Tag Archives: Scene I Love

Scenes I Love: Burt Young Takes Out A Pinball Machine in Rocky III

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today would have been the 85th birthday of the great character actor Burt Young.

Burt Young appeared in a lot of classic films.  He had a streetwise authenticity about him and he was one of those guys who looked a bit older than his years.  (He was only 36 when he appeared in Rocky.)  Young played cops and gangsters and New York characters of all stripes.  That said, to most people, he’ll always be Paulie, the brother-in-law of Rocky Balboa.  Young did such a good job playing Paulie that this character became beloved, despite being a racist misogynist who managed to screw up Rocky’s life in nearly every Rocky film in which he appeared.

(In real life, Burt Young was a painter and a poet, showing that one should never judge a book by its cover.  Unless it’s one of those really badass covers that my sisters likes to share.)  

Today’s scene that I love is a classic Paulie scene.  Rocky may be the world’s most popular boxer but Paulie’s getting a little tired of him.  A pinball machine is about to pay the price.  From Rocky III, here is a scene that I love.

 

Scenes That I Love: The Ending of High Noon

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In honor of Fred Zinnemann’s birthday, today’s scene of the day comes from his best film, 1952’s High Noon.  High Noon tells the story of the honest and forthright Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper), who finds himself abandoned by the town that he’s faithfully served when it is rumored that a fearsome gunman will be arriving at noon to seek revenge on the man who previously sent him to prison.

Below, we have the final scene of High Noon, in which the cowardly townspeople finally come to support Marshal Kane.  Kane, disgusted by their actions, can only throw away his star and leave town.  Even without dialogue, Cooper lets you know exactly what is going through Kane’s mind.  It’s a great scene from a great film featuring a great actor and directed by a great filmmaker.

Scene That I Love: Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster in From Here To Eternity

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s scene that I love is perhaps the most famous scene from 1953’s From Here To Eternity.  It’s amazing what you can do with Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, the beach, and the ocean!

 

Scene That I Love: A Meeting With Jimmy Hoffa from The Irishman

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s scene comes from 2019’s The Irishman.  In this scene, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) asks a former rival for an endorsement to once again be president of the Teamsters union.  Needless to say, things don’t get well.  I’m on Hoffa’s side here.  Showing up 12 and a half minutes late?  Wearing shorts to meeting?  Someone is definitely owed an apology.

Once you get over the admittedly jarring de-aging effect, this scene reminds us of what a great actor Al Pacino truly is.

A Scene That I Love: Jack Nicholson Sings In Tommy

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s scene that I love comes from 1975’s Tommy.  Based on The Who’s rock opera and directed by Ken Russell, Tommy featured several actors who weren’t necessarily known as singers.  Oliver Reed is the most obvious example.

And then there’s Jack Nicholson!  Jack’s role is pretty small.  He’s the therapist who examines Tommy and who eye flirts with Ann-Margaret.  And, of course, he gets his check.

Scenes that I Love: Low Rider From Dazed and Confused

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In order to celebrate San Jacinto Day, here’s one of my favorite scenes from Richard Linklater’s 1993 Texas film, Dazed and Confused.  Not only does this montage introduce the viewer to the suburban Texas nightlife of 1976 but it’s also perfectly set to War’s Low Rider.

And, of course, it also features that classic line, “It’d be a lot cooler if you did.”

Scenes that I Love: Edie Sedgwick and Gerard Malanga Dance in Andy Warhol’s Vinyl

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s scene that I love comes to use from an underground 1965 film called Vinyl!  This film, believe it or not, was actually an adaptation of the novel A Clockwork Orange, one that was filmed six years before the better-known Stanley Kubrick version.

In this scene below, Gerard Malanga and Edie Sedgwick dance to Nowhere to Run by Martha and The Vandellas.  Malanga is playing the role that would later be made famous by Malcom McDowell.  Edie is playing …. well, Edie is basically playing herself.  No one smoked a cigarette with as much style as Edie Sedgwick.

Watching her in this scene, it’s sad to think that, in just six years (and at the same time that Stanley Kubrick was releasing his version of A Clockwork Orange), Edie Sedgwick would die at the age of 28.  Like all of us, she deserved much better than what the world was willing to give her.