Favorite Moments in Film

When I was growing, there were many lessons that I was taught. The main three were: don't take candy from strangers, don't microwave metal objects, and never fuck a stranger in the ass. The repurcussions for the the first two were pretty clear (you'll be raped/killed, shit will blow up), but I was never sure about the third one. Until I saw the Big Lebowski. Walter Sobchak changed my life. This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass.

Favorite Moments in Film

Like I said, I love Wes Anderson. And Bill Murray. And anything they do together. Jeff Goldblum getting shot? Bonus.




I also can't hear The Stooges "Search And Destroy" without thinking of this scene.

Favorite Moments in Film

I love Judd Apatow. I think the man is a fucking genius. He was a brilliant writer on The Larry Sanders Show, man created Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared, and he's completely raised the bar for comedy over the past 5 years. That said, I really hope people are starting to realize that not everything Apatow touches is, in fact, the funniest shit ever made. For every two hits, there's at least one miss (Drillbit Taylor, Year One, Kicking & Screaming). He also wrote You Don't Mess With The Zohan. Just feel like I need to point that out.

Now I cannot wait for Funny People (if only for Eric Bana) and I highly expect it to become one of my favorites, but so far my favorite Apatow film has been Walk Hard. This article over at the AV Club pretty much summarizes why this film is amazing, but while you're watching the film, you can tell how much love Judd had for these characters when he was writing this. Jake Kasdan, who's had an unfortunate career working in his father's shadow, does an amazing job showcasing the different musical styles Dewey Cox goes through, and manages to make it feel like a true biopic. It takes shots at the drama and ridiculous gravity of other films like Ray and Walk The Line, but it's all in good fun. The supporting cast adds a lot of depth to the film (Jenna Fischer, Chris Parnell, the woefully underused Tim Meadows), but showstealer is John C. Reilly. Dude can act, and sing, and bring the funny, all at the same time, especially when he tells a monkey to go fuck himself. The following clips (and the monkey thing) may not paint the best picture of what this film is as a whole, but I do know that they make me laugh everytime.

Favorite Moments in Film

Sometimes it's hard to find the clips you want, so for this one I said "Fuck it" and just posted the first 10 minutes of Shoot'Em Up. Excellent rarely-seen film, Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti play off each other brilliantly, and that opening shootout is bliss. Any movie that plays Nirvana's 'Breed' in the first 5 minutes is instantly a favorite for me. Feel free to watch past that, it's all good.

Favorite Moments in Film

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, I present a clip from (not Apollo 13 surprisingly) 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yeah, it drags out, but it's just so awesome.

Favorite Moments in Film

I feel like Ralph Fiennes has yet to find that one role that will get put him on the A-list, instead of being on the cusp of it. His portrayal of Satan Amon Goeth in Schindler's List should have been that role. At least he's got Voldemort to fall back on...

Favorite Moments in Film

The infamous corridor fight from Oldboy. Incredibly fucked up movie, but this fight is an amazingly choreographed long take.