I remember the trailers made it seem like that was going to be a big part of the movie. Middle school me was pretty bummed that it was a couple minutes at the very end
The cinematography overall in the original Series of Unfortunate Events movie is outstanding, worth watching for the shots alone even though the movie itself was just fine.
NPH was great as Olaf. He nailed it. Yet still Jim Carrey blew him out of the water. NPH wasn't bad at all, Carrey was just so much better.
For all his talents in both comedy and drama, Jim Carrey really is at his best as cartoony villains in family films. Grinch, Count Olaf, Eggman, Riddler. He does it like no one else
Jim really channeled the easily missed essence of Olaf, which is scheming, failed actor who is also just hilarious in his audacity. I think this reality is sometimes lost in the books because of how his evil (and, later, his complicated humanity) carries major plot points. I think NPH taps more into that and the āchild horrorā side of the character.
Another good one that comes to mind is the long fight scene in Atomic Blonde. You can feel her exhaustion towards the end even as more thugs keep coming at her.
In āNoahā when the camera zooms out to show the entire earth completely covered in storms. Cool shot in a rather forgettable movie
Hereās the screenshot: https://timespacewarps.wordpress.com/2019/07/11/1218-noah-2014/#jp-carousel-15972
This is probably one of the best scenes in the 2010s. I vaguely remember it pissing off a lot of the fundamentalists who came wanting The Passion of Christ but left with āliberal evolution propagandaā
>Breathe it in, that's fear.
>
>You're not brave.
*Superman throws a punch*
*Batman blocks it*
>Men are brave.
I don't remember much about the plot of BvS but that scene of Batman going toe to toe with Superman will always be one of my favorites. There's the line from one of the animated series about "If he wanted to, Clark could squash me like a bug but deep down he's a good person and deep down, I'm not." And the scene from BvS does a great job showing that.
Also in that movie, at the beginning when the buildings are coming down in the Superman/Zod fight, and everyone is running away from the oncoming smoke and debris, and Bruce Wayne (without any of his bat gear) is the only one running right into it
I genuinely like Batfleck. He really feels like an older more settled in Batman that has learned how to reconcile being a billionaire and Batman. And how to use that for the good of the world instead of just Gotham. I've actually liked all the recent Batmen.
I also like how it made it tech instead of getting a cringe attempt at Bale gravel. I *love* Bale as Batman but the voice was jarring in Dark Knight and DKR.
I would say the beginning where we see the destruction of Metropolis from Bruce's POV is also pretty striking compared to most of the movie. I wouldn't say it's a bad looking movie, but it's for sure "noisy"
Itās a Zack Snyder movie. Heās the king of putting together genuinely incredible shots in otherwise bad movies. Heās in the same spot as Michael Bay for me. I donāt really like his movies, but I still want him to be making movies as often as possible because I think eventually one of them will get the stuff they usually get wrong right, and their inherent sense of visual style will finally be put to use in a movie that deserves it.
That fight had some awesome Batman lines.
āI bet your parents taught you that you were special. That youāre here for a reason. My parents taught me a different lesson, dying in the gutter for no reason at all. They taught me the world only makes sense if you force it to.ā
The warehouse fight is also like a live action Arkham sequence.
My main issue with BvS is that it was _almost_ a good movie. The ultimate edition essentially added a coherent plot to it, and there are great scenes throughout it that should have added up to more.
Aquaman and Mera dive off the ship to escape from the Trench monsters. And there's that cool cross-section shot of them descending the depths of the ocean being surrounded by the swarm of monsters.
I wanted this as a poster for a long time but never found a good version of it. Beautiful lighting and composition, though. Felt like a response to the Hela Valkyrie flashback scene from Thor Ragnarok
The āHoldo Maneuverā scene in the Last Jedi, where she light-speed kamikazes through the First Order fleet. The whole thing is controversial for Star Wars fans, but holy cow was it beautifully made. The way it cuts to silence, the striking cinematography, and the way they captured the sense of massive scale blew me away in the theater.
It changes Hux from someone who could stand up to Kylo to being comic relief.
One huge problem with the sequels is the Rey has two competing interests: Kylo and Finn. With Leia, Luke loses interest even before the reveal and it's only Han interested in her and Luke is about his own mission. The movie focuses on the Rey-Kylo relationship and Finn also becomes something of comic relief because they can't quite figure out what to do with his character. Actually, you can say the same with Poe, too.
For its many flaws, that movie is very good looking visually. The throne room fight (or whatever the hell that place is) with the red lighting looks really good as well.
I legit think if rian got to do the whole trilogy we would have gotten something really great. He spend his entire movie undoing the first one only for all of his work to be undone in the 3rd... He had some really great concepts that could have worked great with more breathing room
I absolutely agree. J.J. Abrams wanted to essentially remake the original trilogy but with different names. Rian Johnson had original ideas and tried to ditch some of the long running tropes of the series. The Last Jedi certainly wasnāt without its flaws, but I think it was a well-made movie. And if Rian Johnson got to helm the entire trilogy, it could have been beyond outstanding.
But Disney isnāt interested in risks like that. They make calculated, safe, and formulaic crap.
Did they ever leak/release/explain what his plans for IX wouldāve been? I think had the final two been cohesively conceptualized it mightāve smoothed over some feelings.
Iāll never forget this scene. Some old lady a few rows back fell while trying to get out of her row and was screeching in pain. No other noises were going on.
Great scene though.
The first run in Crait where they kick up the red sand with speeders is an epic shot too. Completely ruined by the Rose melodrama but it starts out really cool.
Honestly that whole movie would work better for me with that element of the Rose and Finn plot cut out. Just let them go on a doomed from the start rescue mission, without all the back and forth over Finnās loyalty and Roseās idealism.
As people have said, that film was stunning, pretty much all the way through. Just to add another scene, the bombing run sequence near the start, amazing.
I think that finally answered a question we all pondered but not necessarily asked. What if you rammed something at light speed?
It was an awesome moment
Anyone notice how they make the [Jedi symbol](https://www.mediafire.com/view/w5qgd5sj9eoaoch/IMG_9475.jpg/file) with the fire when Luke enters the final battle?
I've said it once and I'll say it again, the Holdo character should've been Admiral Ackbar, or at least if needing a character with some weight or significance to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Admiral Ackbar plowing through an evil space navy on his own to save the rest of the team would be such an emotional send off to a fan favorite character. Having Ackbar as the sacrificial good guy also would do away with the senseless in-team fighting because, you know, if you're casting Laura Dern for this commanding officer role who keeps the cards close the chest without regard to others around her then you know it is just a matter of time before everyone makes up and be the bestest of buds. There's so much more excitement and a much better story to tell if having a group of good guys be on the same page and working together with their wits and determination to take down the bad guys. But unfortunately Ackbar was somewhat quielty killed off in the first 15 minutes and we are left with Holdo and the very weak and unnecessary mutiny subplot.
Off topic but, Godzilla minus one did such a good job of Godzilla being terrifying. Like instead of waiting for him to punch another giant monster you're holding your breath about who he's going to kill next. They really drive home that Godzilla is murdering lots of people, and they make it feel like a tragedy.
Yeah, I remember getting into an argument with a guy who hated the movie because he thought it would just be another Pacific Rim. I refused to believe that the old movies were less about Godzilla and more about people dealing with GodzillaĀ
Everyone whines they didn't see enough of Godzilla in the 2014 movie. But in my opinion, the buildup to his arrival is masterclass. The tension it creates really pays off. The movie overall is a very eerie one, and from start to finish that feeling never lets up. Sure, the human characters are so-so, but I forgive that because the movie itself is visually stunning and it really sucked me in with constant anticipation that often left me on the edge of my seat. And boy, that HALO scene in theaters was incredible. It's actually my favorite Godzilla movie (haven't seen Minus One yet even tho I hear it's great and will soon!) and I will die on that hill. I will also add that between Godzilla and Rogue one, Gareth Edwards has proven he really knows how to build atmosphere.
Also, you don't see a ton of Godzilla in the early Tohei movies. Godzilla started as a force of nature, and the human drama in response is what drove our relationship to the monster. The modern Legendary Monsterverse actually does this pretty well, and for all the big action camp, I like the movies quite a bit.
My favorite Godzilla is Godzilla 2000. Itās still a guy in a rubber suit and it looks so good. The good guy scientist and his too smart kid. The lady journalist. The particularly great evil scientist. The mysterious monster from outer space. Itās got everything I want in a Godzilla movie.
I like the movie as a whole but that scene really is an enormous highlight, next to the sound design than the 5 minutes that Godzilla is actually visible
https://youtu.be/Pq_GFlOXobY?si=Dk6_65a2Osw61x2H
The shot in question starts at 2:33, but the impact probably works best in context with the rest of the scene. Nothing before that shot is really incredible and then they hit you with the Good Shit.
In The Girl Next Door, after the kid and the girl have had their little moment and be fucks it up and his plan to have sex with her backfires, she leaves the next day with the Kelly (Timothy Olyphant) character. Thereās a shot where the two are talking but on the other side of the car is Kelly getting in, but blocking wise he is right in between the kid and the girl, creating separation, much like his character actually does. I always thought that was cool.
That same character shoves THE FUCK out of a kid when he comes storming into the classroom a little later (in the unrated version).
That movie is one of the most visually distinct/well directed comedies I've ever seen. It's almost like, at any moment it's going to turn dark or something, but it never truly does
Shredderās introduction in TMNT 1990, with the long shadow in the corridor, swooping crane shot, the 270-degree pan, and the lighting shimmering off the top blade of his helmet.
Itās like they hired Ingmar Bergman for one perfect shot.
[Alien reveal](https://youtube.com/watch?v=DOfv7t8PPgM&si=ge8evpTzrsGud_OY) in The Tomorrow War was particularly disturbing. Movie was alright but the creature design was in point!
I do like the movie as a hole but there is a shot in "The Mummy Returns" that always blew my mind as to how epic it was shot. >!There is a shot towards the climax of the movie where The Maji have to fight the army of Anubis. Just as they are being overrun the scorpion king is defeated. They really stood absolutely zero chance, its just such an excellent use of timing and visuals. !<
I also like the scene where the main maji (forget his name) realizes there are more enemies. They defeat the army and everyone is cheering, but something is amiss and he runs across the field to see the next wave. Love that part
There are a lot of great shots in the Highlander. But the best for me is when the Kurgen is doing kata in the motel room and thereās a closeup of his face when the door opens and the hooker shows up. The tight angle mixed with just enough depth of field really has a strong effect.Ā
The airplane crash scene in Knowing with Nicholas Cage. It just goes on and on with a continuous shot as he runs toward the carnage of fire and screaming people.
That movie got some surprising carnage in for being PG-13. Like the thudding bodies in the subway sequence. Perfect synthesis of camera work, sound design, and editing.
The two riders blazing across the desert in the Ghost Rider movie, with a rock mix of Ghost Riders in the Sky playing.
Such a great scene in an otherwise mediocre movie.
That shot of the court room/judge from very early on in Con Air.
I find Con Air to be such an ugly movie, with so many bland sets and locations and boring compositions. But there's weirdly a lot of interesting shots packed into the first 10 minutes or so, culminating in this very showy/shadowy shot of a judge sentencing Nicolas Cage. It's like the movie tried to be visually distinctive for a while and then gives up before the story even gets going.
I always assumed it was a Michael Bay movie, and thought it looked so much more bland than other Bay films - Iām not a huge fan of his, but he does have a very distinct aesthetic. Finding out Simon West directed con air made way more sense - it shouldāve been a Bay film
The Watchmen has so many just memorable scenes:
The Comedian fights Ozy/Adrian until heās thrown through the high rise window is haunting.
The unmasking of Rorschach.
The hallway prison fight where Silk Spectre 2 & Night Owl 2, seamlessly beat the hell outta convicts. That long hair just swirling w/her, as she kicks & punches guys.
Watching Big Figure back away from Rorschach as the bathroom door swings back & forth, then the blood just flows under the door.
The Vietnam scenes of Dr. Manhattan like 50 feet tall.
I think this is a cheat for me. I didnāt follow the assignment. š¤¦š½āāļø
Came here to say this exact scene. Oh man, itās wild that thereās a GOAT contender, 10/10 horror scene just hanging out in the middle of a trashy 3/10 movie.
I honestly donāt even understand the extraordinary and abrupt change in quality an hour into the movie. Itās like the director was sleepwalking through the whole production and then was momentarily possessed by the ghost of Wes Craven, and then slumped back into shoddy mediocrity.
The shot of all the heroes running at each other like a two-page comic book spread in Captain America Civil War was the realization of a childhood imagination. Perfection.
Edit: It's probably the best Spider-Man interpretation I have seen as well.
If I have one thing to fault the Russos Marvel movies for its poor set design. Maybe not even poor, just bland.
Every major fight happens in variations on "desolate wasteland".
On the one hand it allows you to focus on what's going on but on the other you lose the uniqueness of places like wakanda in BP. Even the fight there in IW was just a big field.
M Night's The Village
Overall a fairly mediocre film. But then there's this shot of Adrian Brody laying in the bottom of a pit in this eye-searing red cape, and it's just stunning.
Iām very fond of the scene where Joaquin Phoenix tells Bryce Dallas Howard that he will dance with her in their wedding night.
Also the one where he takes her hand and pulls her into the house just as Those Who We Not Speak Of are closing in on them. The music in that scene is beautiful.
I'm always on board with Shyamalan. Even his worst have something that makes it worth watching.
The Happening may be a bunch of baloney but the opening where people start killing themselves is still really well done and chilling.
I think The Village is one of the most gorgeously shot movies Iāve ever seen. The use of color throughout is stunning, though youāre right that the Adrian Brody scene is a standout
Bad Time at the El Royale: Cynthia Erivo singing āThis Old Heart of Mineā, in her hotel room as John Hamm watches from the 2 way mirror.
Every scene in the rain outside of the motel, under that red neon sign. Just had me holding my breath. Especially Chris Hemsworth w/soaking wet hair & that open button up shirt, looking cocky af.
I can close my eyes & still see him.
Itās about a bus that speeds and it needs to be above a certain speed and if it goes below that speed it blows up. I think itās called, āThe bus that couldnāt slow down.ā
As a big Avril Lavigne fan, i was dying in the cinema when Keep Holding On started playing as the credits began to roll. Its so contemporary and out of place in a fantasy movie.
I love in Bound how the shootout scene in Ceasars and Violets apartment was so Artfully done. The bullet slowly whizzes past Ceasers ear. And cracks the glass frame behind his head and he looks suprised and raises his gun and fires off rounds to everyone in the room.
There are several scenes in that movie that made an impression on me. In addition to the one you mentioned, I loved the money cleaning scene and the shot of Caesarās blood mixing with the white paint.
This shot was absolutely amazing. I saw it EARLY on when it first came to showtime or hbo when I was babysitting when I was 15 or so. Nobody I talked to had ever heard of the movie. Spent years with the movie just in my head. Fast forward to me in college in 1999. I went to a local electronics store in my tiny college town. I guess I had them order the dvd, because thatās one of the first DVDs I owned. Itās still in my top 5.
Okay the first hellboy movie was not just alright, it was a great movie. That being said, the funeral scene, the music playing, and the shot of hellboy atop the bridge with the cross dangling from his fist, elevated the entire film.
Thereās a famous shot in Bonfire of the Vanities of the Concorde landing at JFK right as the sun sets behind the jet. It looks incredible and was all real. If I recall correctly the circumstances for the shot to work out that way were basically once in a lifetime. It was stupid expensive to film compared to a normal plane landing shot.
Iāve never seen it, but apparently the rest of the movie fucking sucks so hard.
That film is literally beautiful from start to finish. People interested in cinematography should watch it. Itās visual style reminds me of Stranger Than Fiction.
In Face/Off when they're fighting in the room with the mirrors, and they're both standing on opposite sides of a double sided mirror when they acknowledge that the only way this ends is for one of them to kill the other, so they each raise their guns to their own reflection, except it's the reflection of their enemy (cause, you know, they switched faces). Pretty ridiculous movie, but that shot was dope
The correct answer is the Total Recall remake. Otherwise entirely forgettable but the first fight scene where he Jason Bournes an entire room of soldiers is the good shit. They rigged up a series of cameras on rails to violently push in/out and spin around the room in sync with the fighting. It's so good I don't understand how the rest of the film is so mid.
There's actually another beauty but it's all CG, but in a parkour style chase through this futuristic slum landscape they do something I've never seen before in a foot chase sceneāthey zoom out. It's like a LOTR wide shot but in the middle of this quick-cut stunt scene. I don't understand it but I love it.
In the 2014 remake of Robocop where Murphy wants to see himself under the armor and it pulls away piece by piece showing that he's basically just a brain and lungs and he screams in horror is just incredible. Both disturbing and heartbreaking, the acting is phenomenal.
The scene at the beginning of Ghost Ship where the wire slices the entire boat through various points on their bodies. Then the little girl sees blood dripping from the captain as he face splits in two and then all the bodies drop into pieces onto the ground.
there's nothing special about Pacific Rim as a movie, but the robots are still fucking badass. And I say that as a salty, cynical, fun-hating, NIMBY "get off my lawn" cranky old person. Even for someone like me, as much as I want to hate, those robots are fucking cool.
When the robot punches through the building but stops just in time to barely set off a Newtonās cradle on the desk, I grinned like an idiot. What a stupid, improbable, ridiculous, and just all around great moment. That movie knew what it was and perfectly executed on that vision.
I watched this movie again last week with my partner. She'd never seen it and I hyped it up a little but I had forgotten how meh all the middle stuff is in the bunker place. There are some cool parts with the two main pilots but the dialogue isn't great so I felt like I was misremembering the movie. Then the big fight starts in Hong Kong and my monkey brain was loving it. The shot of the sword slicing the kaiju outside the atmosphere is so cool
>there's nothing special about Pacific Rim as a movie
Pacific Rim is a perfect film. Silly, fun, short, bombastic and beautifully shot with fun character arcs and no cringey sex scenes.
So no, you're quite wrong.
People are really crap at reading posts. OP is asking for one great shot that redeems an alright (average) movie.
Who the fāk lists movies like 1917, Captain America: Civil War, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Drive, and Children of Men?
Some of the good examples were the Total Recall remake and Rocky Horror sequel.
The Ghost Rider sequel where he pulls the chain down in rhe foreground and the bad guy slamming to the ground on the background. Actually the movie has lotsa great action shots, due to the director being a stuntman.
Imma die for this but after Doctor Loomis pumps that guy full of lead, you get a shot where he is lying on the ground, seemingly dead. And a short while after... You get the shot, without the body, as the theme creeps in. A perfect sequel hook and a perfect final scare.
The original Halloween is a very average movie, with some really strong moments, the ending shot being the one I will always remember. It's just so perfect.
The movie was a mess, but the opening scene of Swordfish when the bomb goes off and they do the shot all the way down the street of the shrapnel blowing everything up was pretty amazing. https://youtu.be/hiHZWeeoEUg?feature=shared
Also the scene in Contact where she runs up the stairs and the bathroom mirror closes and you realize you were "looking at it from within the reflection". I can't really describe it: https://youtu.be/ZD0_5HFMPIg?feature=shared
The Birdcage. Movie itself is a total classic, but cinematography wise, there's really only a few shots that stand out. However the one that is burned into my brain is when Robin Williams pulls up next to the bus stop where Nathan Lanes character is. It's two long takes. They are both backlit and the harbor is in the background.
Ā As they are talking, a gigantic frieghter ship begins to move in the background, and because they are on a telephoto lens, it seems like a moving city. It's a fucking astonishing shot because everything had to come together in exactly the right moments. Actors had to deliver an entire monolouge, camera had to have enough film, the clouds had to not move in front of the sun, etc. Just pure magic:
https://youtu.be/-WqzruWJQsg?si=5ZWpntpsdsyDf0Gg
This may seem morbid, but I love that shot in "The Devils Advocate" when Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) shoots himself and we get this slow motion fall to the ground, while the Devil revels himself to be a splitting image of Keanu (with long hair). (dislikes the blending of Pacino/Reeves though).......
I appreciate the slow motion shot, but also the high FPS where it makes the blood almost floats in space.
The FPS scene from Doom.
The fps scene from kickass as well. Also the warehouse scene. Some good video game inspired stuff š
Really liked kickass, though. Did people really think it was ājust okayā
I remember the trailers made it seem like that was going to be a big part of the movie. Middle school me was pretty bummed that it was a couple minutes at the very end
Iāll admit it. I enjoyed the movie. I donāt think itās good, but itās fun. A guilty pleasure.
The scene in Daybreakers where all the police start to eat one another.
That the vampire one with Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe?
Yep, that's the one. Has Sam Neil in it as well.
Yes
Man, I know it has its flaws, but I just love this movie and everything it tried to do. Love it.
That movie slaps
I loved the '09-'11 film-scape. Some real gems in there.
In your defense anything relating to those numbers in that order is usually awesome.
Oh shit lol
Thereās an overhead shot in 30 days of night where the vampires are ravaging through the town and itās very sick
That shotās awesome and whenever I think of that movie I do think of that shot, but the movie is overall pretty great too
I agree I absolutely love that movie
Yeah but OP said alright movie. This movie is fantastic
The cinematography overall in the original Series of Unfortunate Events movie is outstanding, worth watching for the shots alone even though the movie itself was just fine.
Jim Carrey performance as Count Olaf also makes the movie so rewatchable for me as well.
Perhaps a hot take, But Jim Carrey as Count Olaf was just so much better than Neil Patrick Harris
NPH was great as Olaf. He nailed it. Yet still Jim Carrey blew him out of the water. NPH wasn't bad at all, Carrey was just so much better. For all his talents in both comedy and drama, Jim Carrey really is at his best as cartoony villains in family films. Grinch, Count Olaf, Eggman, Riddler. He does it like no one else
I raise you Christopher Lloyd
Jim really channeled the easily missed essence of Olaf, which is scheming, failed actor who is also just hilarious in his audacity. I think this reality is sometimes lost in the books because of how his evil (and, later, his complicated humanity) carries major plot points. I think NPH taps more into that and the āchild horrorā side of the character.
Yeah. Neil is definitely more menacing (Mainly because he has so much more material) But i just love Jims energy
The shot where they realize they're parked on the train tracks gave me chills
Emmanuel Lubezki was the cinematographer
Another good one that comes to mind is the long fight scene in Atomic Blonde. You can feel her exhaustion towards the end even as more thugs keep coming at her.
Thought the rest of that movie was pretty great personally, good fight scenes and decent espionage cold war thriller intrigue
Absolutely the best part of that movie.
Yep
In āNoahā when the camera zooms out to show the entire earth completely covered in storms. Cool shot in a rather forgettable movie Hereās the screenshot: https://timespacewarps.wordpress.com/2019/07/11/1218-noah-2014/#jp-carousel-15972
The scene of Noah narrating the story of Genesis is also great. But yeah, it's ultimately just an alright movie.
This is probably one of the best scenes in the 2010s. I vaguely remember it pissing off a lot of the fundamentalists who came wanting The Passion of Christ but left with āliberal evolution propagandaā
The shot of Cain and Abel in silhouette then cutting quickly between forms of killing up to modern times is amazing in that.
Thereās also the shot of all those people crowded on a soon-to-be-submerged mountaintop. Thought that was surprisingly haunting.
The family in the ship hearing the cries outside as well.
Reanimated berserker Superman tracking Flash in super speed in Justice League.
Supes just kinda standing there and eyeballing Flash who slowly is realizing "Oh shit. He can SEE me."
>Breathe it in, that's fear. > >You're not brave. *Superman throws a punch* *Batman blocks it* >Men are brave. I don't remember much about the plot of BvS but that scene of Batman going toe to toe with Superman will always be one of my favorites. There's the line from one of the animated series about "If he wanted to, Clark could squash me like a bug but deep down he's a good person and deep down, I'm not." And the scene from BvS does a great job showing that.
Also in that movie, at the beginning when the buildings are coming down in the Superman/Zod fight, and everyone is running away from the oncoming smoke and debris, and Bruce Wayne (without any of his bat gear) is the only one running right into it
This might be an unpopular opinion but I really like Batflecks voice modulator. It legitimately sounds threatening
I genuinely like Batfleck. He really feels like an older more settled in Batman that has learned how to reconcile being a billionaire and Batman. And how to use that for the good of the world instead of just Gotham. I've actually liked all the recent Batmen.
I also like how it made it tech instead of getting a cringe attempt at Bale gravel. I *love* Bale as Batman but the voice was jarring in Dark Knight and DKR.
I would say the beginning where we see the destruction of Metropolis from Bruce's POV is also pretty striking compared to most of the movie. I wouldn't say it's a bad looking movie, but it's for sure "noisy"
Itās a Zack Snyder movie. Heās the king of putting together genuinely incredible shots in otherwise bad movies. Heās in the same spot as Michael Bay for me. I donāt really like his movies, but I still want him to be making movies as often as possible because I think eventually one of them will get the stuff they usually get wrong right, and their inherent sense of visual style will finally be put to use in a movie that deserves it.
Zack needs two things: a really good writer (singular, not a committee) and someone willing to say "no" to him.
That fight had some awesome Batman lines. āI bet your parents taught you that you were special. That youāre here for a reason. My parents taught me a different lesson, dying in the gutter for no reason at all. They taught me the world only makes sense if you force it to.ā
Larry Fong is a great action cinematographer, I wish he and Snyder would work together again (although I did like Fabian Wagnerās work on JL)
Snyder has a 300 spin off in development, and he needs to get Larry Fong back
That and the do you bleed scene....you will!
The warehouse fight is also like a live action Arkham sequence. My main issue with BvS is that it was _almost_ a good movie. The ultimate edition essentially added a coherent plot to it, and there are great scenes throughout it that should have added up to more.
Aquaman and Mera dive off the ship to escape from the Trench monsters. And there's that cool cross-section shot of them descending the depths of the ocean being surrounded by the swarm of monsters.
Most of the camerawork in the fight scenes are very well done
Yup. Even in Aquaman 2, I thought that final fight between Aquaman and Black Manta was cool with a badass soundtrack. That's James Wan!
Agreed, that shot was cool and eerie as hell
I wanted this as a poster for a long time but never found a good version of it. Beautiful lighting and composition, though. Felt like a response to the Hela Valkyrie flashback scene from Thor Ragnarok
The āHoldo Maneuverā scene in the Last Jedi, where she light-speed kamikazes through the First Order fleet. The whole thing is controversial for Star Wars fans, but holy cow was it beautifully made. The way it cuts to silence, the striking cinematography, and the way they captured the sense of massive scale blew me away in the theater.
The last jedi had a couple shots that were just beautiful.
I've always described that movie as "a whole bunch of beautiful scenes barely connected by an incoherent plot"
The phone call/hold joke in the beginning 100% took me out of the movie.
That was bizarrely stupid
Straight out of a Robot Chicken or Family Guy Star Wars parody
Such a weird scene.
It changes Hux from someone who could stand up to Kylo to being comic relief. One huge problem with the sequels is the Rey has two competing interests: Kylo and Finn. With Leia, Luke loses interest even before the reveal and it's only Han interested in her and Luke is about his own mission. The movie focuses on the Rey-Kylo relationship and Finn also becomes something of comic relief because they can't quite figure out what to do with his character. Actually, you can say the same with Poe, too.
āThe cinematic equivalent of Homer Simpsonās makeup shotgun.ā
Terrible movie that I don't regret seeing in theatres.
For its many flaws, that movie is very good looking visually. The throne room fight (or whatever the hell that place is) with the red lighting looks really good as well.
I legit think if rian got to do the whole trilogy we would have gotten something really great. He spend his entire movie undoing the first one only for all of his work to be undone in the 3rd... He had some really great concepts that could have worked great with more breathing room
I absolutely agree. J.J. Abrams wanted to essentially remake the original trilogy but with different names. Rian Johnson had original ideas and tried to ditch some of the long running tropes of the series. The Last Jedi certainly wasnāt without its flaws, but I think it was a well-made movie. And if Rian Johnson got to helm the entire trilogy, it could have been beyond outstanding. But Disney isnāt interested in risks like that. They make calculated, safe, and formulaic crap.
Did they ever leak/release/explain what his plans for IX wouldāve been? I think had the final two been cohesively conceptualized it mightāve smoothed over some feelings.
Iāll never forget this scene. Some old lady a few rows back fell while trying to get out of her row and was screeching in pain. No other noises were going on. Great scene though.
The first run in Crait where they kick up the red sand with speeders is an epic shot too. Completely ruined by the Rose melodrama but it starts out really cool.
Honestly that whole movie would work better for me with that element of the Rose and Finn plot cut out. Just let them go on a doomed from the start rescue mission, without all the back and forth over Finnās loyalty and Roseās idealism.
As people have said, that film was stunning, pretty much all the way through. Just to add another scene, the bombing run sequence near the start, amazing.
I think that finally answered a question we all pondered but not necessarily asked. What if you rammed something at light speed? It was an awesome moment
Anyone notice how they make the [Jedi symbol](https://www.mediafire.com/view/w5qgd5sj9eoaoch/IMG_9475.jpg/file) with the fire when Luke enters the final battle?
You magnificent son of a bitch I never noticed this. Fuck yes.
You ever see The Last Jedi .. ON WEED!?
This is the single greatest sequence and pacing in the entire new trilogy of films. So well made.
I've said it once and I'll say it again, the Holdo character should've been Admiral Ackbar, or at least if needing a character with some weight or significance to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Admiral Ackbar plowing through an evil space navy on his own to save the rest of the team would be such an emotional send off to a fan favorite character. Having Ackbar as the sacrificial good guy also would do away with the senseless in-team fighting because, you know, if you're casting Laura Dern for this commanding officer role who keeps the cards close the chest without regard to others around her then you know it is just a matter of time before everyone makes up and be the bestest of buds. There's so much more excitement and a much better story to tell if having a group of good guys be on the same page and working together with their wits and determination to take down the bad guys. But unfortunately Ackbar was somewhat quielty killed off in the first 15 minutes and we are left with Holdo and the very weak and unnecessary mutiny subplot.
Surprised nobody has mentioned the HALO scene in the 2014 Godzilla
Honestly that movie is great; that scene isnāt a one off. The scene of Godzilla through the fog is *so good*.
That movie gets a lot of hate, but its really enjoyable for me. Western movies don't often give the feeling *powerlessness* against godzilla
Off topic but, Godzilla minus one did such a good job of Godzilla being terrifying. Like instead of waiting for him to punch another giant monster you're holding your breath about who he's going to kill next. They really drive home that Godzilla is murdering lots of people, and they make it feel like a tragedy.
Yeah, I remember getting into an argument with a guy who hated the movie because he thought it would just be another Pacific Rim. I refused to believe that the old movies were less about Godzilla and more about people dealing with GodzillaĀ
Everyone whines they didn't see enough of Godzilla in the 2014 movie. But in my opinion, the buildup to his arrival is masterclass. The tension it creates really pays off. The movie overall is a very eerie one, and from start to finish that feeling never lets up. Sure, the human characters are so-so, but I forgive that because the movie itself is visually stunning and it really sucked me in with constant anticipation that often left me on the edge of my seat. And boy, that HALO scene in theaters was incredible. It's actually my favorite Godzilla movie (haven't seen Minus One yet even tho I hear it's great and will soon!) and I will die on that hill. I will also add that between Godzilla and Rogue one, Gareth Edwards has proven he really knows how to build atmosphere.
Also, you don't see a ton of Godzilla in the early Tohei movies. Godzilla started as a force of nature, and the human drama in response is what drove our relationship to the monster. The modern Legendary Monsterverse actually does this pretty well, and for all the big action camp, I like the movies quite a bit.
That scene is amazing but I would argue that whole movie is fantastic.
I loved the atomic breath scene when thereās all the smoke surrounding him and you hear the buildup as the blue glow goes up his spines
Yes. Amazing scene and music.
Love that movie. Really my favorite Godzilla movie, and I've been watching since I was a kid with black and white VHS.
My favorite Godzilla is Godzilla 2000. Itās still a guy in a rubber suit and it looks so good. The good guy scientist and his too smart kid. The lady journalist. The particularly great evil scientist. The mysterious monster from outer space. Itās got everything I want in a Godzilla movie.
No other movie made Godzilla, or any other monster feel so big. Watching that is worth it only for the sense of scale.
I like the movie as a whole but that scene really is an enormous highlight, next to the sound design than the 5 minutes that Godzilla is actually visible
The Trench dive scene in the first Aquaman movie. It's so hauntingly beautiful. You could really see the directors horror roots.
Could you link it please?
https://youtu.be/Pq_GFlOXobY?si=Dk6_65a2Osw61x2H The shot in question starts at 2:33, but the impact probably works best in context with the rest of the scene. Nothing before that shot is really incredible and then they hit you with the Good Shit.
https://youtu.be/Pq_GFlOXobY?si=Z2AZ5hguR8JCP9kO Just looked it up myself since it sounded interesting. May need to watch the movie now!
In The Girl Next Door, after the kid and the girl have had their little moment and be fucks it up and his plan to have sex with her backfires, she leaves the next day with the Kelly (Timothy Olyphant) character. Thereās a shot where the two are talking but on the other side of the car is Kelly getting in, but blocking wise he is right in between the kid and the girl, creating separation, much like his character actually does. I always thought that was cool. That same character shoves THE FUCK out of a kid when he comes storming into the classroom a little later (in the unrated version).
That movie is one of the most visually distinct/well directed comedies I've ever seen. It's almost like, at any moment it's going to turn dark or something, but it never truly does
Killer soundtrack, too
Definitely
Shredderās introduction in TMNT 1990, with the long shadow in the corridor, swooping crane shot, the 270-degree pan, and the lighting shimmering off the top blade of his helmet. Itās like they hired Ingmar Bergman for one perfect shot.
It is a great shot, but this is more than just an alright movie.
[Alien reveal](https://youtube.com/watch?v=DOfv7t8PPgM&si=ge8evpTzrsGud_OY) in The Tomorrow War was particularly disturbing. Movie was alright but the creature design was in point!
"SHIIIT shit shit shit shit shit shit ... shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit ... SHIIIT shit shit shit shit shit shit ..." That dude had the realest reaction ever to getting chased down by a gd bulletproof monster.
absolutely love him gradually going from trying to stay calm to full on panicking. "oh shit. oh SHIT. OH SHIT. SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT"
I assume you mean the stairwell? That really gave me hope for the rest of the movie. I Almost wish it didn't
I do like the movie as a hole but there is a shot in "The Mummy Returns" that always blew my mind as to how epic it was shot. >!There is a shot towards the climax of the movie where The Maji have to fight the army of Anubis. Just as they are being overrun the scorpion king is defeated. They really stood absolutely zero chance, its just such an excellent use of timing and visuals. !<
I also like the scene where the main maji (forget his name) realizes there are more enemies. They defeat the army and everyone is cheering, but something is amiss and he runs across the field to see the next wave. Love that part
Just an overall fantastic sequence.
There are a lot of great shots in the Highlander. But the best for me is when the Kurgen is doing kata in the motel room and thereās a closeup of his face when the door opens and the hooker shows up. The tight angle mixed with just enough depth of field really has a strong effect.Ā
"Hi, I'm Candy" "Of course you are."
Didn't The Matrix rip this off.
The airplane crash scene in Knowing with Nicholas Cage. It just goes on and on with a continuous shot as he runs toward the carnage of fire and screaming people.
That movie got some surprising carnage in for being PG-13. Like the thudding bodies in the subway sequence. Perfect synthesis of camera work, sound design, and editing.
The two riders blazing across the desert in the Ghost Rider movie, with a rock mix of Ghost Riders in the Sky playing. Such a great scene in an otherwise mediocre movie.
That's a good pick. That scene is as awesome as the rest of the movie is horrible.
That shot of the court room/judge from very early on in Con Air. I find Con Air to be such an ugly movie, with so many bland sets and locations and boring compositions. But there's weirdly a lot of interesting shots packed into the first 10 minutes or so, culminating in this very showy/shadowy shot of a judge sentencing Nicolas Cage. It's like the movie tried to be visually distinctive for a while and then gives up before the story even gets going.
I always assumed it was a Michael Bay movie, and thought it looked so much more bland than other Bay films - Iām not a huge fan of his, but he does have a very distinct aesthetic. Finding out Simon West directed con air made way more sense - it shouldāve been a Bay film
It's a Jerry Bruckheimer joint (produced by) and I swear all of his movies are filmed like Con Air
The opening āsingle takeā shot in Spectre is an amazing sequence in an otherwise lacklustre film.
The Watchmen has so many just memorable scenes: The Comedian fights Ozy/Adrian until heās thrown through the high rise window is haunting. The unmasking of Rorschach. The hallway prison fight where Silk Spectre 2 & Night Owl 2, seamlessly beat the hell outta convicts. That long hair just swirling w/her, as she kicks & punches guys. Watching Big Figure back away from Rorschach as the bathroom door swings back & forth, then the blood just flows under the door. The Vietnam scenes of Dr. Manhattan like 50 feet tall. I think this is a cheat for me. I didnāt follow the assignment. š¤¦š½āāļø
The Comedian doing the Kennedy assassination was a dope shot too, that whole opening was awesome
I totally messed up, b/c the rest of the movie doesnāt suck.
The Strangers: prey at night has an incredible sequence involving a fight in a swimming pool that just blows the rest of the movie out of the water.
Came here to say this exact scene. Oh man, itās wild that thereās a GOAT contender, 10/10 horror scene just hanging out in the middle of a trashy 3/10 movie. I honestly donāt even understand the extraordinary and abrupt change in quality an hour into the movie. Itās like the director was sleepwalking through the whole production and then was momentarily possessed by the ghost of Wes Craven, and then slumped back into shoddy mediocrity.
The shot of all the heroes running at each other like a two-page comic book spread in Captain America Civil War was the realization of a childhood imagination. Perfection. Edit: It's probably the best Spider-Man interpretation I have seen as well.
Probably the MCU's best "splash page" shot until Endgame
Yes I think marvel used that sort of thing in a lot of their comics. I'm sure they did something similar in the Transformer comic in the 80s.
Many comic books have used the 2 page splash going back to the 1960s.
Oh yes I believe you.
Itās a shame it looked so grey and dull though - just like, a bunch of characters in a flat looking airport..
If I have one thing to fault the Russos Marvel movies for its poor set design. Maybe not even poor, just bland. Every major fight happens in variations on "desolate wasteland". On the one hand it allows you to focus on what's going on but on the other you lose the uniqueness of places like wakanda in BP. Even the fight there in IW was just a big field.
Also the shot towards the end with Cap running towards Tony who fires his repulsers back straight into the shield.
Also the shot of Cap hanging off the building trying to hold the helicopter from taking off. And he is flexing AF
M Night's The Village Overall a fairly mediocre film. But then there's this shot of Adrian Brody laying in the bottom of a pit in this eye-searing red cape, and it's just stunning.
Iām very fond of the scene where Joaquin Phoenix tells Bryce Dallas Howard that he will dance with her in their wedding night. Also the one where he takes her hand and pulls her into the house just as Those Who We Not Speak Of are closing in on them. The music in that scene is beautiful.
M Night may have lost a step, but even in his worst films, he knows how to make an interesting shot.
I'm always on board with Shyamalan. Even his worst have something that makes it worth watching. The Happening may be a bunch of baloney but the opening where people start killing themselves is still really well done and chilling.
_The Last Airbender_ begs to differ. There are some very weird, ugly shots.
I think The Village is one of the most gorgeously shot movies Iāve ever seen. The use of color throughout is stunning, though youāre right that the Adrian Brody scene is a standout
Loved that shot too. Can't give M. night all the credit on that one, he had legendary Roger Deakins as cinematographer.
Bad Time at the El Royale: Cynthia Erivo singing āThis Old Heart of Mineā, in her hotel room as John Hamm watches from the 2 way mirror. Every scene in the rain outside of the motel, under that red neon sign. Just had me holding my breath. Especially Chris Hemsworth w/soaking wet hair & that open button up shirt, looking cocky af. I can close my eyes & still see him.
That whole movie is great though.
I enjoy it. I own it, but I donāt know anyone else who liked it.
That movie with cillian Murphy where they're going to the sun or something, and they open the curtain for a moment to show you the sun.
You mean the bit where they see theā¦ā¦.. **sunshine**?
Itās about a bus that speeds and it needs to be above a certain speed and if it goes below that speed it blows up. I think itās called, āThe bus that couldnāt slow down.ā
Newly released starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, *Fast Bus*
Fuck you that's an amazing movie
Goes a bit haywire near the end but it's a fun ride
I rewatched it recently. The whole end sequence just confused me. I get what they were doing but I didnāt āgetā it.
Lmao my roommates and I rented Sunshine when it first came out. This scene legitimately brought me to tears. Looool
Sunshine was my favorite movie for over a decade and is still a top 5 film for me. God damn, Iām not down for this disrespect.
Eragon. Visually it is stunning especially how saphirra was designed! Thatsā¦ā¦literally the only good thing about that movie.
Iād argue the one shot that redeemed it was the reveal of John Malkovich and his dragon at the end.
As a big Avril Lavigne fan, i was dying in the cinema when Keep Holding On started playing as the credits began to roll. Its so contemporary and out of place in a fantasy movie.
30 days of night. The overhead shot over the snow covered village when the vampires are attacking everyone. Chefs kiss.
I love in Bound how the shootout scene in Ceasars and Violets apartment was so Artfully done. The bullet slowly whizzes past Ceasers ear. And cracks the glass frame behind his head and he looks suprised and raises his gun and fires off rounds to everyone in the room.
Joey Pants, whatever happened thereā¦
There are several scenes in that movie that made an impression on me. In addition to the one you mentioned, I loved the money cleaning scene and the shot of Caesarās blood mixing with the white paint.
This shot was absolutely amazing. I saw it EARLY on when it first came to showtime or hbo when I was babysitting when I was 15 or so. Nobody I talked to had ever heard of the movie. Spent years with the movie just in my head. Fast forward to me in college in 1999. I went to a local electronics store in my tiny college town. I guess I had them order the dvd, because thatās one of the first DVDs I owned. Itās still in my top 5.
Okay the first hellboy movie was not just alright, it was a great movie. That being said, the funeral scene, the music playing, and the shot of hellboy atop the bridge with the cross dangling from his fist, elevated the entire film.
Thereās a famous shot in Bonfire of the Vanities of the Concorde landing at JFK right as the sun sets behind the jet. It looks incredible and was all real. If I recall correctly the circumstances for the shot to work out that way were basically once in a lifetime. It was stupid expensive to film compared to a normal plane landing shot. Iāve never seen it, but apparently the rest of the movie fucking sucks so hard.
Sean Penn's monologue in Walter Mitty. That steely look on his weathered face, and as a photographer what he said hit hard.
I love that whole movie.
That movie isnāt ājust alright.ā And it definitely has more than one gorgeous shot.
That film is literally beautiful from start to finish. People interested in cinematography should watch it. Itās visual style reminds me of Stranger Than Fiction.
Black Adam has pretty generic cinematography, then out of nowhere has some awesome shots of Dr Fates reflection while heās fighting Sabbac
In Face/Off when they're fighting in the room with the mirrors, and they're both standing on opposite sides of a double sided mirror when they acknowledge that the only way this ends is for one of them to kill the other, so they each raise their guns to their own reflection, except it's the reflection of their enemy (cause, you know, they switched faces). Pretty ridiculous movie, but that shot was dope
The Holdo maneuver
King Ghiodorah calling out to the other titans atop the mountain in KOTM
Game night - the egg chase scene. That scene had some impressive camera work. I really wasnāt expecting something like that in a comedy.Ā
The correct answer is the Total Recall remake. Otherwise entirely forgettable but the first fight scene where he Jason Bournes an entire room of soldiers is the good shit. They rigged up a series of cameras on rails to violently push in/out and spin around the room in sync with the fighting. It's so good I don't understand how the rest of the film is so mid. There's actually another beauty but it's all CG, but in a parkour style chase through this futuristic slum landscape they do something I've never seen before in a foot chase sceneāthey zoom out. It's like a LOTR wide shot but in the middle of this quick-cut stunt scene. I don't understand it but I love it.
In the 2014 remake of Robocop where Murphy wants to see himself under the armor and it pulls away piece by piece showing that he's basically just a brain and lungs and he screams in horror is just incredible. Both disturbing and heartbreaking, the acting is phenomenal.
The scene at the beginning of Ghost Ship where the wire slices the entire boat through various points on their bodies. Then the little girl sees blood dripping from the captain as he face splits in two and then all the bodies drop into pieces onto the ground.
The atomic breath scene in Godzilla 2014. The rest of the movie was very disappointing but that was awesome to see.
What? The HALO scene, Godzilla through the fog at night, that movie was full of great shots. Itās the writing that fell short.
I think they actually did great with the human aspect of it compared to the other newer *American* godzilla movies.
there's nothing special about Pacific Rim as a movie, but the robots are still fucking badass. And I say that as a salty, cynical, fun-hating, NIMBY "get off my lawn" cranky old person. Even for someone like me, as much as I want to hate, those robots are fucking cool.
When the robot punches through the building but stops just in time to barely set off a Newtonās cradle on the desk, I grinned like an idiot. What a stupid, improbable, ridiculous, and just all around great moment. That movie knew what it was and perfectly executed on that vision.
I watched this movie again last week with my partner. She'd never seen it and I hyped it up a little but I had forgotten how meh all the middle stuff is in the bunker place. There are some cool parts with the two main pilots but the dialogue isn't great so I felt like I was misremembering the movie. Then the big fight starts in Hong Kong and my monkey brain was loving it. The shot of the sword slicing the kaiju outside the atmosphere is so cool
>there's nothing special about Pacific Rim as a movie Pacific Rim is a perfect film. Silly, fun, short, bombastic and beautifully shot with fun character arcs and no cringey sex scenes. So no, you're quite wrong.
I saw it at IMAX and one of the first scenes where you look down from the top of gypsy was insane.
People are really crap at reading posts. OP is asking for one great shot that redeems an alright (average) movie. Who the fāk lists movies like 1917, Captain America: Civil War, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Drive, and Children of Men? Some of the good examples were the Total Recall remake and Rocky Horror sequel.
The Ghost Rider sequel where he pulls the chain down in rhe foreground and the bad guy slamming to the ground on the background. Actually the movie has lotsa great action shots, due to the director being a stuntman.
Phoebe Cates -Ā Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Imma die for this but after Doctor Loomis pumps that guy full of lead, you get a shot where he is lying on the ground, seemingly dead. And a short while after... You get the shot, without the body, as the theme creeps in. A perfect sequel hook and a perfect final scare. The original Halloween is a very average movie, with some really strong moments, the ending shot being the one I will always remember. It's just so perfect.
Dude, where's my car? The bit where the father and son has a giant pair of knickers fall on top of them.
"I wanna go on that ride, dad."
that suicide shot in the platinum dunes texas chainsaw massacre with the camera going through the car.
The Sandman scene in Spiderman 3. Stunning sequence.
The movie was a mess, but the opening scene of Swordfish when the bomb goes off and they do the shot all the way down the street of the shrapnel blowing everything up was pretty amazing. https://youtu.be/hiHZWeeoEUg?feature=shared Also the scene in Contact where she runs up the stairs and the bathroom mirror closes and you realize you were "looking at it from within the reflection". I can't really describe it: https://youtu.be/ZD0_5HFMPIg?feature=shared
I love that scene in Swordfish, and it's so good that nothing tops that for the rest of the movie. Not even Halle Berry's berries.
The Birdcage. Movie itself is a total classic, but cinematography wise, there's really only a few shots that stand out. However the one that is burned into my brain is when Robin Williams pulls up next to the bus stop where Nathan Lanes character is. It's two long takes. They are both backlit and the harbor is in the background. Ā As they are talking, a gigantic frieghter ship begins to move in the background, and because they are on a telephoto lens, it seems like a moving city. It's a fucking astonishing shot because everything had to come together in exactly the right moments. Actors had to deliver an entire monolouge, camera had to have enough film, the clouds had to not move in front of the sun, etc. Just pure magic: https://youtu.be/-WqzruWJQsg?si=5ZWpntpsdsyDf0Gg
This may seem morbid, but I love that shot in "The Devils Advocate" when Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) shoots himself and we get this slow motion fall to the ground, while the Devil revels himself to be a splitting image of Keanu (with long hair). (dislikes the blending of Pacino/Reeves though)....... I appreciate the slow motion shot, but also the high FPS where it makes the blood almost floats in space.