# Iconic Movie Moments



## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

What are your iconic movie moments, those scenes or images from motion pictures that are so powerful they stay with you your whole life? Here are 3 of mine:

1/ That burning match transforming into a sunrise over the Saharan dunes in _Lawrence of Arabia_.

2/ The Statue of Liberty arising from the sands in the original _Planet of the Apes_.

3/ Rod Steiger carrying Sidney Poitier's suitcase to the bus station at the end of _In the Heat of the Night_.


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## Vivienne Mathews (May 7, 2013)

This moment from _The Breakfast Club_:


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## deckard (Jan 13, 2011)

Tony Richards said:


> What are your iconic movie moments, those scenes or images from motion pictures that are so powerful they stay with you your whole life?


Roy Scheider tossing chum over the side of the boat in "Jaws::
"We gotta get a bigger boat!"

The scene from "Rear Window" when Grace Kelly leans over a sleepoing James Stewart to give him a kiss. Filmed in slow motion.

The final scene from "Gallipoli"

Deckard


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Jaws - when that shark comes up (I am agreeing with Deckard, but it's probably my all time favorite movie)

The chest-bursting scene in Alien

The final moments of the truly great film Fail-Safe.


Had to try and narrow it down to three - because I can go on and on and on and on...


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## Edward Lake (Mar 11, 2012)

Titanic-when the ship started to fall apart.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

Hard to name just a few as I have so many.  You name done of them with that sunrise in Lawrence of Arabia.  But a few others:
1) The opening credits of Easy Rider.
2) The ending of The Graduate
3) H.I. stealing the diapers in Raising Arizona (I don't know what it is about that scene.  There's nothing particularly funny about it, but I always laugh SO hard)
4) The introduction of Frank Booth in Blue Velvet
5)  The diner scene in Five easy Pieces


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## deckard (Jan 13, 2011)

metal134 said:


> The diner scene in Five easy Pieces


Yes! How could anyone forget that!

Deckard


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## cork_dork_mom (Mar 24, 2011)

I love the scene in Jaws when Chief Brody is on the beach anxiously watching for sharks and the camera does that funny zoom to his face when the boy is attacked.

*Apocalypse Now:*
Kilgore: Smell that? You smell that? 
Lance: What? 
Kilgore: Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. 
[kneels] 
Kilgore: I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

Opening scene in Star Wars... THE defining movie of my generation. Watching this as a young teenager in a HUGE movie theater (not one of the puny theaters that are common these days) was an amazing experience.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Some good ones here. But how about the kitten playing with Harry Lime's shoelaces in _The Third Man_? William Holden face-down in the swimming pool but still narrating at the start of _Sunset Boulevard_? _That_ certainly captures your attention!

The opening of _All About Eve_, where the VO narrative switches from one character to another? Grandstanding stuff! I'll think about some newer movies soon.


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## cork_dork_mom (Mar 24, 2011)

Do you think opening scenes tend to be more iconic? To capture the imagination?


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

One of the best known techniques in short story writing is the 'narrative hook,' that fascinating first line that grabs the reader and makes him want to continue. And the same applies to movies too ... so yes.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I tend to gravitate to the musical moments. A few that come to mind:

The dueling men's choirs in "Zulu", with the Zulus singing a war chant honoring their enemy (before they try to kill them) while the British company (mostly Welshmen) sing "Men of Harlech"

The spaceship and space station dancing to "The Blue Danube Waltz" in "2001: A Space Odyssey" (not to mention the use of "Also Sprach Zarathustra")

The panzer troops singing "Das Panzerlied" in the (not terribly historical) "Battle of the Bulge"

I could probably go on and on, but I'll stop for now.


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## Tripp (May 28, 2009)

The end of "The 6th Sense".  I don't know about anyone else, but I was totally surprised.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The "Yee-Hah" scene in _Red River_.


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## LBrent (Jul 1, 2013)

1. Final scene from The Bad Seed. Can't get the song she whistles out of my head!

2. Walking in on Carlo on the phone in The Godfather. Then Michael sitting, crossing his legs knee over knee and calmly straightening the crease tells me he is sooooo gonna kill him.

3. Complete opening sequence of The Cowboys. Love that song!

Bonus: 4. Any scenes from My Man Godfrey &/or Auntie Mame.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> The "Yee-Hah" scene in _Red River_.


And the "Yee-Hah" scene (Slim Pickens) in "Dr. Strangelove".


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

NogDog said:


> And the "Yee-Hah" scene (Slim Pickens) in "Dr. Strangelove".


That was definitely classic.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

I have to add one that's been on my mid lately.  The ending of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".  When the Chief throws that fountain through the window... gives me goosebumps every time.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

metal134 said:


> I have to add one that's been on my mid lately. The ending of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". When the Chief throws that fountain through the window... gives me goosebumps every time.


That one came to my mind, too, but I figured I'd already listed enough ... so thanks. 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk 2


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

1) Most every scene in *Metropolis*. But especially the false Maria haranguing the mob to destroy the city, and (a different scene!) Rotwang chasing Maria through the catacombs.

2) In *The Day the Earth Stood Still*, the scene where Klaatu emerges from his ship to be confronted by half the US Army. (I'm speaking of the original classic version, I try to forget the awful 21st Century remake).

3) The end of *Tora, Tora, Tora*, where Admiral Yamamoto learns that the Pearl Harbor attack was not preceded by a declaration of war, and he utters the line "I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve." Toshiro Mifune did it brilliantly. I understand that Yamamoto didn't actually say those words, this is a case where Hollywood is better than reality!

4) Numerous scenes in *The Dirty Dozen*. But Telly Savalas flipping his lid at the climax would rank high up there.

I also remember and was struck by the German tankers singing in The Battle of the Bulge. An awful movie in many ways, but a guilty pleasure. And the Slim Pickens scene is memorable. What else to do in that situation but go out with class?

Added later...I forgot one! In *Das Boot*, the scene where the U-boat is stuck to the ocean bottom below crush depth, and they are trying everything to get the boat loose, and there is a lengthy scene focused on the depth meter where it begins rising slowly.


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## Guest (Dec 24, 2013)

Finally shooting the guy on the train platform stairs in *The French Connection*.

Howard Beal letting loose in *Network*.

Shooting the mirror in *Midnight Cowboy*.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Added later...I forgot one! In *Das Boot*, the scene where the U-boat is stuck to the ocean bottom below crush depth, and they are trying everything to get the boat loose, and there is a lengthy scene focused on the depth meter where it begins rising slowly.


Yes, second!


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## geniebeanie (Apr 23, 2009)

My favorite scene in in the original pink panther when the old man watching the party goers racing around the fountain.  He crosses the road, gets a chair, sits down and watches the crash.  After the crash he gets up and walks away. I think that is the funniest scene ever in any movie.


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

LBrent said:


> 1. Final scene from The Bad Seed. Can't get the song she whistles out of my head!
> 
> 2. Walking in on Carlo on the phone in The Godfather. Then Michael sitting, crossing his legs knee over knee and calmly straightening the crease tells me he is sooooo gonna kill him.
> 
> ...


I LOVE the screwball comedies of the 1930s, so My Man Godfrey is definitely up there.  I absolutely adore the Auntie Mame, and you're right, there are so many wonderful scenes it's like a Lay's potato chip - hard to pick just one . Bringing Up Baby is the same, but I think my number one fave is Cary Grant opening the door to a room that has Katharine Hepburn's "baby" and the freakout on his face - it's hilarious when he sees the "cat" is actually a leopard...

Gone With the Wind - The "As God as my witness" scene gives me chills every time I see it. The "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" scene at the end is such a classic, using "darn" or anything else would not have had the same impact.

Judy Garland singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in The Wizard of Oz always makes me cry. Hard to believe that someone at MGM wanted to excise that.

Fellowship of the Ring. I remember my husband and I all nervous, wondering if Peter Jackson "got it." Being huge fans of the books, it had to have the right feel and look. The scene where Gandalf knocks on Bilbo's door was so perfect, was just so right, that we knew the rest of the trilogy was in good hands.


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## LBrent (Jul 1, 2013)

Nancy Beck said:


> Gone With the Wind


Lol. I love when Scarlett sends Prissy to find Rhett cuz Mellie's having the baby and Prissy's lollygagging walking along the fence to yell up at the window, "Oh, Mista Rhett...Mista Rhett! Miz Mellie's having her baby!"

And when the "lady" (Belle Watling) invites her in, she says, "Oh, no...My mama'd skin me alive!"


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

LBrent said:


> Lol. I love when Scarlett sends Prissy to find Rhett cuz Mellie's having the baby and Prissy's lollygagging walking along the fence to yell up at the window, "Oh, Mista Rhett...Mista Rhett! Miz Mellie's having her baby!"
> 
> And when the "lady" (Belle Watling) invites her in, she says, "Oh, no...My mama'd skin me alive!"


"Prissy, what are you doing?"

"I'ze packin" CRASH

Anything from The Princess Bride.

The sword fight between Inigo and Westley. The wedding (Mawwiage). Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.


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## derek alvah (Jul 2, 2010)

1.  Salem's Lot.     Little Danny Glick (vampire) is floating outside his brothers window telling him to open it and let him in.    Scared me when I first saw it.  Will never forget it.


2.   Raiders Of The Lost Ark.     Bad guy swinging his sword around all fancy and stuff and Indiana Jones just takes out his pistol and shoots him.  


3.    As far as iconic openings go... the skinny dipping girl from the Jaws opening.  After the initial violent thrashing around she's just yanked under never to be seen again and the water is just as calm as can be. Chilling way to die.


4.  The stand.  After the virus is released and they're playing "Don't Fear The Reaper" while showing all the dead people on the military base.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

The scene that I remember most vividly is Dorothy stepping out of the house after the tornado and discovering Oz.  I love the way that everything changed from black and white to color.

And since I don't think I can stop listing things if I continue, I'll stop there


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## LBrent (Jul 1, 2013)

When Gene Wilder first steps into the first candy room in Willie Wonka.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

cork_dork_mom said:


> Opening scene in Star Wars... THE defining movie of my generation. Watching this as a young teenager in a HUGE movie theater (not one of the puny theaters that are common these days) was an amazing experience.


Unforgettable, just as you said. And of course, when we try to explain it to our kids, they're like "Big deal, they do that it in every movie now." I haven't met many people our age who don't remember how it felt to see that for the first time in a theater.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

daveconifer said:


> Unforgettable, just as you said. And of course, when we try to explain it to our kids, they're like "Big deal, they do that it in every movie now." I haven't met many people our age who don't remember how it felt to see that for the first time in a theater.


I saw it in a big theater in SW Ohio (don't remember which town, had to drive a little bit), maybe a week before it really started making news and pulling in audiences. I was in summer school at college, didn't have anything to do that afternoon, checked the movie ads, and that looked to be potentially interesting. In a theater that probably could hold 2000 people, there might have been 100 there. I decided to sit front row center since it was available, even though I normally wouldn't have preferred that -- the urge just struck me for some reason. So, the first ship virtually flew over my head, and I thought, "Wow!". The then _big_ ship flew over, and I was floored -- totally hooked and along for a wild ride unlike anything I'd seen to that point.


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## LBrent (Jul 1, 2013)

I saw it in Times Square, NYC. My mom took me. I didn't wanna go cuz the ad looked dumb. It was the sexy ad with Princess Leia nearly naked in the front.

The ad changed soon after I was wowed at the theater. Lol


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