Category Archives: scenic

The Shining–The Bathroom Scene

If there is a better scene in all of cinema, it probably comes from The Shining (1980) as well—the first bar scene? But pound for pound the back and forth between Jack and Grady in the unbelievably beautiful set of … Continue reading

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Conquest of the Planet of the Apes – “Lousy Human Bastards”

Click on the image or this link to view video. The Planet of the Apes films have to be one of the single greatest film franchises ever. Out of the five films made, all but one were solid and compelling … Continue reading

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One False Move- Stabbing Scene

Tonight’s installment of scenic is brought to you by the CogDog, who blogged some books he had bought, in which I caught a glimpse of Walter Mosley’s name, which made me think of his novel Devil in a Blue Dress, … Continue reading

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Flash Gordon – “The Football Fight”

Flash Gordon (1980) is one of those films that I constantly come back to, between the inspired costumes, the great Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, and Doctor Zarkoff’s memory erasure which is visualized as a minute-long flashback that … Continue reading

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Broadway Danny Rose – “You’re living like a loser”

While I recognize Crimes and Misdemeanors may be Woody Allen’s most profound film, I have to say Broadway Danny Rose is my favorite Woody Allen of all time. It has some of his sharpest jokes and philosophical writing, he’s also … Continue reading

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After Hours – “Surrender Dorothy” and “Oh wow!”

I watched Martin Scorsese’s After Hours(1985) this evening, and I really do love this film. And while many might consider it a minor Scorsese film, for me it is one of his best. Right up there with Taxi Driver (1976), … Continue reading

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The Wild Bunch ‘How does it feel to be so god damned right”

I’ll be quoting from Sam Peckinpah’s masterpiece, and my all-time favorite Western, The Wild Bunch extensively in the scenic series. But right now this scene just seems so right. Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan), a “Judas goat,” confronts the railroad detective … Continue reading

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Criss Cross – Dancing at the Round-About

I’m a fan of Richard Siodmak noirs, particularly The Killers (1946) and Criss Cross (1949), and recently I was talking about the dance scene from Criss Cross at the Round-Up club, which for me is one of the most compelling … Continue reading

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Psycho – The Money MacGuffin

When setting up a scene from Psycho (1960) it might be a layup to frame the shower scene (which is brilliant), but what always struck me the first time I saw this film—and Psycho is a film that you feel … Continue reading

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Fritz Lange’s M: “I can’t help what I do”

What can you say about this scene from M (1931)? That it’s Peter Lorre’s greatest moment ever. Sure. That it remains one of the most powerful moments in film wherein the audience is asked to identify with a child murdering … Continue reading

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