This is one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite Christmas stories.
“You sit on a throne of lies!”
Category Archives: Scenes I Love
Scenes That I Love: Betsy Palmer in Friday the 13th
Today would have been the 99th birthday of actress Betsy Palmer.
Though Palmer started her acting career in 1951 and was a regular on television, she will always be best known for playing Mrs. Voorhees in 1980’s Friday the 13th. It’s a role that she took, in her own words, because she needed $10,000 to buy a new car. At the time that the film was first released, Palmer did not particularly care for the film but she also definitely also gave the best performance. It’s impossible to imagine that the film would have been as much of a success without her. The scene where she speaks in the voice of Jason inspired Harry Manfredini’s iconic score. Palmer eventually came to embrace her status of being a horror icon.
Today’s scene of the day comes from Friday the 13th. Here is Betsy Palmer as Mrs. Voorhees, an old friend of the Christys.
Hong Kong Cinema Classics from Director John Woo coming to Theaters in 2026!
I just got an e-mail today from “Shout Studios!” that makes me very happy! In 2026, the John Woo / Chow Yun-Fat classics HARD BOILED (1992), A BETTER TOMORROW (1986), and THE KILLER (1989) will be getting extremely limited theatrical releases. If you love these movies as much as I do, or if you want to see some of the greatest action films of all time, I just want to make sure my readers are aware of this incredible opportunity. You can buy your tickets now, and I’ve checked and they’re even playing in Little Rock, Arkansas, so I know they’ll be playing all over the country. The schedule is as follows:
- HARD BOILED – January 25th, 26th and 28th
- A BETTER TOMORROW – March 1st, 2nd, and 4th
- THE KILLER – April 5th, 6th, and 8th
These may be being released during tax season, but I usually take Sundays off and each of these limited windows include a Sunday. YAY!! This is finally my chance to see these iconic films on the big screen! I hope some of you will plan to watch them as well! To whet your appetite, enjoy this incredible action sequence from THE KILLER!
Holidays Scenes That I Love: Charlie Brown Picks Out A Christmas Tree in A Charlie Brown Christmas
I was eight when I first saw this and I immediately asked my parents if we could trade our big Christmas tree for a small one that just needed some extra care.
Happy Birthday in cinema heaven to John Cassavetes!
Actor/writer/director John Cassavetes was born on this day in 1929. While he had an amazing career, I first saw him in his Oscar nominated performance as doomed military convict Victor Franko in THE DIRTY DOZEN. In celebration of what would have been his 96th birthday, enjoy this scene from Director Robert Aldrich’s classic World War II film! All I can say is, if you’re going to get your ass kicked in a movie, you might as well get it kicked by Charles Bronson, Jim Brown and Clint Walker!
Scenes that I Love: Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory
Today’s scene that I love comes from 1957’s Paths of Glory. In this scene, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) fights a losing battle to save the lives of three soldiers who have been accused of cowardice after refusing to take part in a suicidal attack during World War I.
Douglas not only starred in this film but his also production company also helped to finance it. The film was co-written and directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Scenes That I Love: David Bowie and Bing Crosby Sing A Duet in Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas
In this scene from Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas, David Bowie stops by the home of his old friend, Sir Percival Crosby, and meets Sir Percy’s long-lost American relative, Bing Crosby! A discussion of modern music and parenting techniques leads to them performing a duet of Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy.
This was Bing’s final Christmas special and he died just five weeks after filming completed. This scene is a holiday classic and has been described. by the Washington Post, as “one of the most successful duets in Christmas music history.”
When asked about David Bowie, Bing said he was “clean-cut kid and a real fine asset to the show. He sings well, has a great voice and reads lines well.”
Enjoy!
A Scene That I Love: Fred Astaire Says It With Firecrackers In Holiday Inn
When Holiday Inn went into production in 1941, this song and dance was not originally a part of the script. It was added after the attack on Pearl Harbor so that the film could have a patriotic dance number. Fred Astaire did 38 takes of this scene and later auctioned off his shoes to help raise money for the war effort.
Scenes That I Love: Franco Nero Opens The Coffin in Django
In this scene, from Sergio Corbucci’s Django, the film’s title character (played by my man, Franco Nero) reveals what’s actually in the coffin that he’s been dragging from town to town.
Scenes I Love: The Cross-Examination From Anatomy of a Murder
Since today is Otto Preminger’s birthday, I figured that this would be a good time to share a scene that I love from one of my favorite movies, Preminger’s 1959 film, Anatomy of a Murder.
In this scene, prosecutor Claude Dancer (played, in one of his first screen roles, by George C. Scott) cross-examined Laura Manion (Lee Remick), the wife of a man who has been accused of murder. Playing the role of the defense attorney is James Stewart. This scene is a master-class in great acting. Preminger could be a bit of an inconsistent director but his willingness to take on controversial subjects set him apart from many of his contemporaries. When he had the right material, as he did here, he could create the perfect mix of melodrama and art. Preminger’s best films, like Anatomy of a Murder, stand the test of time.
Through the Shattered Lens