Best Moments in Film 2007

By: DThompson | in: Movies |

Best Film Moments 2007

(all movie links are to previous articles on The Plugg)

• Giant robots plastered all over a suburban house while an outraged father yells, “Look what those kids did to my lawn!” Transformers.
• The marvelous twist and descend, Hitchcock-to-the-nth-degree credits that opened Vacancy, made even better by Paul Haslinger’s Bernard Herman-esque title theme. If only the film could have matched up.
• The Silver Surfer surfs gravity itself chased by a miles long string of living fire. Without a doubt, the best trailer of the summer. Trailer: The Fantastic 4 – Rise Of The Silver Surfer.
• The giant armored battle rhino. There’s something you don’t see every day. 300.
• Time out for surrealism. Josh Brolin awakes half dead in Mexico, being serenaded by a mariachi band. No Country For Old Men.
• A serene blue sky above, lush green fields to either side. Successful escape alows the sudden realization that brutal horror happens just as easily on a beautiful day. 28 Weeks Later.
• Robert Downy Jr., all jerks and tics, as the most dissolute crime reporter the world has ever known. Zodiac.
• Kurt Russell gives us a knowing leer just before climbing into the “Death Proof” car with doomed Rose McGowan. We all know what’s coming. Grindhouse: Death Proof.
• A pile of sand shifts, drifts and streams together to form a remarkably sad creature. The Sandman rises, a digital effect with a soul. Spiderman 3.

Best Film Moments 2007

• The small gasping “Oh!” Ashley Judd gives at the very end. Too late with her realization that death is the price of her current romance. Bug.
• Sam Jackson’s entire scenery chewing monologue but especially the line that sums up every haunted house movie ever made. “It’s just an evil fucking room.” 1408.
• That Jack, he gets around. The giggle Chow Yun Fat’s ladies in waiting give at the mention of the name “Cap’n Jack Sparrow” Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End.
• “The thing you gotta realize, is I was born to do this shit.” Drug counselor Dave Fitzgerald grinningly assures us that he doesn’t just love his job, he was made for it. And, long before the end of the film, we agree. Finding Normal.
• Fat little Michael Meyers ruthlessly beats a bully, and we’re all for it… Until the bully starts to cry and reveals himself to be just a scared little boy… and Michael continues the beating, revealing himself to be something entirely different. Halloween (2007).
• Pushing the envelope of the animator’s art. In Ratatouille Paris IS the city of light.
• The road not taken – A very, very, very young Hannibal Lecter plays with his sister Mischa, then the door is kicked in and the world gets busy making a monster. Hannibal Rising.
• Ben Kingsley’s deadpan admission of what he does for a living to a stunned Alchoholics Anonymous support group. The taciturn hitman opens up for once and carries on and on and on. You Kill Me.
• The oppressive stillness of the country… A leafless tree, a fallow field, a musical sting promises danger ahead. Kaw opens.
• The lovers Anton and Alisa unite in the shower, which transforms into a flower bedecked water fall – but who cares? Anton’s in a woman’s body anyway. When you’re Russian, love never comes easily. Daywatch.

Best Film Moments 2007

• Death by carrot. Mr. Smith shows us what it means to be the ultimate cinematic killing machine. Shoot ‘Em Up.
• “I want your balls.” Says Naveen Andrews’ Abby , throwing a lackey a knife apparently designed for self-emasculation. Grindhouse: Planet Terror.
• An uncouth Persian minister learns “This is Sparta!” and also how deep their exceptionally deep well is. 300.
• How many horrors can one person stand? “Will it never end?” Rachel cries as the occupation of Holland pushes her to her absolute limit of suffering and grief. Black Book.
• “I want more life… father.” Man’s ultimate demand of God. Blade Runner-The Final Version.
• Christina Ricci’s physical (and metaphorical) chains ring out at every attempt to escape them. Ask not for whom the bell tolls… Black Snake Moan.
• “Incoming.” Nicholas Cage pays the price for winning Jessica Biel’s heart, taking a punch he knows only too well is coming. Next.
• Sudden terror in places unexpected and strange. Laura Dern’s own face leers back at her, caked in some sort of clown make up, from the head of a sweating, hairy, Polish thug. Inland Empire.
• “They’re small.” Bug.
• Wounded grace. The desolate beauty of a frozen northern peat bog mirrors the spiritual state of detective Conk Adams and archaeologist Catherine Nyland, two damaged souls seeking to solve the mystery of a 100 year old murder. That Beautiful Somewhere.

Best Film Moments 2007

• “Just thought you’d like to know what a skater’s body really looks like.” Will Ferrell surveys his awesomely out-of-shape body and finds it good. Blades Of Glory.
• The apocalypse will be picturesque. In the middle of a bayou turned to blood, miracle debunker Professor Katherine Winter (Hillary Swank) sees a snow white egret stab its head into the water, and come back stained crimson. The Reaping.
• “You know what? I’m gonna give you a break.” Candice says, deciding not to set Ryan on fire. But, then, “Oh screw it, I’ll change my story.” and she tosses a lit cigarette on his lighter fluid-soaked shirt. A woman’s perogative is to change her mind. Zzyzx.
• What did you do in the war, daddy? The priceless, frozen look on Robert Carlyle’s face when the wife he deserted and left for dead turns up, very much alive and none too pleased. 28 Weeks Later.
• “I’m a fry cook.” admits supposed uber-artiste Alexander, whose real name is Tim, to the outrage of all the other “artistes” in the room. Murder Party.
• Rounding up an errant swan in the middle of a climactic car chase. Hot Fuzz.
• Anthony Hopkins smiles like the Devil himself as he informs Deputy DA Willy Beachum that he knows the kid’s weakness. “You’re a winner.” Fracture.
• Love among the stupid. Christopher Walken sings “You’re like an incurable disease!” as a way to make up with his wife, John Travolta. Hairspray (2007).
• “Call it.” A stone cold killer flips a coin to decide the future, or lack thereof, of a quickie mart owner. Fate personified stalks Texas in the Cohen Brothers’ No Country For Old Men.

Die Hard

• A getaway car crashes through a chain link fence which happens to have a would-be hitman on it. The fence falls across the hood of the speeding car but is flung off to the side, sending the killer spinning head-over-heels into a wall. “Did you see that?!” Justin Long shouts in disbelief, giving voice to the reason we go to see this kind of movie. Live Free Or Die Hard.
• Mrs. Carmody, the self-styled Voice Of God, lying in Christ pose on the floor, a bloody halo spreading out behind her head. The Mist.
• Hordes of fluffy, white, flesh-eating sheep sweep with terrible purpose across the emerald grass of Oldfield Farm, descending like a puffy wave of killer cotton balls on a gathering of businessmen. It doesn’t pay to fool with mother nature. Black Sheep.
• The Black Pearl crests a towering wave of sand and crashes down the far side sliding neatly into the ocean at World’s End. Trust Cap’n Jack Sparrow to know how to make an entrance. Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End.
• Fogell (Christopher Mint-Plasse), blissfully unaware that a fake I.D. claiming his name is “McLovin” is probably not the best idea. Superbad.

Credit where credit is due. The concept for Best Moments In Film comes from the film critic and one time Editor-In-Chief of Film Comment, Richard T. Jameson.

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Posted on December 6, 2007

Comments

11 Responses to “Best Moments in Film 2007”

Marty on December 6th, 2007 4:38 am

Blades of Glory was the movie of the year for me… Too funny haha! Thank you for the great post.

Marty.

Rusty on December 6th, 2007 4:51 am

This should be titles ‘Best post of 2007′

Nice one D!

Tibi Puiu on December 6th, 2007 5:24 am

Great article D, “This is Sparta!” probably is the most memorable phrase of the year

Emon on December 6th, 2007 7:57 am

Great post! Sandman was the best part in Spiderman 3. Haven’t seen ‘No Country’ yet but the shot of Javier Bardem saying, “Ama lookin’ for Llewelyn Moss’ made me do a double take.
‘Bourne and Desh’ fight is most memorable sequence of the year for me.

From ‘Knocked Up’…”I’d tear…that…up.”

The rest…looks like I’ve missed a lot this year, which hasn’t been the case since I started going to the theaters heavily starting 1996.

Charbarred on December 6th, 2007 11:48 am

There’s this one scene in 300 that just killed me. After the first battle, the guys are piling up the dead bodies. King Leonidas just stands there eating an apple…dunno, this was the highlight of the movie for me.

DThompson on December 6th, 2007 12:57 pm

Thanks for the kind words Marty, Rusty, I’m glad you like it. I’m just happy I held out until I saw Superbad, that whole argument over the “McLovin’” I.D. was hysterical.
And I forgot about the apple bit, char, that was a good moment too.

DThompson on December 6th, 2007 1:18 pm

Emon, Tibi Puiu, thanks for your kind words as well. Haven’t yet seen Knocked Up, though I hear great things. And, I agree, “This is Sparta!” is this year’s “E.T. phone home”

Books News » Blog Archive » Best Moments in Film 2007 on December 7th, 2007 5:55 am

[…] Best Moments in Film 2007By DThompsonThe fence falls across the hood of the speeding car but is flung off to the side, sending the killer spinning head-over-heels into a wall. “Did you see that?!” Justin Long shouts in disbelief, giving voice to the reason we go to see …The Plugg Music Blog - http://www.theplugg.com […]

Okcutie on December 7th, 2007 3:57 pm

I love every movie in some way! Blades of Glory was great and super funny. thank you

Kahuna on December 10th, 2007 6:06 am

300 had a few great lines. Did anyone see the original 300 Spartans with Richard Egan? The arrows of the Persian Army will blot out the sun.. “then we will fight in the shade”. “Here we stand, Here they die” has never been said in a movie.

DThompson on December 10th, 2007 2:31 pm

I did see the original 300 Spartans, not bad at all.
The “then we will fight in the shade” line is from the historical record of the battle and, if you can believe the lax standards of the time, was apparently an actual response to a Persian enyov’s threat that “our arrows will block out the sun”.
Persian’s shields were wicker, Spartan’s shields were metal. They fought in a tight formation allowing pretty good protection from arrows so, truthfully, it’s unlikely that that comment caused them much concern.
Talking about historical accuracy and “300″ in the same paragraph is making me a bit dizzy. I’m gonna have to sit for a moment.