite behind his diabolical will. His insanity is ever present as he sees nothing but death
surrounding him.
The Ruling Class, Clip 1
Barry Lyndon is a beautiful film, a moving painting. Scene composition apears to be Kubrick's primary
concern in this work. Unfortunately, this film recieved little appriciation from the average movie
viewer. "Joe Sixpack" does not have the patience for the somtimes lengthy artistic sequeces throughout
the film. If you're favorite movie is "Die Hard" do not watch this.
In the clip below, Barry expresses his lust for Lady Lyndon for the first time. The scene likens itself
to a dance, with the actor's careful movements in perfect harmony with the background score.
Barry Lyndon, Clip 1
American Beauty is universaly recognized as a ground breaking film. In my opinion, much of the film's
genious lies in the contrast between different sections of dialog and visual perspectives spread throughout the
movie. Therefore, I found it very difficult to choose a single clip that illustrated the quality of the work so
I used two.
In the first clip, Lester is cowering before an authority figure at his workplace in dire fear of being layed off.
In contrast, the second clip, much later in the film, shows the opposite perspective where Lester is towering
over the same authority icon.
American Beauty, Clip 1
American Beauty, Clip 2
Shadow of the Vampire is a fictional account of the making of the silent classic Nosferotu. The film
delivers the viewer into the minds of the two main characters, the heavy handed German film director (John Malkovich)
and his star the Nosferotu (William Dafoe). This film has wonderful character development and performances
by the lead actors, notably Defoe.
The clip below shows the vampire finaly recieving his promise of immortality as he is forever burned into the
celluloid of the, now quite mad, director.
Shadow of the Vampire, Clip 1
