So while we're in this Oscar downtime, and while we wade through more films all coming out to qualify for Oscar consideration, let's take some looks back again, this time, I'll be sharing with you each week some of the individual film sequences from motion picture history which rank as the greatest of all time ... this reflects back on the things we tend to remember most about the movies -- individual sequences, collections of scenes that are so powerful on their own, or contribute immeasurably to their films. These are timeless film moments, scenes that remain in our minds long after we leave the theatre. These film moments are sometimes so powerful they overwhelm even the movie themselves, and become what we truly remember when we think of the magic of the movies.
These weekly discussions of the best film sequences of all time will not be in any particular order, and I hope it encourages discussions on sequences you would pick as the best of all time. And let's take a look at a few this week ...
The two family dinner scenes with Eddie Murphy playing all the roles from THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1996) -- Besides being two of the funniest film sequences ever seen, (as soon as the farting begins, the laughter never ends), these two sequences were absolutely incredible film achievements due to the special effects involved. Eddie Murphy played the part of five different people at the dinner table, including his main character Sherman Klump, as well as his father, mother, brother, and grandmother. The scene is constructed so seamlessly that there is never any doubt in the viewer's mind that they are watching five different characters. The sequences are also memorable because of Eddie Murphy's performances, making each one a distinct character.
John Dunbar's Indian dance around the fire from DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) -- This scene, about halfway through Kevin Costner's wonderful film, has Lieutenant John Dunbar returning to his post after having been accepted into the Sioux indians' world. Back at his post, a perplexed wolf looks on as Dunbar builds himself a bonfire and dances around it. This sequence, although very short, begins to show the transformation of this man from John Dunbar, a man who he may have never even known, a man who almost killed himself months before, into Dances With Wolves, a proud member of the Sioux Indians.
