Category Archives: Scenes I Love

Scene That I Love: Queeg Cracks in The Caine Mutiny

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Caine Mutiny (1954, dir by Edward Dmytryk, DP: Franz Planer)

Today’s scene that I love comes from 1954’s The Caine Mutiny.

In this scene, Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) is cross-examined by Barney Greenwald (Jose Ferrer).  The court martial concerns whether or not an officer under Queeg’s command was justified in taking over the ship from Queeg.  Greenwald, tasked with defending the head mutineer, knows that the only way to win the case is to expose Queeg himself as a paranoid and unstable officer.  Greenwald does his job but he’s not happy about it.

This scene, directed by Edward Dmytryk, features both Bogart and Ferrer at their absolute best.

Brad’s Babe Hall of Fame Celebrates Salma Hayek!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

I first saw Salma Hayek when her character was introduced in DESPERADO (1995). It’s fair to say I’ve considered her one of the most beautiful women in the world ever since. Happy Birthday, Salma, and enjoy my friends!

Scenes That I Love: Oppenheimer

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s scene that I love comes from Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.  In this scene, the very first nuclear bomb is detonated and history is changed forever.  Nolan captures the mix of pride and outright horror as the most deadly weapon of all is tested for the very first time.  In much the same way that some of us cannot resist the chance to stare directly at a solar eclipse, Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer cannot help but stare directly at what he has helped to create.

Scenes I Love: The Birds Attack in Birdemic: Shock and Terror

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to director James Nguyen!  Today’s scene that I love comes from Nguyen’s masterpiece, 2010’s Birdemic: Shock and Terror!

Those who claim that Brian De Palma stole too much from Hitchcock obviously never met James Nguyen.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, James Coburn!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

One of my favorite actors, James Coburn, was born on August 31, 1928, and he passed away on November 18, 2002. To celebrate and acknowledge the legend’s birthday, I thought I’d share one of my favorite scenes, and that’s his character’s introduction in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. What makes the scene so impressive is that it comes in on the heels of the badass intro of Bernardo O’Reilly (Charles Bronson) and somehow manages to top it. Enjoy!

Scenes That I Love: Cleopatra

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

1963’s Cleopatra is a guilty pleasure of mine.

On the one hand, it’s a historically inaccurate portrayal of the events leading to the transformation of the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire.  The pace is often slow.  Some of the performances are regretful.  It’s a film that was first envisioned as being a cheap B-picture but ended up nearly bankrupting 20th Century Fox.  Of all of the movies released in 1963, it sold the most tickets and yet, because of the films huge production costs, it still lost money.

On the other hand, it’s a truly gigantic film, one that recreates the perhaps imagined splendor of the ancient world and which does it without the use of CGI.  The film may not exactly embrace historical accuracy but it does embrace the melodrama.  And, finally, you have scenes like the one below, in which it was obvious that Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton couldn’t wait for the cameras to stop rolling so they could toss off the costumes and make some history of their own.

Charles Bronson passed away 23 years ago, today…

Posted on by Bradley Crain

I remember where I was when I heard the news that Charles Bronson passed away on August 30, 2003. I was standing outside of my parents’ cabin watching the South Fourche River roll by, when my sister came out and told me that a news report had just come across the TV. My family was there celebrating the Labor Day holiday. The cabin has always been my place of peace, and I guess you can say it was the perfect place to get the news.

In honor of the importance of this day in my life, I thought I would share a couple of scenes that I love from my two favorite Bronson films.

First comes a scene from MR. MAJESTYK where Al Lettier’s mobster tries to bully Majestyk. It doesn’t work out so well for the bully.

Next comes an early scene from HARD TIMES where a smirking opponent underestimates Bronson’s seasoned character of Chaney. Once again, things don’t go well for the smartass.

I’ll never be able to fully explain why I developed a healthy obsession for Charles Bronson when I was a kid growing up in the 1980’s and why that obsession still persists to this day. I may try to put that down on paper someday before I die, but today is not that day. Today, I just want to celebrate my movie hero with some of my favorite films and moments.

Scenes That I Love: Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley in Bride of Frankenstein

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The writer Mary Shelley was born on this date in 1797.  Shelley, of course, is best-known for writing Frankenstein, a book that some claim is the first science fiction novel.  (That’s debatable but it was still a major literary achievement.)

In this scene from 1936’s Bride of Frankenstein, Elsa Lanchester appears as Mary Shelley, continuing her story.  (Of course, Lanchester also played the Bride herself.)

Scenes That I Love: The Car Chase From The French Connection

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, the Shattered Lens observes what would have been the birthday of the great William Friedkin.  As a director, William Friedkin revolutionized both the horror genre and the crime genre.  The car chase from 1971’s The French Connection has been much imitated but rarely equaled.

A few years ago, I attended a showing of The French Connection at the Alamo Drafthouse.  As exciting as this chase is, it’s even more amazing when viewed on a big screen.