Today would have been the 95th birthday of Tom Laughlin, the independent film pioneer who gave the world Billy Jack.
In honor of the day of his birth, here’s a scene that I love from 1971’s Billy Jack. The townspeople think that they can get away with humiliating the students from the Freedom School. Well, Billy Jack’s got something to say about that.
Who is Billy Jack? He’s just a person who protects children and other living things.
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to Sam Elliott. In this scene from the classic film Road House, Sam Elliott and Patrick Swayze have a heart-t0-heart. Swayze’s Dalton has a past that can only be understood by Sam Elliott’s Wade Garrett.
Take it away, mijo.
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to the legendary Dustin Hoffman. This scene that I love comes from 1967’s The Graduate and it features Hoffman delivering one of the greatest lines of all time.
Since today is Nicholas Ray’s birthday, it seems appropriate to share a scene from Ray’s best-known film, 1955’s Rebel Without A Cause. In this scene, a group of teens who can barely find happiness or peace on their own planet are asked to consider the wonders of the universe.
The great Robert Mitchum was born, on this date, 108 years ago. Today’s scene that I love comes from one of my favorite Mitchum films, the classic 1947 noir Out of the Past.
In this scene, we are reminded that no one was cooler than Robert Mitchum. And no one threw a better punch.
I loved STAKEOUT when I was a teenager. Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez are hilarious and Aidan Quinn is suitably nasty as the bad guy, but I have to admit that the main reason I love the movie is because it’s the first time I remember seeing Madeleine Stowe. I was 14 years old when our family rented it for the very first time, and I’ve been in love with her ever since.
STAKEOUT was released on August 5, 1987. In celebration of its 39th anniversary, I present this scene that was burned into my memory a long time ago.
(Parental Discretion is advised, as the Rhythm is probably gonna get you!)
Today’s scene that I love comes from John Huston’s 1948 masterpiece, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
In this scene, we meet Fred C. Dobbs (played by Humphrey Bogart) and we watch as he begs and scrounges for money. The man in the white suit is played by John Huston himself. This was Huston’s first acting role. He would go on to be nominated for best supporting actor for his role in The Cardinal. He would also give unforgettable performances in films like The Other Side of the Wind, The Visitor, and Chinatown.
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to Greta Gerwig! Let’s do the sambola!
Both the scene and the dance are from 2011’s Damsels in Distress.
Since today is Martin Sheen’s birthday, it seems appropriate that our scene that I love should come from one of Sheen’s most popular films.
1979’s Apocalypse Now is a film that is full of outstanding set pieces. The scene where Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) reaches the Do Lung Bridge is one of the best moments in the film, a surreal portrayal of the futility of war. The bridge is built every day and blown up every night. In this scene, we see how good Sheen as it simply reacting to action around him. It’s been said that a good actor has to be just as good at reacting as acting and, in this scene, Sheen shows himself to be one of the best.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, dir by Wes Craven, DP: Jacques Haitkin)
Since today is Wes Craven’s birthday, our scene of the day comes from 1984’s A Nightmare On Elm Street. Along with Scream, this was Wes Craven’s signature film. And also, much like Scream, a series of sequels led to many people forgetting just how effective the first film was. Wes Craven reportedly reached back to his own childhood fears with the character of Freddy and, in Robert Englund, he found the perfect actor to bring the character to life.
(Interestingly, Craven’s initial choice for the role was David Warner.)
In this scene, we see just how scary the original A Nightmare on Elm Street actually was.
Through the Shattered Lens 