This morning I
encountered a folder buried on a hard drive that contains audio samples from movies that made me think about some
random scenes, sometimes in films that aren’t necessarily on my ‘Watch
Again Soon List’, but that are awesome in their own right and bring a smile to
my face. I’ll start with some more obvious ones and then work into the obscure.

 Almost every time Dennis Hopper opens his mouth in David
Lynch’s Blue Velvet, but especially the scene where Jeffrey pops him in the
mouth and Hopper enigmatically shouts ‘NEXT!’

 Almost every time Jack Nicholson opens his mouth in Stanley
Kubrick’s The Shining; that goes without saying. However another character in
the film I love, albeit a fleeting one, is Stuart Ullman, played elegantly by
Barry Nelson. Ullman, the quaffed, red-haired man who interviews Jack and gives
him the tour of the Overlook conducts himself with the poise and sophistication
one would expect from his position, and while running down the hotel’s history
for Jack Mr. Ullman follows the affirmation of movie star and presidential
guests with, almost as an after thought, ‘all the best people.’

 I love that.

 Calvaire – Translates to ‘The Ordeal’. I first became
infatuated with writer/director Fabrice Du Welz about a year ago when I saw
Vinyan*. Several months later his first feature, Calvaire arrived in the mail
and I sat down to watch a film I knew next to nothing about.

 It was good. I can’t say it left as big an impression on me as Vinyan, but
one scene in particular floored me. Imagine my surprise when I found said scene on youtube**

 

Dog Soldiers – Immediately upon seeing Neil Marshall’s first
major film it became one of my favorite flicks ever. Another one I rushed out the
following day and purchased, Dog Soldiers is full of unforgettable scenes, but
none quite as awe-inspiring as when Spoony looses his mind and attacks an
invading werewolf (roughly one-and-a-half times his size) with everything from
kitchen utensils to his bare fists. Adrenaline pumping indeed. Oh, and the
‘Sausages!’ scene is of course another instant smile on my face. You have to love Sean Pertwee.

 Satan’s Playground – Where is that new Dante Tomaselli
flick anyway? Oh well, in the meantime when I need to get my avante-Italian-Horror-psychedelic fix I’ll return again and again to Horror and Satan’s Playground.
The latter’s scene with a psychotic old woman snorting a Busey-sized line of
Charlie always puts a smile on my face***.

And finally,

The Way of the Gun – I’ve never been able to sit through
this whole movie and I think it’s because the first ten minutes has got to be
the BEST intro to a movie ever and the rest is, well Punk Rock! Punk Rock! Punk Rock! This scene,
other than featuring an always-sexy-when-she’s-cursing Sarah Silverman is just
so dynamite-wrapped–in-fucking-bullets that nothing that comes after it seems
to matter. See for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQLXYu6plhg ****

…………………

 * I reviewed that one here: http://chud.com/articles/blogs/1750/Vinyan.html

** Wow, this tears it, absolutely everything is on youtube.

*** Actually void that last aside, because I looked for this scene and didn’t find it. Oh well…

**** Well they had this one but they’re all ’embedding disabled by request, so follow that link to happiness!!!