Category Archives: Scenes I Love

Scenes That I Love: Bugsy Attacks in Once Upon A Time In America

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In honor of Sergio Leone’s birthday, today’s scene that I love comes from his final film, 1984’s Once Upon A Time In America. 

In this scene, which takes place in 1918 in New York City, a group of young street kids who fancy themselves sophisticated criminals are ambushed by their rival, Bugsy.  With the combination of Ennio Morricone’s score and Leone’s haunting vision of New York City at the start of the 20th Century, this scene captures the loss of innocence that will eventually lead to all of the characters becoming ruthless (albeit successful) gangsters in their adult years.

Scenes That I Love: Burt Reynolds Meets Burt Reynolds in The Last Movie Star

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, the national speed limit is 50 years old.

Boooo!

Yes, it was 50 years ago today that President Richard Nixon signed the law that set the national speed limit as being 55 miles per hour.  Perhaps this was Nixon’s final revenge on a nation that was making a huge deal out of Watergate.  Who knows?

In honor of the occasion, today’s scene that I love is from 2018’s overlooked The Last Movie Star.  In this scene, an elderly Burt Reynolds finds himself transported back to the days of Smokey and the Bandit, where he meets his younger self and takes a ride in a famous black sportscar.  It turns out that the two Burts do not agree when it comes to observing the posted speed limit.

Scenes That I Love: Prohibition’s Funeral From Once Upon A Time In America

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Once Upon A Time In America (1984, dir by Sergio Leone, DP: Tonino Delli Colli)

Change comes with a new year.  That’s just an inevitable fact of life.  Sometimes, it’s good chance and sometimes, it’s bad change and sometimes, it’s change that is both good and bad.  That’s certainly the case with today’s scene that I love.

In Serigo Leone’s 1984 masterpiece, Once Upon A Time In America, 1933 brings with it the end of prohibition.  While the nation celebrates the right to once again legally drink, gangsters like the ones played by James Woods and Robert De Niro mourn the loss of their business and try to figure out a new way to pay their bills.

In this scene, Prohibition — that law that was hated by so many — is given a send-off by the people that it made very rich.

Happy New Year

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

Happy New Year!

In Happy New Year, Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown started the year by falling asleep while trying to read War and Peace and missing out on talking to the little red-haired girl.  He probably caught pneumonia by falling asleep outside while it was snowing.  Poor Charlie Brown!  His friends should be ashamed of themselves for leaving him out there!

The important thing is that no matter how many times these things happen to him, Charlie Brown never gives up faith.  He’s going to keep trying to talk to the little red-haired girl.  He’s going to keep reading War and Peace.  He’s going to to keep trying to kick that football.  He’s going to try to get a strike with every pitch.  Even if the first day of 2024 isn’t your best, there are 365 more to go!

Happy 2024!

Through The Shattered Lens Wishes A Happy Birthday To Steven Spielberg

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today the Shattered Lens is happy to wish the great Steven Spielberg a happy birthday!

It’s perhaps impossible to pick just one scene or just four shots to represent the career and the talent of Steven Spielberg.  So, in honor of his birthday, I am going to share the moments when Steven Spielberg won his first two competitive Oscars, for directing and producing 1993’s Schindler’s List.  His words are even more important today.

Scene That I Love: Jordan Meets The Government In The Wolf Of Wall Street

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Since today is Martin Scorsese’s birthday, it only makes sense that today’s scene that I love comes from one of his best films.

In this scene from 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) hosts a meeting with two federal agents on his yacht.  Jordan knows that the agents want to put him in prison but that they don’t have enough evidence as of yet.  The main agent (played by Kyle Chandler) knows that Jordan’s arrogance is his greatest weakness.

This scene, with its faux friendly banter and it’s iconic shot of Jordan throwing money to the wind, is one of Scorsese’s best “confrontation” scenes.  DiCaprio and Chandler perfectly play the two adversaries.  Jordan knows that the agent is determined to catch him but Jordan also knows the agent will never be rich and there’s no way Jordan’s not going to remind him of that every chance that he gets.  The passive aggressiveness of it all is truly a wonder to watch and, in its way, just as intimidating as the conversations between the gangsters who populate many of Scorsese’s other films.

From The Wolf of Wall Street:

Horror Scenes That I Love: Barbara Steele in Black Sunday

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The British-born actress, Barbara Steele, became a star in Italy in the 60s, working with directors from Riccardo Freda to Mario Bava to Federico Fellini.  One of Steele’s defining roles was in Bava’s 1960 film, Black Sunday.

In this scene, Steele’s witch is sentenced to be executed and, since this is a Bava film, it won’t be a quick execution.  What makes this scene stand-out is Steele’s defiance.  It’s hard not to admire her refusal to give those judging her what they want.  You watch this scene and you have no doubt that if you get cursed by Barbara Steele, it’s going to be a curse for life.