Top 10 Jurassic Park Moments

Top 10 Jurassic Park Moments

To celebrate this week’s release of the epic trailer for Jurassic World we’re having a special Top 10 looking at the top 10 Jurassic Park moments. These can be any moments from Jurassic Park, The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3.

You can see the trailer for Jurassic World here: http://biggerboatfilmreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/the-jurassic-world-trailer-is-here.html

10: The Wooden Gates

The Moment: Probably the most recognisable and iconic moments from the series. Upon embarking on the maiden tour, the guests approach a 50 foot wooden door with the eponymous words ‘Jurassic Park’ sitting atop. ‘What’ve they got in there? King Kong?’ quips a hesitant Ian Malcolm.

9: Botched Take Off
The Moment: One of the few stand-out moments in Jurassic Park 3 sees Alan Grant, et al racing back onto their plane in order to make a quick escape from the island after hearing a not too distant roar. With the plan hurtling down the runway it is suddenly cut off by the Spinosaurus emerging from the trees, leading to a pretty spectacular crash into the dense jungle.

8: The Long Grass

The Moment: ‘Don’t go into the long grass!’ yells a terrified Ajay as the group of hapless mercenaries pass into a field of tall grass after fleeing the T-rex. One by one they are dragged underneath by Velociraptors, in what is a chilling scene made all the more terrifying by the fact the raptors aren’t really seen.

7: 6 Foot Turkey

The Moment: Alan Grant confronts a smart mouthed kid claiming that Velociraptors were more like ‘6 foot turkeys.’ Grant then gives the kid a lesson in dinosaur culinary describing their killing habits with the use of a 6 inch raptor claw as a handy prop. ‘The point is…you are alive when they start to eat you.’ The petrified expression on the kids face is matched by the entire audience.

6: Life Will Find a Way

The Moment: One of Malcolm’s stand-out moments. After being reassured that an all-female dinosaur society could never breed, Malcolm warns Hammond, Wu, et al that ‘life will find a way.’ Initially de-bunked, Malcolm is proved to be right in the end.

5: They’re Flocking This Way!

The Moment: A group of fleeing Gallimimus’ hurtle towards Grant, Tim and Lex fleeing the T-Rex. Not that the CGI wasn’t remarkable already, it set the standard not only for the rest of the film but for the film industry itself. This was not only a convincing CGI animal on screen; it was a CGI animal on screen, interacting with the characters themselves. Kudos must be given for the decision to rely on both CGI and animatronics as opposed to just the latter.

4: Introducing Mr T. Rex.

The Moment: After appearing illusive for the first hour of the film we finally get a glimpse of the T-Rex. Its approach is ominous enough with the genius and now iconic cup of water scene, but its appearance from within the trees whilst swallowing a goat is terrifying.  The effects are glorious and stand the test of time even to this day.

3: Clever girl.

The Moment: Gamekeeper, Robert Muldoon, is silently stalking the escaped Velociraptors only to discover that he himself is being stalked. After setting his rifle on the raptor he is greeted by a second Raptor emerging feet from him in the nearby bushes. Realising he has been cunningly outwitted he mutters ‘Clever girl’ before the Raptor pounces. The Raptor previously in his sights looks on in an almost sinister look on her face.

2: Dino-Ethics 

The Moment: A surprisingly low-key choice for number two considering the numerous action sequences within the trilogy however it’s this scene that provides the most talking points. During dinner, Malcolm calls out Hammond questioning him on the ethical implications of creating dinosaurs stating ‘Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet's ever seen, but you wield it like a kid that's found his dad's gun.’ Disheartened by this, Hammond calls on palaeontologists, Alan and Ellie to back his dream, which backfires drastically. It’s a hefty debate for a popcorn film proving that this blockbuster has brains as well as brawn.

1: Welcome to Jurassic Park

The Moment: After arriving in a seemingly empty field, Grant turns his head to find a 60 ft Brachiosaurus grazing next to them. A disbelieving Grant is joined by Ellie and Hammond before falling to his knees as Hammond exclaims ‘Welcome…to Jurassic Park.’ It’s Grant’s and the audiences first time seeing the CGI dinosaurs and we share his awe and amazement. It’s a breath-taking moment made all the more impressive by John William’s magnificent and iconic score.   

The Jurassic World Trailer is here!

Here it is! The first official trailer for Jurassic World! 

What do you think? Have your say below.

Top Ten: Uncomfortably Awkward Film Moments

Top 10 Uncomfortably Awkward Film Moments

This week’s top ten is looking at the most cringe-worthy moments in film. Moments that made us squirm in our seats, begging for it to end.

 

10. Les Miserables (2013)

The Culprit: Russell Crowe

The Moment: Any moment where Rusty flexes his vocal cords and belts out his songs in a manner living up to his nickname. Granted he’s not a musically trained actor like many of his accompanying cast, but even they couldn’t carry Crowe through the lengthy running time.

9. Withnail and I (1987)

The Culprit: Richard Griffiths

The Moment: Whilst spending a quiet week in the country, Marwood (Paul McGann) is joined by Withnail’s (Richard E. Grant) Uncle Monty (Richard Griffith) who then proceeds to use the remainder of the holiday to seduce Marwood. In one of the most disturbingly hilarious seduction scenes in cinema Monty claims ‘I must have you even if it must be burglary.’ Look away.

8. The Inbetweeners Movie (2011)

The Culprits: Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, Blake Harrison and James Buckley

The Moment: Truth being told there are many different cringe worthy moments from The Inbetweeners Movie. However the pièce de résistance simply has to be the group’s dismal attempt at dancing over to a group of girls in order to impress them. The worrying thing is, everyone now knows the dance movies off by heart. Form an orderly queue ladies.

7. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

The Culprit: Hayden Christensen/James Earl Jones

The Moment: Revenge of the Sith is generally considered the best (or least worst!) of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. However for most uncomfortable moment it stands out like a sore thumb. After being badly injured by Obi-Wan, Anakin is placed into the infamous Vader outfit to keep him alive. He is then informed by mentor Palpatine, that in his rage he accidentally killed his bae, Padme. Cue a heartbroken Vader crying ‘Nooooooooooooooooo’ whilst the camera slowly zooms away and audiences everywhere suppress their laughter.

6. Batman and Robin (1997)

The Culprit: Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Moments: Schwarzenegger was allegedly paid $25 million for his role as Mr Freeze who initially could be considered an interesting character to play. A scientist who places his terminally ill wife in a state of cryosleep in order to save her life, yet after a fatal accident involving his wife and her cryo-stasis, he must keep himself in a cryogenic suit to stay alive. What Schwarzenegger (and director Joel Schumacher and write Akiva Goldsman) decided to do was camp him up big time like a pantomime villain, sporting a fur coat a hip hop artist would think is ‘a little too much’ and have him spurt out ice based puns throughout the film.  Not cool.

 

5. Django Unchained (2012)

The Culprit: Quentin Tarantino

The Moment: Let’s face facts; Quentin Tarantino is a bad actor, a really, really bad actor. But in Django Unchained he took this to a whole new level. Turning up in the last quarter of the film he dons the least convincing Australian accent since Jay Cartwright in The Inbetweeners. His idea of an Australian accent was just to say ‘mate’ a lot.

4. The World is Not Enough (1999)

The Culprit: Denise Richards

The Moment: Denise Richards plays a scientist called Christmas Jones. Christmas Jones. Really.

3. The Wicker Man (2006)

The Culprit: Nicholas Cage

The Moment: Detective Edward Malus is captured by the inhabitants of the island. He is subjected to torture by the inhabitants, most notably placing a mesh cage on his head and filling it with bees, signalling Cage’s horrified cries of ‘No! No not the bees!’

2. Superbad (2007)

The Culprit: Jonah Hill

The Moment: Seth meets a girl at a party who takes a bit of a shine to him and they begin to have a dance together which in itself could merit a place in this list. It’s when the dancing his finished and Seth checks out the weird stain on his pants leg that makes us look away in disbelief. I’ll just leave it there and leave the rest to you!

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)

The Culprit: Kiera Knightley

The Moment: Director, Gore Verbinski wanted a stand out, uplifting speech to build up to the show piece climax of his (then) Pirates trilogy, a moment to inspire the disbanded group of Pirates to unite against the dastardly East India Trading Company. Step up Kiera Knightley who manages to butcher the entire moment by delivering the speech like a head girl at a private school parents evening. 

Review: The Babadook

The Babadook

Director: Jennifer Kent

Starring: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Noah Wiseman

Running Time: 95 mins

If The Babadook could be reviewed in one word then you’d simply think the likes of terrifying, creepy or chilling would be more than appropriate, and you would be right. However, surprisingly, the most suitable word for describing The Babadook would be refreshing, not a word often used to label contemporary horror films.

The Babadook tells the story of widow, Amelia (Essie Davis), whose husband was tragically killed in a car crash whilst taking her to the hospital to give birth to her troubled son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). As Samuel grows up he becomes increasingly obsessed with the idea of monsters living under his bed or in his closet, even going so far as to designing monster fighting weapons which he brings to school, leading to his expulsion. One night he is read ‘Mister Babadook,’ a mysterious book that is found in his bedroom, with no explanation of where it came from. From that point, Samuel’s behaviour becomes much more erratic and violent, blaming the effect of the illusive Babadook, leading Amelia to the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Horror film, nowadays, is possibly the easier genre to turn a quick profit and that is often shown through the final product, and in a way you can’t really blame producers for doing this. If we look at Annabelle and Deliver us from Evil, two contemporary examples of horror films, neither had a remarkable budget ($6.5 million and $35 million, respectively) and neither had a star studded cast. Yet the films managed modest to outstanding commercial success, with Annabelle, in particular going on to rake in $250 million! However the films were too reliant on big jumps, loud bangs and gore in order to bring home the dough and were dismissive of critical reception, but with the potential profit margins available, you can really understand why.

Here, however is how The Babadook is different. Kent has managed to create a film that brings a completely fresh approach to horror cinema, dismissing the ‘easy’ scare tactics of big jumps and loud noises in favour of a more patient, slow build up approach which makes the film all the more terrifying.  However it’s the subtleties that make for some of the most unnerving scenes in the film. At one point, Amelia rips up the book only for it to turn up on her doorstep, repaired with new pages added to it portraying Amelia being controlled by the Babadook. The production design on the book itself is stunning (kudos to the designer) and truly is one of the most terrifying scenes in the entire film.

What makes The Babadook stand out even more from the usual horror films is the characters. Essie Davis is terrific as a mother slowly becoming unhinged suffering from the guilt of losing her husband and her struggle taking care of her troubled son. What happens usually in most horror films is that we care very little about the characters and have anything but sympathy when they eventually meet their demise. However the fact that the characters are incredibly relatable and there is genuine sympathy for the struggles of Amelia which makes the film all the more tremendous.

It has more than a subtle hint of a Polanski film, owing a great to Rosemary’s Baby with the idea of an unseen evil force effecting characters only too close to home and in the character of Mister Babadook we have a character who is genuinely scary without having ever really being fully seen in the entire film.

It certainly is one of the most refreshing horror films in recent years and will surely becoming a cult classic over time. It shows that yes you can make a low budget horror film that manages to both genuinely scare us without resorting to easy, generic tactics, and have us care and relate to its characters.

In addition to this, in an even more energizing approach, hardly any blood! The horror film to beat this year.

Top 10: Film Insults

Top 10 Film Insults

This week we count down the top 10 film insults. Warning, some strong language (obviously).

10. Glengarry Glen Ross

The Setup: Alen Baldwin has been sent into a real estate office in order to motivate the salesmen. Dave (Ed Harris) asks for his name, a simple enough request.

The Insult: “F**k you, that’s my name!”

9. The 40-Year Old Virgin

The Setup: David (Paul Rudd) and Cal (Seth Rogen) are playing a video game whilst observing how each of them knows that the other one is gay.

The Insult: “You know how I know you’re gay? You have a rainbow bumper sticker on your car that says, “I like it when balls are in my face.”"

8. In The Loop

The Setup: Fresh from a foul mouthed phone conversation, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) is approached by a rotund American tourist who asks for “enough of the curse words.”

The Insult: “Kiss my sweaty balls, you fat f**k!”

7. Napoleon Dynamite

The Setup: Deb is stood on Napoleon’s doorstep, flogging jewellery “trying to save money for college”, with Napoleon’s brother, Kip listening in the background.

The Insult: “Your mom goes to college.”

6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The Setup: King Arthur and the Kinghts of the Round Table approach a French controlled castle where they are met by the inhabiting knights.

The Insult: “I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.”

5. Aliens

The Setup: After waking from a cryogenic sleep, Vasquez is doing one arm pull ups in front of her fellow Marines. Hudson (Bill Pullman) asks her if she has ever been mistaken for a man.

The Insult: “No. Have you?”

4. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

The Setup: Ron, Champ, Brian and Brick are having a war of words with rival news team, Channel 9.

The Insult: “Hey, where did you get those clothes? At the toilet store?”

3. Stand by Me

The Setup: After being ambushed by Ace (Kiefer Sutherland) and his gang, Gordie (Will Wheaton) pulls out Chris’s gun and points it at the bully.

The Insult: “Suck my fat one, you cheap dime store hood.”

2. Full Metal Jacket

The Setup: The new recruits are having a torrid time from drill instructor, Sergeant Hartman.

The Insult: “It looks to me like the best part of you ran down the crack of your mama’s ass and ended up as a brown stain on the mattress”

1.   In Bruges

The Setup: A furious Harry (Ralph Fiennes) smashes up his telephone with his bare hands. His wife, after hearing the ruckus, interrupts Harry telling him “It’s an inanimate f**king object!”

The Insult: “You’re an inanimate f**king object!”

Review: Interstellar

Interstellar

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine

Running Time: 169 mins

Certificate: 12A

It seems Christopher Nolan simply can’t put a foot wrong at the moment; anything he touches just turns to absolute gold. After tackling anarchy and terror in his Dark Knight Rises trilogy and the subconscious mind in Inception, Nolan’s latest flick takes us into outer space. With the Earth dying and its natural resources slowly running out, former astronaut, Cooper (McConaughey) along with three scientists (including Hathaway), must leave his family and travel through a wormhole located near Saturn in order to find a new home for the human race. The issues are not just the end of life on Earth but who placed the wormhole there in the first place? I will certainly try my best not to reveal any plot spoilers that aren’t already made abundantly clear in the trailer already.

I’ll get this out of the way. You HAVE to see this on an IMAX screen. Any other medium will simply do an injustice to the, what can only be described as, enthrallingly stunning visuals on show. Over an hour of footage of Interstellar was shot on 70mm IMAX so make sure you check it out on the biggest screen you possibly can!

Nolan has been responsible for some truly jaw dropping visuals in his films in the past, some of the most notable including Inception’s city bending scene and rotating hotel corridor scuffle, however they are blown out of the water in Interstellar with some truly mesmerising effects. Though it’s not only the space visuals that are impressive; the scenes set on the various potentially habitable planets are gloriously detailed; in particular, a waterlogged hellhole with humongous tsunamis, shot in Iceland are immensely detailed and make a truly bleak planet look magnificent.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a film all about style with no substance, and in the hands of other directors/writers (Nolan once again partnered up with younger brother Jonathan to pen the script) this could very well be the case. It takes 45 minutes for us to reach space, in which time Nolan has carefully built up the relationship between Cooper and his family, particularly to that of daughter, Murphy, played terrifically by Mackenzie Foy who contributes to one of the more tear-jerker scenes of the film. This ambitious idea could easily have drifted out of lesser director’s hands into the depths of space, but it’s this slow, family orientated build up that keeps Interstellar grounded, keeping the heart well and truly at the centre of the films core even in the cold depths of deep space.

That’s not to say that Nolan keeps the film straight faced throughout the 169 minutes (which fly by). Nolan has always allowed for the odd moments of light hearted humour in his back catalogue, and Interstellar is no different. There are some wonderfully funny moments shared between Cooper and bulky A.I. sidekick, TARS, who has had his humour and honesty settings programmed to 100% and 90% respectively.

The inevitable comparisons with 2001: A Space Odyssey is evident throughout Interstellar, not only in terms of the visuals but particularly with the narrative too with talk of wormholes, deep space exploration and human evolution. However this is a film set apart entirely on its own, to draw any comparisons would do it a disservice and take credit away from what is a phenomenon in what can be done with visuals in cinema. Last year, Gravity set the bar with its stunning imagery; Interstellar blows it out of the water completely.

It does have its flaws however. It is difficult for a film with a subject matter as complex as this to ensure that the audience can stick with the narrative. It tries hard to make the complicated subject matter understandable to its audience however finding the difference between a multifaceted subject and clumsy, convenient exposition is a difficult trick to pull off, even to the best. It sometimes gets confused with either delivering a third year degree lecture on relativity or smacking someone on the head with a GCSE physics textbook, cramming the audiences head with explanation. It would help to have Brian Cox sat next to you with a remote to hit pause to explain things now and then.

In the end though, this is simply a story about the relationship between a father and daughter, nothing more, nothing less. 

The space exploration is simply a (pretty enormous) backdrop on what is essentially a heart-warming (and often heart-breaking tale), sentiment to the bond between Cooper and Murphy, and his need to leave. Family is a recurring theme with Nolan’s work, in particular his Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception, and in Interstellar, he manages to keep the theme at the heart of the film, regardless of the huge spectacle that could easily overawe a lesser director.

What did you think? Have your way below.

Missed Masterpiece #3 - Superman Returns

Missed Masterpiece #3 – Superman Returns

Let me say one thing before I start. I am not for any instance saying that Superman Returns is a perfect superhero film. It is far from perfect and has its flaws. However, what I am saying is that it didn’t deserve the critical slaughter it received upon its release in 2006. It just had the rotten luck of being released at the wrong time completely.

The superhero genre at this time had arguably released three of its best examples of the genre since the 70s/80s in X2 (2003) (coincidentally also directed by Singer), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and of course Batman Begins (2005). The superhero film genre was on the rise, and with Marvel about to unleash their dominance onto cinema screens, it was imperative that Superman Returns was a success to give keep DC’s heads afloat. Whilst it received initially positive critical reviews, it underperformed at the box office earning $390 million which may seem a lot but with an estimated budget of $270 million you’d expect a lot more. Especially when you compare that with the highest grossing film of that year in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest which grossed over $1 billion from a smaller budget ($225 million), the result is paltry.

On the face of it there is very little setting itself apart from the similar superhero films on the market at the time. It had a healthy mixture of new faces and well known, Hollywood presence in newcomer, Brandon Routh as the red underpants fashioning Kryptonion and Kevin Spacey as the glabrous Lex Luther, respectively. It contains some stunning action set pieces up there with the train scene from Spider-man 2, most notably, Superman racing a jumbo jet plummeting from the sky. Moreover it adds another dimension to a previously two dimensional character adding depth, heart and emotion to the story, something previous attempts have failed to do so. It also brings back John William’s iconic score from the 1978 film, one of the most gloriously uplifting pieces of music committed to cinema.

So where did it go wrong?

The initial problem of Superman Returns is the title itself, ‘Returns.’ It’s common knowledge now that the film takes place after the events of Superman II, made over 25 years prior to Superman Returns, completely ignoring (understandably) the forgettable Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). However, given that the target audience for Superman Returns is going to be boys aged between 10 and 15, you’d be hard pressed to find many of that age who have seen the original two Superman films, let alone understand the reasons for Superman’s departure and subsequent return.

Brandon Routh was also deemed an uninspiring choice for the role of Clarke Kent. Our first glimpse of him in his Clark Kent alter-ego is an almost doppelgänger to Christopher Reeve, which may have failed to bring Superman to a new generation of audiences, updating him to the 21^st century, perhaps.

Some have argued that it was a little too light hearted for a superhero film, and when you compare it with Batman Begins then you would have to agree. However Superman was always the more upbeat, light comic compared to Batman so kudos has to be given for sticking to its source. It’s common nowadays for films to claim to be ‘dark’ and truth be told, it can get a little repetitive.

There was a sequel planned for release in 2009, however this idea was scrapped and DC/Warner Bro’s went on to reboot the franchise in 2013 with Zac Snyder’s Man of Steel. Yes, Snyder’s version may have familiarised them audiences with the origins of Superman, but the when a final act is intent on having its protagonist and antagonist simply smashing each other through buildings and hurling cars at each other, Return’s calm, collective and patient approach is a welcome relief and it is the clear winner in our books.

Yes, it’s far from perfect and yes it didn’t exactly raise the bar in the superhero genre, but it brought at extra dimension to the character, and brought a light hearted approach to a genre that was getting darker and darker. That is until Avengers Assemble came along anyway!

Top Ten: Film Fistfights

Top 10 Film Fist Fights

This week we count down the top 10 fistfight scenes in film. They pack a mean punch!

 

10. Die Hard 2

The Scuffle: After landing on the wing of a plane filled with terrorists, John McClane is attacked by Grant. The punch-up ends in a grizzly way for Grant as he is sucked into the planes propeller and, well…you know…splat.

9. Snatch

The Scuffle: Baying for revenge over the destruction of his traveller community, Mickey O’Neil (Brad Pitt) takes part in a bare knuckle boxing match. It’s not a Guy Ritchie film without a slow motion fight, and in this scene we feel every single punch, with a brutal Oasis soundtrack thrown in for good measure.

8. Sherlock Holmes

The Scuffle: Another mention to Guy Ritchie, this time in his take on the famous sleuth. The scene is yet another bare knuckle boxing fight, this time however Holmes (Robert Downey Jnr) uses his intellect to predict his opponents moves before they happen, allowing him them to unload a furore of strategic blows before smashing him through a fence. Elementary.

7. Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Scuffle: Dr Jones’ attempts to hijack a Nazi airplane are interrupted by a burly henchman, insisting on a one on one fistfight whilst underneath the slowly rotating airplane. After beating Indy to the ground the henchman stands over him victorious only to turn around and find the propeller blades hurtling towards him. Nazi jam.

6. Fast 5

The Scuffle: Two of Hollywood’s heavyweights (literally) go toe to toe in the form of Vin Diesel and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. This fight has everything you expect, however the standout moment is when the two giants send each other smashing through a concrete wall.

5. The Matrix

The Scuffle: Neo and Agent Smith prepare for a showdown in a subway station. The pair them embark in a gravity defying, bullet-time fight that revolutionised what could be done with a video camera. Regardless of it being made 15 years ago, it still looks awesome today!

4. Fight Club

The Scuffle: Another regular night at Fight Club, that is until a gradually unbalanced Edward Norton pummels Angel Face (Jared Leto) to within an inch of his life leaving him a bloody mess. It’s not the most impressively choreographed fight scenes, (but isn’t that the point of Fight Club?) but the brutality of it is almost unbearable.

3. Oldboy

The Scuffle: Whilst on a mission to track down who had been keeping him imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years, Oh Dae-su is greeted by a small army of henchmen in a long corridor. Oh Dae-su proceeds to clumsily bludgeon his way through the guards with a hammer and his fists, taking a knife in the back in the proceedings. All done in one long, glorious tracking shot.

2. Inception

The Scuffle: Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is battling with the projections from the subconscious mind of Fischer (Cillian Murphy) in what is essentially a giant hamster wheel. The frenzied series of events happening in the upper levels of the subconscious mind results in hectic, frequent gravity shifts (still with us?) The end product is one of the most visually stunning and ambitious fight scenes in recent years.  We recommend checking out how this scene was filmed in the Blu-ray special features.

1.       The Raid: Redemption

The Scuffle: A furious two on one tussle involving SWAT cops Rama and Andi against the twisted Mad Dog. The stunningly choreographed (yes, this was all planned!) fight lasts an incredible 5 minutes, yet it never lets your attention waver for an instant, occasionally allowing for the odd wince and cringe. The result was a masterpiece and pushed the boundaries of what was possible in martial arts cinema. The genre itself may have had its golden era, however The Raid, and particularly this scene, shows there’s life in the old dog yet.

Here is the scene in all its brutality. 

Top 10 Spine-Tinglingly Great Film Moments

This week we count down the top 10 moments in film that gave you goosebumps all over.




10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
The Moment: Frodo and Sam are crawling up Mt Doom, malnutrition and the effect of the Ring well and truly kicking in. As Frodo collapses with exhaustion, he is comforted by Sam who reminds him of the home comforts of the Shire. Teary-eyed, he states 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!' before picking him up and dragging him up the mountain.

9. Braveheart
The Moment: After Scottish freedom fighter, William Wallace's, death, his army stands across the fields of Bannockburn, with the intention to negotiate a deal with the English army. BFF, Haemish, takes up Wallace's sword before hurling it in the air towards the battlefield before the army charges at the English. Yes, it is probably the most historically inaccurate film ever made, but there's no denying that this scene will give you goosebumps.

8. Gladiator
The Moment: Maximus (Russel Crowe) and his fellow gladiator's are stood in the middle of the Colosseum awaiting their opponents. The gates fly open and a dozen horse drawn carriages (with unfortunately placed gas canisters) charge into the arena, circling the group, and the battle commences. The battle itself is a bloodthirsty triumph, however, equally commending is the post-carnage scene, where Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) approaches Maximus demanding him to reveal his identity. You all know what happens next...

7. Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope
The Moment: Seemingly a goner after Darth Vader has him in his sights, Luke is rescued by the last minute heroics of Han and Chewie in the Falcon ('Yahoo!'). Cue Luke's opportunity to deliver a critical torpedo strike to (in the most conveniently placed weak spot) the Death Star. They then sore off into the distance as the Death Star explodes behind them. 

6. Up
The Moment: After the heartbreaking opening 10 minutes, Up needs a something to put a smile back on the audiences faces. It certainly gets it in abundance when Carl, about to be whisked off to a retirement home, attaches thousands  of helium balloons to his house before taking off into the air, in one last middle finger to the authorities. The rich colours from the balloons and Michael Giachinno's wonderful music, wont fail to put a smile on your face.


5. The Shawshank Redemption
The Moment: When convicted murderer Andy Dufresne disappears, Warden Norton inspects his cell before throwing a rock at a poster of Racquel Welch, revealing a long tunnel hidden behind it. We then see a flashback revealing Andy's breakout from Shawshank through a pipe of nastiness, emerging at the end before falling to his knees in the rain, laughing. It's everyone's second-favourite film for a reason.

4. Drive
The Moment: The Driver (Ryan Gosling) and love interest, Irene (Carey Mulligan) are in an elevator with a potential hitman, intent on murdering the pair of them. The Driver  pushes her to one side kissing her slowly before swiftly beating the hitman down, head-stomping him to death. It's a wonderfully emotional moment contrasted with a moment of absolute brutality.

3. The Truman Show
The Moment: Truman takes to his yacht to escape, after discovering his entire life is part of a reality TV show controlled by God-figure, Christof. He then crashes into the set of the wall an is confronted by the omnipotent voice of his maker. In one last act of defiance, Truman spouts his catchphrase (you all know the one!), before exiting the studio with a low bow. Cue audiences everywhere punching the air in triumph! 

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Moment: During the monumental battle of Helms Deep, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, et al, have barricaded themselves inside, with Sauruman's army of Uruk Hai breaking down the door. They decide on one last hurrah by charging the army once the door is broken down and fighting to the death. That is until Gandalf arrives in the nick of time with Eomer and his reinforcements before charging at the thousand-strong army, saving the day, all in glorious slow motion and wonderful score.

1. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
The Moment: Elliot and his friends are fleeing from the authorities with E.T. precariously perched in the wicker basket on the front of his bike. After a daring chase through the suburbs of California, and seemingly safe, the gang is ambushed by the police where they are apparently blocked in. Cue E.T. using his telekinetic powers to send the bikes soaring into the air out of the reach of the gun/walkie-talkie equipped authorities and off into the sunset. This moment, perfectly matched with John William's iconic musical score, ensures the hairs on the back of your neck will be standing for days to come.

And here it is in all its glory...





Do you agree/disagree? Did we miss any of your favourites off the list? Have your say below.