james2025a

I was thinking about this the other night when i was watching "To Live and Die in LA." For some reason i love watching the scene where Willem Dafoe creates the plates, inks up the machines and prints some of the forged currency. Nothing exciting happens in the scene really, but the editing and the sound/music fit it so well that i always enjoy watching this scene.

Anyone else have any scenes like this in a movie?

JPRaup

The Dark Knight



but seriously alot of Don't Look Back, not alot happens, but I love Dylan's persona and how he talks, and Pennebakers filming style.

sundog

There are many, many that I may list if I have the time. Essentially, I prefer those moments.

Of more commercial fare:

The rave scene in The Matrix Reloaded. Frankly, it elevated the sequel above its predecessor. Because, rather than just steamroll through the plot, the filmmakers put forth an effort to characterize their world beyond exposition and action scenes.

macnorton

Glengary Glen Ross springs to mind....the sequence where Ed Harris and Alan Arkin are hypothetically planning a robbery. It is all talking, no action, but it really stands out.

Hulkabrgr

To me it is the scene at the beginning of Empire Of The Sun where Jim is in the crashed Japanese fighter and is pretending to shoot down his glider. I love the way the editing and camera work make it seem as if he is really flying and in a dog-foght with the glider.

Travis McClain

I've always had an affinity for the two scenes with Grant and the kids in the tree in "Jurassic Park." The first scene is somber, with Grant realizing the implications his visit has for his life and the second is amusing, with the kids feeding the brachiosaurus. Thrown in amongst scenes of frantic running and other characters worrying, these scenes are a little comforting, plus they play out against John Williams's finest score of the 1990s, maybe ever. These scenes really left their mark on me after seeing the film at a drive-in, where the screen was flanked by trees. Too cool.

JPRaup

Oh, and all of The New World

NIMH Rat

Dressed to Kill, the split-screen with Nancy Allen talking on the phone with her pimp and her broker on one side of the screen, and Michael Caine watching TV on the other side. Donahue is on both their TVs talking about transsexuality.

Nothing's happening, really, but it's a mesmerizing scene.

DonnachaOne

Well, I'd like to think those scenes where "nothing's happening" are more subtle moments of plot setup and character development. As such I like all those "going nowhere but on and on" bits of chatter in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof and Mike Leigh's Naked.

devilshalo

When Daniel sits next to Miyagi and talks about the death of his father while they watch the sunset in Karate Kid 2. I just never liked the time cut following such a beautifully shot, emotional scene.

Rad14

In The Shining, when Jack Torrence and Grady are standing in the men's washroom together discussing the past.

After Grady has wiped the spilt drink from Jack's coat, and the latter introduces the subject of Grady's murdered family, they don't move and are viewed from different odd angles as they stare at each other. What they are saying is important to the story, and Kubrick conveys the dread of the situation with looks and little dialogue.

I always found this a chilling scene, and yet very little is happening. The atmosphere alone in that washroom is icy.

Draven

I've always enjoyed the "tooth brushing" scene in Bring It On. It's funny, charming, dialogue-free and a neat moment all around.

GoldenJCJ

Die Hard - When John drags himself to the restroom after having his feet cut up with glass and he's talking with Al. Al explains to John how he shot a kid and John asks Al to tell Holly that he's sorry. Truly great acting from both Willis and VelJohnson. Such an emotional scene right in the middle of non-stop action.

GuessWho

Clerks -- the part where the guys are in the store just talking

Kal-El

That short scene in Empire right before Luke goes into the cave and he looks back at Yoda and Yoda's sitting on the log, just doodling with his walking stick on the ground. It just looks so natural, to this day I don't see Yoda as a puppet but as the Jedi Master.

celmendo

Always loved Poltergeist at the beginning. Just setting up a normal family. Jo Beth singing the Miller beer song while making the bed, the dad trying to watch the game and fighting with the neighbor's remote, beer spraying all over the place. Maybe I just love the beer...

jeffkjoe

Quint telling the tale of the U.S.S. Indianapolis in JAWS.

Just watch Richard Dreyfuss in the background. Totally mesmerized at Robert Shaw.

theflicker

I love that scene. It has such great Mamet dialogue.

"Are we talking about doing this? Or are we just . . . talking?"

Palaver

Good one. Probably my favorite scene in the entire movie.

gmanca

Two scenes instantly come to mind: James Cann sitting at the dock with the fisherman with the dusk/dawn twilight in "Thief" and the Dude talking to Walter at the diner in "the Big Lebowski."

I'm sure there are more out there but those were pretty great IMO.

Rypro 525

the scene in the good the bad and the ugly that sets up the 3 way duel. About 6 minutes of 3 guys looking at each other, getting into place w/music in the background, and prob 100 or 150 cuts during this scene. Such a great scene.

Also, the coinflip scene in No Country For Old Men w/ Anton at the gas station asking all of the wierd questions and asking him to call 'heads or tails'. in reality, nothing really happens in this scene, but its so well done, and suspenseful (and almost word for word, shot for shot from the book)

macnorton

Agreed...I like it because it sounds very real. I know I had a similar conversation with two buddies on whether or not we were going to steal a park bench.

PopcornTreeCt

Kill Bill where Lucy Liu is walking with her group in slo-mo.

The drug dealer scene from Boogie Nights. Just the shots of Marky Mark on the couch truly make that scene one of the best.

NoirFan

Heath Ledger sticking his head out of the car window in The Dark Night, silently feeling the night wind blow against his face.

emachine12

Finding Nemo - Marlin accepting and holding Nemo's fin.

Knocked Up - Ben grows up montages.

An Unfinished Life - Jean breaks down to Einar since the accident.

The Guardian - Ben says goodbye to Helen.