Category Archives: Scenes I Love

Horror Scenes I Love: Salem’s Lot (Part 2)

Posted on by Arleigh

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“Look at me teacher.”

Those were some of the most terrifying words I’ve ever heard growing up. It’s all because of one scene from the tv mini-series which adapted Stephen King’s vampire novel, Salem’s Lot. It was a scene in the novel that terrified me as a young boy reading King for the first time.

I’ve always been gifted (or I sometimes say cursed) with having a very overactive imagination. This is why horror has always been such a fascinating genre for me. Even where the horror is all up in one’s face with it’s gore and messy aftermath my mind’s eye would make things worst or just constantly play it on repeat in my head days after the film has ended. It’s even worst when the horror comes across less through gore and more through atmosphere and built-up dread moving towards a jump-scare or something more insidious.

This particular scene is my second favorite from the Salem’s Lot mini-series. The first one I had posted a couple years back which just barely lags behind this one for third. What made this scene so effective despite it’s tv-style production was Tobe Hooper’s direction. Despite working with the censorship inherent in broadcast tv, Hooper was able to create a palpable sense of dread as the old English teacher Matt Burke senses a presence up in one of his house’s rooms. It was the same room where one of his former students had passed away in his sleep.

As the audience we already have an idea who or what is in that second floor room. Matt Burke has an idea as well, but his morbid curiosity wins out as he decides to investigate. Yet, despite such a lack in judgement he does come armed with a crucifix in hand. The way the scene builds and builds as Burke climbs the stairs and hesitating before opening the door to the room was almost too much to bear.

The reveal of his former student, Mike Ryerson, back in the room sitting in the rocking chair as one of the undead only increases the horror of the scene. His snake-like mannerisms was a new take on the vampire behavior. It’s not the usual silk and lace bloodsucker we grew up watching. This was a vampire that behaved like a predator beguiling it’s next prey. From the way Ryerson (played by Geoffrey Lewis) hissed his words and undulated his body as he stood to face his former teacher was disturbing at the very least.

Just writing about it and seeing the scene for the umpteenth time still gives me the shakes.

Scenes I Love: The Phantom of the Opera (Part 3)

Posted on by Arleigh

Point of No Return

It’s time to finish off my triptych of Scenes I Love from 2004’s film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera. The first two parts were my favorite solo and chorus scenes from film and now we finish it off with what has to be the top scene (IMO) from the film.

The characters of The Phantom and Christine have always been the focal point of the film. Even with the arrival of the wholesome and (as Lisa Marie would call him) vanilla Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, the film continues to truly sizzle when it’s all about The Phantom and Christine moving their relationship from ingenue and mentor to unrequited lovers.

It’s the latter which this scene looks to portray through a duet written by The Phantom himself and where he swaps himself into the role of Don Juan. This duet has always been a fan favorite for those who love the musical and many different versions of it have played throughout the years. Yet, they all have one thing in common and that is the heated chemistry between the two characters once the duet begins.

The scene itself begins and comes off pretty much like foreplay between the two characters without having literal sex on the stage. The whole scene is so sexually charged that even those watching the duet who set the trap looked so transfixed that they fail to act. Even Raoul, Christine’s own fiance, finishes the scene with such a look of cuckold expression once he realizes that he could never have such a deep and personal connection that Christine has with The Phantom.

For me, this duet pretty much sums up what the whole is all about.

Dance Scenes That I Love: Randall “Tex” Cobb in Uncommon Valor

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I know next to nothing about the 1983 film Uncommon Valor, beyond what I read on Wikipedia and the imdb.  (It’s an action film.  Shit gets blown up.)  But, a few days ago, I came across the end credits on Movies TV and I quickly fell in love with the little dance that ends the film.

The dancer, by the way, is a gentleman named Randall “Tex” Cobb, who was apparently a former boxer and who played the Warthog from Hell in Raising Arizona.

 

Scenes I Love: The Phantom of the Opera (Part 2)

Posted on by Arleigh

Masquerade

Here we have the second of three scenes I love from the 2004 film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera.

The first scenes was my favorite solo from the film with Emmy Rossum as Christine Daaé performing the solo “Think of Me”. It’s a powerful scene that more than holds it’s own against the other solos in the film. The second favorite scene from this film comes in the beginning of Act II.

“Masquerade” is really the one and only true full cast and chorus production in the film and in the stage musical. While both would have songs and scenes involving multiple characters and a large of background chorus, this one pretty much cements the film’s grandiose and epic visuals.

Director Joel Schumacher may have his detractors and critics, but he definitely nails the grand masquerade ball in the opera house to begin the second half of the film.

Dance Scenes That I Love: Davy Jones and Toni Basil in Head

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s dance scene that I love comes from the surrealistic 1968 musical, Head.  It features Davy Jones dancing with the wonderful Toni Basil.

Enjoy and try not to cry because it’s a seriously sad song.

Scenes I Love: The Phantom of the Opera (Part 1)

Posted on by Arleigh

Think of Me

Stage productions, especially musicals, have always drawn me. I think it goes back to my time in my final two years in high school when, on a lark, I decided to join the Drama production as part of my after-school activities. For a teenager whose never really had any experience watching musicals prior to joining one I was surprised as any to have fallen in love with the art when exposed to it.

Musicals range from classic Sondheim-style productions to the Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera epics right up to the Matt Stone and Trey Parker comedy musicals. I love them all. One musical production that I was literally obsessed with during those late high school years was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera production of The Phantom of the Opera.

I knew the songs by heart and, even now, I still remember those final years of high school fondly because of this particular musical. So, finding out that they were going to make a film adaptation of the musical had me feeling both excited and hesitant.

How could a stage musical translate to film if they cast more for acting and less for singing?

My trepidation ended up being unfounded once I finally saw the film and was satisfied that all involved were more than up to the task of performing the iconic roles in the musical.

This first of three of my favorite scenes from The Phantom of the Opera comes early in the film as Emmy Rossum’s understudy, Christine Daaé, gets a chance to show just how much she has learned from her mysterious tutor. “Think of Me” is the one of the signature solos in the musical (the other being the Phantom’s own) and Emmy Rossum nails the scene and song. The expression on the skeptical managers in the beginning quickly turns to surprise as does the rest of the cast and crew who never realized they had a genuine ingenue in their midst.

While I will admit that the song and the scene has been pulled off better on stage, Emmy Rossum’s own experience singing as a member of the Metropolitan Opera as a child leading up to being chosen for the role of Christine Daaé more than makes her hold her own against those who came before her.

Dance Scenes That I Love: Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Singing In The Rain

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hi, everyone!  Well, as you read this, I am currently on vacation!  That’s right — I put off my vacation for the entire summer because I had a job writing about Big Brother for the Big Brother Blog.  Now that the show is over, I am officially on vacation for the next two weeks!

But don’t worry!  Just because I’m going to be busy exploring this wonderful world of ours for the next two weeks, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t already written and scheduled several posts to keep everyone amused over the next couple of days!

Starting on October 1st, it’ll be our annual horror month here on the Shattered Lens.  But, until that day, allow me to share a few dance scenes that I love and I hope that you’ll love them too!

Let’s get things started with one of my all-time favorites, Gene Kelly ad Cyd Charisse dancing in the Broadway Melody scene from 1952’s Singing in the Rain!

 

Scenes that I Love: Anna Chlumsky has a meltdown on Veep

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Like our intrepid TV correspondent, Patrick Smith, I also watched the Emmy Awards last night.  There were bits of the show that I liked and there was a lot about the show that I didn’t care for.  I felt that Andy Samberg fell flat as host.  I thought that a lot of the acceptance speeches were so dull that I considered them to be a personal attack on anyone watching.  (I’m looking in your direction, Lisa Cholodenko.)  The political posturing felt shallow, as it often does at the Emmy awards.

(Even the political speeches that did work often seemed like they were being wasted on a crowd that has no concept of self-awareness.  Viola Davis made a passionate, timely, and articulate plea for diversity but it’s hard not to feel that, even though all the white liberals in the room patted themselves on the back for listening to her and applauding, that’s probably all that they’re going to do.)

And yet I was happy because Veep — my absolute favorite show — finally won for Best Comedy!  I love Veep because it’s a show where everyone in politics — regardless of party or ideology — is revealed to be either a terrible human being or totally and completely ineffectual.  Julia Lous-Dreyfus won the Emmy for Best Comedy Actress while Tony Hale picked up his second consecutive supporting award.

The only disappointment in Veep‘s victory?  Anna Chlumsky did not win the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy.  This season of Veep was truly Chlumsky’s season!  The scene below — which is today’s scene that I love — shows Chlumsky at her absolute best.  In this scene, Chlumsky’s Amy Brookhiemer finally reaches her breaking point as she realizes that her boss, President Selina Meyer (Louis-Dreyfus), essentially stands for nothing.

Even though most of us will never work for or even know a President, I think we can all relate to Amy’s feelings.  And, seriously — who hasn’t wanted to tell someone off as beautifully as Amy does here?

For this scene alone, Anna Chlumsky deserves all the awards in the world!