Still, just as many intense movie moments have come from high-wire suspense, high-stakes drama, or emotional tugs on the heartstrings. Here are 15 of our most memorable. Any given headshot in The Departed? Nic Cage pinballing through the city in Bringing Out the Dead?
In his signature role, Robert De Niro creeps us out with his tough-guy mirror talk and when he first appears with his mohawk haircut. But this is all prelude to the tendon-tightening finale, which starts when he gut-shoots Harvey Keitel and heads into the hotel on a homicidal rampage. Just say no⦠thanks, maaaannn. His gallery of real-life freaks have never been equaled in cinematic history. Nor are they likely to. Unless John Waters somehow gets his hand on radioactive material and a human cloning kit.
Anyway, the conclusion to Freaks , in which the deformed and the diminutive take grisly revenge on a truly ugly beauty, remains shocking today.
The cinematic inferno of Inglourious Basterds? John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson blasting away at Brett in Pulp Fiction? Muscle car meets girl head in Death Proof? White, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe.
After a film-long build up of tension, things end with multiple bangs β and an audience blown through the back of the cinema. The most intense moment comes when anal rape made its art house debut, abetted by a stick of butter. I was crying real tears. I felt humiliated and, to be honest, I felt a little raped. Thankfully, there was just one take. I never use butter to cook anymore β only olive oil.
