Iconic Film Images

   Over the years Movie’s have made audiences cry, laugh, scream and cringe. They are moments that will stick with people forever, moments that have been captured for a life time. These are my favorite film moments captured in stills.

Alien (1979)

The very first appearance of the infamous Alien, at the expense of John Hurt

       The first is a still from Alien, a fantastic film and still one of the scariest films I think I’ve seen! Ridley Scott was treading in unknown territory when he made this sci-fi classic. The use of a tiny cast, only 7 actors, just made the ship seem even bigger then it was and caused the relationship between character and audience to develop that much quicker. This meant you cared about the actors when they inevitably get picked off one by one. The scene I have chosen as a favorite movie moment is the infamous scene of the first appearance of the alien, the moment where he bursts through the stomach of Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt). I first saw this at the age of 14 and was horrified by this unexpected death. The graphics compared to modern day films are obviously very poor, merely what appears to be a puppet and some fake blood, but the effect this still has on audiences is phenomenal. I can only imagine the kind of impact this would have had when it was released in 1979. This moment quite rightly deserves its place on my favorite moments. 

300 (2006)

"THIS IS SPARTA" The scene that sparked an internet phenomenon

In 2006 three words sparked an internet phenomenon. When King Leonidas (Gerrard Butler) turns to his wife Queen Margo (Lena Hadley) before turning back to the emissary, I remember watching it thinking what was going to happen next. What followed had a reaction that no one could have expected. “This is Sparta!” was then remixed, used over a video of Zinadine Zidane’s head but in the 2006 world cup final and pictures were uploaded online where people had edited “be careful when wet” signs to show one man kicking the other into a pit. The scene itself was brilliant, just one of those film moments I can watch over and over again. This was the film that propelled Gerrard Butler Hollywood stardom after all! The film itself in my opinion is a visual masterpiece, and this scene is one of the high points. Personally I think it belongs with the rest of the moments I’ve referenced an iconic moment in film history!

Airplane! (1980)

The hilarious "manual inflation" scene



         In my opinion Airplane! is one of the funniest films ever made. I rarely laugh out loud at all at comedy films, let alone laugh constantly throughout. Leslie Nielsen has never been funnier and he’s made some greats, just look at the Naked Gun series! There are many classic comedy stills from this, the “drinking problem” moments and the “fatal guitar” scene, but I think the funniest of them all has got to be the “manual inflation” scene. I wondered where they were going with the blow up autopilots when they first appeared and without spoiling the film, they used it very well! I think most people could guess how they used the autopilots by the photo but I still recommend anyone to see it!



Jaws (1975)

Who knew two notes could cause so much fear...

          You'll never go in the water again! The perfect tagline for one of the perfect horrors! Jaws was absolutely brilliant, another horror that did the simple things right. Just look at the music, two notes was all it needed to put the audience on the edge of its seat. The first proper water based horror than launched many films that tried to re create the feeling you got when you went in the water after seeing Jaws. None really succeeded. The first scene from Jaws is one that will remain with me forever, the drunken girl who went for a swim, and paid for it! The sheer horror you felt when she was dragged backward and forward above the water, a image that has been used in comedy films since such as in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. I think this is the most iconic image from any horror, except maybe the “here’s Johnny!” moment in the Shinning!

The Godfather (1972)

Sonny gets wacked

          The Godfather. One of the greatest films ever made, the greatest gangster film ever made, winner of 3 Oscars including best film, and best actor and nominated for 8 more. Four of the best acting performances I’ve ever seen from Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Al Pacino. It is near impossible to choose my favorite moment from this fantastic film but I’ve done my best to choose the most memorable moment. I have settled on Sonny’s death, as it is the memory that sticks with me ever since I first saw it. Everything about that scene was brilliant, the timing, the music, the acting… The way Sonny dragged himself from the car being riddled with bullets, slumped on the side of the car and let out a shout of agony was brilliant. Such a well made film and a fantastically filmed scene!

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)



My favorite scene ever, the final freedom from Shawshank Prison

 

           My final moment is my favorite scene ever in film history and it is also in my favorite film ever! It comes from the Shawshank Redemption which shares the IMDB’s top film with the Godfather. I love this film, and its idea is what makes it so loveable, the idea of hope and the idea that hope is a thing every person should hold onto. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free. The tagline sums the film up perfectly and I think it’s this that makes, what at times could be a very dark film, such a feel good movie! This is Morgan Freeman’s greatest performance, which again, is saying a lot! His narration holds the film together and makes the film a lot more enjoyable. The scene I’ve chosen is the peak of the idea of hope, the final freedom of Andy Dufresne. His escape is no mean feat and this final moment of joy shown by throwing his arms into the air and facing the rain with a bright smile on his face. The music is perfect and every time I watch it I can’t help but smile! The perfect moment to lift your hopes and your feeling if you’re ever down! An absolute classic.

Andy's Freedom

Actors who have never won an Oscar!

I am an avid watcher of films. I can sit looking at a film or actor bio’s on IMDB (internet movie data base) for hours! Naturally I have stumbled across the many winners of the Academy Awards. This has of course sparked my anger and frustration in some of the actors who have missed out on nominations or wins for certain performances. 

My first issue is with the lack of an Oscar for Edward Norton. He has delivered two sparkling roles that have earned him nominations, one for American History X and the other for Primal Fear. His overlook for American History X was in 1999, which admittedly was in a very strong year of candidates. He was along side Tom Hanks for an Oscar deserving role in Saving Private Ryan, Sir Ian McKellen for Gods and Monsters and the winner, Roberto Benigni in Life is Beautiful, (In my opinion the least deserving out of the four!) His performance in American History X as the once upon a time Neo-Nazi, Derek Vinyard is staggering, as he plays both roles of before prison and after.  The contrast in the characters is staggering as he portray portrays the disturbed adult who starts off a revolution, and then the changed man re entering the world he built. It is one of my favorite acting performances of all time and unfairly overshadows a very good performance from Edward Furlong, but that was just how good Norton was. His other overlook was for playing an Alter boy Aaron Stampler in the film Primal fear, in which he received a Best actor in a supporting role nomination in only his second film ever! It was a fantastic debut in many ways for Norton although he was unfortunate to be up against another one of my favorite performances by Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire. There is one film however that I believe he not only deserved an Oscar nomination but possibly to win, although he would have been up against Kevin Spacey in American Beauty! But for him not to even receive a nomination! For Fight Club to not receive a single acting nomination with both Brad Pitt and Norton being fabulous in it is a travesty!

Edward Norton in American History X

Following on nicely from the previous actor my next issue is with the lack of an Academy award for Brad Pitt. The man has been a major contender five times in my opinion, so for him to only be nominated twice and to never have one is ridiculous! I understand that not everyone can win but still five brilliant performances and not a single golden statue? He had two great films in 1995 once of which he received a nomination for. His portrayal of Mentally Insane Jeffrey Goins in Twelve Monkeys not only had me laughing out loud but also had me thinking. It’s a very clever role from Pitt as he makes you believe in his character and has you sympathizing and liking his character. He lost to a brilliant Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects. In the same year he acted in Se7en alongside Morgan Freeman and Spacey, a film which should have earned both Freeman and Pitt, and possibly Spacey had he had more screen time, Oscar nods. Unfortunately it didn’t, but that was quite a tough year in the best actor department where Mel Gibson also got overlooked for his role in Braveheart. Four years later Pitt starred alongside Norton in Fight Club, and this took Pitt to all new levels in my mind. His part as soap salesman Tyler Durdan was funny, baffling and intriguing. His contrast to Norton was perfect and made for one the greatest on screen relationships I’ve ever seen! His other Oscar nomination came in 2008 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in which he got beaten by an outstanding Sean Penn in Milk. He was also alongside strong performances by Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon and Mickey Rourke in the Wrestler. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was perfectly paced, it was slow, very slow, and yet you were sucked in and couldn’t take your eyes off it for a second. This had something to do with the perfect acting by Pitt, Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett. Both women Pitt has brilliant on screen chemistry and they played so well off each other. The complete documentation of Pitt’s character never got boring and the introduction of Jason Flemyng as his father worked just as well as with the introduction of the two actresses. The final issue I have is for his lack of Oscar nomination for Inglorious Basterds This one is a bit of a long shot to be honest though one that I feel quite strongly about. I thought Pitt was superb as the leader of the Nazi killing platoon in World Ward II. His performance was strong and funny, a skill Pitt has mastered is being funny while giving a very serious performance. Inglorious Basterds was a great film, getting an Oscar Nom itself for Best Picture. It took the same style as Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece Pulp Fiction with the idea of chapters from many different characters’ viewpoints. With other brilliant performances by Michael Fassbender, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz and Eli Roth it made for a fascinating watch.

Brad Pitt

The next problem is with Johnny Depp never winning and Academy Award, for two performances in particular. The first was for his Oscar nominated performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. He played his part to perfection, it is no mean feat to take a part that was meant to be a standard pirate captain, that was meant to be nothing more than a supporting role, and turn it into one of the most original and humorous performances cinema has every seen. Captain Jack Sparrow has become an icon, if a party theme is “pirates” no doubt there will be numerous ‘Captains Jacks’ wandering around. It was staggering how far Depp has taken this character even earning himself his own film, after stealing the show of the Knightly/Bloom trilogy of Pirates of the Caribbean. Depp was rightly nominated in 2004 for The Curse of the Black Pearl and without a doubt should have won; once again Sean Penn denies one of the actors of my list for his role in Mystic River. Depp has been nominated three times, once for best actor in Finding Neverland, and then one final time in 2008 for Sweeny Todd: the demon barber of Fleet Street. In this he surprisingly gave a superb performance as the famous murderous barber of Victorian Britain. The film was brilliant with Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter both giving fantastically grim and dark performances. Depp once again stole the show with another surreal performance that only he seems to be able to pull off perfectly. Unfortunately he was up against one of the best actors around and lost to Daniel Day-Lewis for There will be blood.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow

My other issue isn’t strictly in keeping with the title of the blog. My issue here is with a particular performance not winning an Oscar. The actor in question has won two Oscars, but the performance that failed to win but was nominated was Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance as Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting in Gangs of New York. If I had to choose my favorite performance of any film ever, it would probably be Daniel Day-Lewis’ role in Gangs of New York. He was incredible in this as the leader of the “Natives” a political group in 19^th century New York. He opposes the Irish immigration and leads his force against Liam Neeson as Priest Vallon who leads the dead rabbits. His role is incredible and powerful. I don’t think I’ve seen any better performance from any actor, in particular his speech to Amsterdam in the rocking chair draped in a tattered American flag. (Anyone who’s seen the film will know what I’m talking about) His performance was truly stunning and disappointing not to give him what would have been his second, now third, Oscar.

Daniel Day Lewis as Bill "the Butcher" Cutting

My final issue is with the lack of an Oscar for Leonardo Di Caprio. He has been nominated for three Oscars and had deserving performances in numerous others. He is one of my favorite actors and seems to just attract Oscar deserving films. He was nominated for, What’s eating Gilbert Grape?, the Aviator and Blood Diamond. However he could well have been nominated for Inception, Titanic, The Departed, Shutter Island, Romeo + Juliet, Catch me if You Can… I won’t go into every detail purely because I’d be writing all day, but out of the three he has been nominated for I’d say they were weaker then many of his other roles. The ones that stand out to me in particular are Inception, Catch me if you can and the Departed. He is a truly fantastic actor who defiantly deserves and Oscar before his retirement in, hopefully, the very distant future.

Leonardo Dicaprio 

So there you have it, my very detailed reasoning why my favorite actors haven’t won Oscars. I apologize that this occasionally just becomes me ranting and moaning but these are simply my views and I trust other people will have contrasting ones to me!