"WOW!" Moments, 2007 edition (Spoilers!) (1 Viewer)

[Holadem]

Continuing the tradition started by Jordan_E and Chuck Mayer, here cometh the 2007 Edition of the "WOW!" Moments thread.


Previous installments:
All-Time Edition
2006
2005
2004


Please be mindful of spoilers!

Have at.

--
H

 

[Citizen87645]

The Lives of Others when Dreyman decides not to speak to Wiesler but writes a book for him instead, titled after the piano piece that helped in Wiesler's transformation.

Bourne Ultimatum 1) the train station cat-and-mouse
2) the way the filmmakers made it seem Nikki would be a love interest but was coldly sent away
3) the way the story was written to take place within the timeline of the second film

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Amazing casting work continues with Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood.

 

[Pete-D]

For me it was definitely all Grindhouse. The trailers alone were worth the price of admission, it's just so over the top that it has to be seen to be believed.

It's always cool when you watch a movie and you can't believe they actually had the balls to make a movie like that. The most fun and most unique 'mainstream' film I've seen in a while.

Also from Planet Terror

The "that boy's got the devil in him" line when El Ray finally gets to hold a gun just kills me every time. Hilarious.

- Marley Shelton in the scene where she tries to open her car door ... Wow.
- El Wray (Freddie Rodriguez) entering the hospital for the first time.
- Michael Biehn in general.
- The car crash in Death Proof
- Zoe Bell grabbing the pipe and screaming like a banshee as they go back after Kurt Russell
- All the trailers. Is it wrong to think the "Thanksgiving" trailer is probably Eli Roth's best work? lol.

Great stuff.

There weren't too many wow moments for me this past year though.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

2007 was less a spectacle "WOW" year (though I have a few of those) and more of a dramatic "WOW" year. Thanks for starting the thread, H.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
In all of the scenes following Jesse's death, Casey Affleck is incredible. Especially in the scene where he is performing in the play and being insulted from the dark, and the scene in the bar where the balladeer is singing the song about Jesse.

No Country For Old Men
Chigurh and the gas station attendant flipping for it.

The Bourne Ultimatum
The Desh fight, specifically the book part

Transformers
I didn't love this movie, but I did love Optimus Prime decapitating the big truck Decepticon in the desert freeway fight. That was a spectacular moment.

300
"Crazy Horse" cam...I do find the film a bit overpraised (and I really enjoyed it, for what it was), but the action sequences were quite fun to watch. Especially this cam technique.

Beowulf
I loved Winstone's performance. For WOW though, it's all about the sea monster fight.

Enchanted
"How Do You Know?"

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The magical battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore was exquisite, and I loved the moment between Harry and Voldemort at the end of it.

Sunshine
The intimacy of the sun.

 

[Pete-D]

Actually I'd like to add a couple more "wow" moments if I may.

Angelina Jolie rising out of the water in Beowulf (in 3D!).



And Grendel's first appearance/attack I went wow, but mostly more because of the "wow ... a PG-13 movie can get away with this?" type of thing.

Honorable mention to Live Free Or Die Hard, the scene where McClaine uses the fire extinguisher to blow back the baddies.

 

[SD_Brian]

The Bourne Ultimatum "If you were in your office we'd be having this conversation face to face." and, as has been mentioned already, the revelation that the movie actually takes place during the timeline of the 2nd movie.

Hairspray - A movie I loved even though, having loathed the broadway show going in, I fully expected to hate it.

Amy Adams's performance in Enchanted.

Inland Empire (technically a 2006 release) Laura Dern's "death" scene, surrounded by the homeless people; "Who IS she?"; Rabbits
ZodiacRobert Graysmith in the basement and his stare-down with Arthur Leigh Allen in the hardware store; the use of "Hurdy Gurdy Man"; the murder of the couple by the lake

The first monster attack in The Host.

 

[Mario Bartel]

Cate Blanchett's "hurricane" tirade in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Even though I'd seen it a number of times already in the trailers, it still made my neck hair stand up when I saw the film in its entirety.

The duet scene in the music store in Once.

The bowling alley scene in Across the Universe.

The ending in Atonement.

Denzel Washington stepping out to take care of a little business on the sidewalk in American Gangster.

 

[BrianShort]

Once The already mentioned music store scene, and the end. It helps that "Falling Slowly" is a fantastic song.

No Country for Old Men When Chigurh encounters the wife, and the wife realizes she's probably going to die, and accepts her fate, then Chigurh leaves the house, and checks his boots

Ratatoullie At the end when Ego takes the first bite of his meal, and his speech that follows.

Into the Wild The ending

 

[Marc Colella]

The ending of There Will Be Blood.

 

[Jonesy]

For me:

• Remy and his hoard of rats charge of the kitchen (Ratatouille)
• Chief Brody's "Smile you son-of-a-" (Jaws, 35mm, Berkeley, 05/31/07)
• Diane Freeling bringing back Carole Anne (Poltergeist , 35mm, SF, 10/02/07)

Jonesy
www.OnTheBigScreen.net

 

[Joel C]

I'm sure I will think of others, but the one that comes immediately to mind is Anton Ego's flashback to his youth when he tastes Remy's dish in Ratatouille. I think was was still grinning about it when I left the theater.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Spider-man 3
The sandman when he first begins to rise from the sand after being created, the elegant way in which he silently falls apart and reforms was amazing stuff.

Transformers Every single second of the robots and they're remarkably realistic transformations. I still get jazzed watching how their machanical guts spill out and fold-up until they achieve robot/vehicle forms. That and the all-out war during the last 25 min or so, there is some truly eye-popping shit going on in those scenes!

Live Free or Die Hard
The entire sequence with McClane in the semi and the pursuing fighter jet.

I Am Legend Seeing NYC completely deserted, that was scary and definitely a WOW moment.

 

[Elizabeth S]

The last 15 minutes of "The Orphanage", especially

when Laura plays the "knock" game to draw out the children. The scene is unbearably suspenseful.

 

[Holadem]

I struggle to find moments that have truly wowed me in this somewhat lackluster year as well, but I will try, reaching a bit:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- The scene transition to the train robery.
- The assassination.

Black Book
- A scene of extremely degrading humiliation.
- The "jump".

The Bourne Ultimatum
Um gee where to begin? Yes it's a cop out, but I think the entire movie qualifies.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
- The stroke.
- The mistress' phone call

Eastern Promises
- "What diary" - perhaps the most quietly menacing moment I have ever seen. A powerhouse of acting.
- The bath house.

No Country for Old Men
- "What the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?"
- Waiting for Chirgugh in the motel, hearing him approach, turn off the lights etc..
- The "car chase".
- Chirgugh checking his shoes.

No End in Sight
- The enormity of disbanding the Iraqi army with a stroke of a pen.

Once
- The recording session

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
- The final battle.

Spider-Man 3
- Break up.
- The last scene.

There Will Be Blood
- The scene at the beach with the brother, that amazing shot with the big wave, followed by an even greater shot at the brothel. The one featured in the trailer, with the sparkling eyes in the shadows.
- "sluuuuuuuuuurrrrp!!!!" -- "I am finished!"

--
H

 

[Shad R]

No Country for Old Men- the ending
The Mist, Resident Evil 3, Georgia Rule, Rush Hour 3...more WOW! Somebody thought they were making a good movie!

 

[rich_d]

No Country for Old Men

- The scene with the Blind Man

The Bourne Ultimatum

- Morocco
- Train Station

Eastern Promises

- The Bath House

Once

- The first scene in the music store