I was just watching Superman Returns and there’s a scene where he is just flying back to the Fortress after having given Lois the interview and the lens flare is completely CGI’d in. Made me recall old spaghetti westerns where the effect was a complete accident of optic technology. The effect became so beloved (I used templates to put lens flare into comic panels when I was younger and I’m still not above it.).

It struck me as funny that a failing of technology could create so iconic an image.

Credit who you want to credit. Die Hard and Lethal Weapon movies have my favorite flares. A few of them still psych me out everytime I see 'em.

There is a lens flare in Almost Famous when the band's lead singer being left behind after taking a leak in the toilet, but that's an intentional flare.

Yeah lens flare can be really sweet when well used. But it bugs me when it's fake. Like the aformentioned Superman Returns shot or an establishing shot of Batman Begins just before Bruce makes his return. The lens flare was obviously fake and it really bugged me.

Video game designers like adding lens flare as well and though some get it right, others tend to overdo it.

There's the famous light leak at the very end of "The Last Temptation of Christ" that Scorsese left into the film as if it were a bit of divine intervention.

Also, nothing to do with lense flares or the camera itself, there's a great happy accident in "Clerks" when Jay & Silent Bob are introduced they're talking about someone who owes them money. At that very moment you can see someone walk by and they're reflected in the RST Video window and Smith & Mewes react to the pedestrian.