Scenes That I Love: “What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate” from Cool Hand Luke


Today would have been director Stuart Rosenberg’s 98th birthday.  Our scene of the day come from one of Rosenberg’s best-known and best-remembered films, 1967’s Cool Hand Luke.

This is a scene that featured the line that’s been kept alive by cops, drill sergeants, and angry teachers to this day.

Scenes I Love: Billy Jack Defends Children And Other Living Things


Today would have been the 94th 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 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 and, as always, it starts with him taking off his shoes.

Scenes That I Love: Sam Elliott and Patrick Swayze in Road House


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.

Scenes That I Love: Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate


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.

Scenes I Love: A Visit to the Planetarium from Rebel Without A Cause


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.

Scenes I Love: Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past


The great Robert Mitchum was born, on this date, 107 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.

Scenes I Love: The Opening of Guardians of the Galaxy


Today, the Shattered Lens wises director James Gunn a happy 59th birthday!

My favorite James Gunn film remains 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy.  Not coincidentally, that’s also my favorite comic book film.  A good deal of that love has to do with the film’s absolutely brilliant introduction of Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord.  In the scene below, both the film and Gunn announce that this is a comic book movie that actually has a sense of humor.  Let the other franchises specialize in depressed heroes and grim themes.  The Guardians of the Galaxy are all about dancing.

Here’s a scene that I love, directed by James Gunn:

Scene That I Love: Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now


Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to Martin Sheen.

In this scene from 1979’s Apocalypse Now, Sheen shows the intensity that not only nearly killed him when he suffered a heart attack during filming but which also served to make Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam epic a true classic.

 

Scenes I Love: Nancy’s School Dream From A Nightmare On Elm Street


Today’s scene that I love comes from 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street.  Directed by the great Wes Craven, A Nightmare on Elm Street remains a frightening and creepy masterpiece.  It’s ability to scare its audience has not been diminished by countless sequels and rip-offs.

In this scene, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) discovers that she’s not even safe from Freddy (Robert Englund) at school.