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


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.

Scenes That I Love: Hayden Christensen in Shattered Glass


Today, we wish a happy birthday to actor Hayden Christensen.

This scene that I love comes from the 2003 film Shattered Glass, in which Christensen played real-life journalist and fabulist Stephen Glass.  In this wonderfully-acted scene, Glass’s (fake) reporting is challenged by another media outlet and Glass scrambles to keep his deception from being uncovered.

Scenes I Love: James Woods and Eric Roberts In The Specialist


Since both Eric Roberts and James Woods are celebrating a birthday today, it seems only appropriate that today’s scene of the day should feature both of them.  In this scene from 1994’s The Specialist, Woods, Roberts, and Rod Steiger all compete to see who can steal a relatively simple conversational scene.

Scenes That I Love: The Diner Scene from Thief


Seeing as how I raved about this film and James Caan’s performance earlier this week, it only seems appropriate that today’s scene that I love should come from 1981’s Thief.  Here is the famous diner scene, featuring Caan and Tuesday Weld.  Caan later said that he considered this to be the best acting he had ever done.

 

 

Scene That I Love: The Finale From Harry’s War


As this Tax Day continues, it seems appropriate to take today’s scene that I love from 1981’s Harry’s War. 

Here’s Harry, giving his thoughts on the IRS.  This is from the film’s finale so it’s definitely a spoiler!  Watch at your own risk.

Scenes That I Love: Philip Stone In The Shining


The Shining (1980, dir by Stanley Kubrick)

Today would have been the 101st birthday of character actor Philip Stone.  While Stone appeared in a lot of films, he’ll probably always be best-remembered for his subtly menacing turn as the ghostly Grady in 1980’s The Shining.  Here he is, having a conversation with Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and letting him know that he’s always been caretaker.

(Fair warning to those who may not have seen this scene before or who perhaps have forgotten about it, Grady does use a racial slur at one point.  It’s a moment that’s true to his villainous character, even if it’s a bit jarring to hear today.)

Scenes That I Love: Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Singin’ In The Rain


For today’s scene that I love, we have Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse dancing in the Broadway Melody sequence from Stanley Donen‘s 1952 masterpiece, Singin’ in the Rain!

Scenes That I Love: Nicky Katt Meets Adam Goldberg in Dazed and Confused


Rest in peace, the great character actor Nicky Katt.  The details are still sketchy but it’s being reported that he passed away at the age of 54.

Katt was a child actor who transitioned into adult roles.  He appeared in a lot of movies but I’ll always remember him as Clint, the absolutely terrifying bully in 1993’s Dazed and Confused.  Here he is, scaring the heck out of poor Adam Goldberg.

(For a while, there were plans for a Dazed and Confused sequel in which Clint reformed and became a respected businessman while Adam Goldberg’s Mike went insane as he continued to obsess on that fight back in 1976.)

Scenes That I Love: Sheriff Teasle Arrests John Rambo in First Blood


Director Ted Kotcheff has passed away.

Kotcheff directed a lot of classic films but perhaps the most influential was 1982’s First Blood.  In today’s scene that I love, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is arrested by Sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy).  Teasle may think that he’s keeping his community safe and teaching Rambo a lesson about respecting authority but, needless to say, he’s making a huge mistake.

Scenes That I Love: A Conversation From Heat


Today’s scene that I love is a little scene from 1995’s Heat.

This isn’t a scene that regularly gets mentioned when it comes to discussing the many iconic scenes in this film but I picked it because it features good work from two actors who are no longer with us, Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore.  Add to that, Danny Trejo’s pithy comment at the end — after all the discussion that’s happened before it — is simply perfect.