Barbara (2012) (dir. Christian Petzold) (Germany)

In A Better World (2010) (dir. Susanne Beir) (Denmark)

The Entrepreneur (2011) (dir. Giulano Montaldo) (Italy)

Turquaze (2010) (dir. Kadir Balci) (Belgium)

Uncle Hank (2012) (dir. Elbert van Strien) (Netherlands)

Chinese Take-Away (2011) (dir. Sebastian Borensztein) (Argentina)

Winter Sleepers (1997) (dir. Tom Tykwer) (Germany)

Wrinkles (2011) (dir. Ignacio Ferreras) (Spain)

My Brother the Devil (2012) (dir. Sally El Hosaini) (UK)

This is just my shortlist, unsure as to whether I’ll be seeing more or less (hoping work doesn’t impede that). If there’s anything they’re showing that I’m not quite giving attention to (since honestly I’ve seen none of the films they’re showing) let me know.

With this weekend’s release of Snitch — a film I have no particular interest in, but can somewhat see myself enjoying later in the year on DVD for the fun of it — I remember why it is I have such a conflicted thought process towards that movie; The Rock. It’s amazing to me how Dwayne Johnson, former wrestler, has been able to transform himself into this mega star and able to somehow balance the action juggernaut style that the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger became famous for and also be such a likeable guy all the while.

So instead of me wasting my time with Snitch, and staying at home this weekend awaiting for Fast & Furious 6, G.I Joe: Retaliation and Pain and Gain (two films coming out later this starring The Rock), I want to remind you all why it is I have this adoration of this man as an entertainer by sharing with you five scenes that I feel best represent what makes him so great:

5. Be Cool — “Bring it On!”

There’s something about watching The Rock delivering a monologue (which isn’t a monologue) from the seminal cheerleading film Bring It On! which wins.

4. Reno 911!: Miami — “They call me the condor”

I’ve actually never watched an episode of the TV show (I should probably remedy that), but I did see the movie and while I don’t remember being fairly impressed at the time this scene popped out at me and refuses to leave my mind. I mean seriously, “I got ten seconds with these son’s of bitches” puts me in stitches everytime I play the video.

3. Fast Five — Hobbs vs. Dom

Something about all that muscle and walls being broken makes a fight scene that much more heavy in it’s own way.

2. The Rundown — “The easy way” & Double Shotgun

So I honestly can’t pick between these two scenes. The Rundown is what I feel is the best representation of what I really hope Snitch will be; a ridiculous B-movie that understands where it lies and just enjoys itself a whole lot. In the first scene we get to see The Rock surprise everyone by beating the crap out of everything in sight. in the next one we see him cocking shotguns with his arm pits, knees, elbows and then eventually shooting them side by side in a “double shotgun” mode that I feel FPS games need to take note of.

1. The Other Guys — “aim for the bushes”

I guess it’s been long enough that it’s ok with me talking about this scene… but OMG where are the bushes? It’s obvious from this list that I focus a lot more on the scenes/films/roles where Johnson is enjoying being ridiculous and funny, which is what I love. In this bit role almost every line he gets is perfect in its lunacy and I thank the writers, casting director and director for this perfect moment.

What scenes did I miss?

I kind of like doing this from time to time… going back and reminding myself (and making it glaringly obvious the films that I’m lacking in having seen) of the films I love from years gone by. I’ve done the entire 2000s, as well as 1999 and 1998… so it’s only fitting it take a moment to remember 1997.

As it pertains to this year a few films of note that I haven’t seen that may have been in contention for this list are: Amistad, The Full Monty, Open Your Eyes and Wag the Dog.

Some films that I considered but just didn’t make the final cut were: Good Will Hunting, Grosse Pointe Blank, Perfect Blue, Chasing Amy, As Good As It Gets and Contact.

So onto the list:

10. L.A. Confidential (dir. Curtis Hanson)

This is a film that possibly deserves a higher spot, it definitely played deep into my wheelhouse. However, I want to temper it’s spot with the fact that I just saw it about three hours ago for the first time. Regardless, I’ve fallen deeply in love with this movie. I love the style and the way that it builds to this crazed crime story that the movie refuses to even let it’s characters figure out before the sudden third act twist. Pearce, Crowe and Spacey all bring their A-game to a film that deserved every minute of it.

9. G.I. Jane (dir. Ridley Scott)

Is this my War Horse pick? Possibly. This is probably the most underrated film of the year of it’s release and more importantly one of the most forgotten films of that year. I’ve always had a soft spot for military films (I still watch Patton every so often just because) and something about this film just clicked. It’s a movie that I enjoy from start to finish everytime it’s on TV and I just associate the 90s with.

8. Lost Highway (dir. David Lynch)

Here’s a film that I saw once near three years ago when I decided it was a good idea to go through David Lynch‘s filmography (it isn’t), but if there’s one thing I definitively say about this film is that it stays with you. The movie is strange and inexplicably so, half way through there is a shift into almost a completely separate story from the one we began with and somehow I was able to still be engaged by the movie. Lynch is able to make cool his currency of choice here and I bought every minute of it. Including a great monologue from Robert Loggia on driving safely which helps the movie make me a happier person.

7. Titanic (dir. James Cameron)

I don’t what to say. I like spectacle. I was resistant to this film on original release (mainly because I was young and wanted to hate anything ‘mushy’), however last year when it was re-released (in 3D sadly) I gave it a second chance only to discover that the film was really great. Barring my hatred for that damn Celine Dion song, apologies, this film hit all the notes it needed. There was some great exchanges, charm and I was rooting for these two to make it out of the tragic crash alive together. There’s a lot of broad humour, and some crazy Billy Zane moments to mix into the pot for good measure as well. More importantly I feel James Cameron was able to properly execute the making of an epic worth mentioning next to some of the more established ones (Lawrence of Arabia, Patton, Ben-Hur, Dr. Zhivago) and time will keep this movie in good shape I feel.

6. Princess Mononoke (dir. Hayao Miyazaki)

Miayzaki, one of my all-time favourite filmmakers, has consistently made his stories engaging by complete world building. The best kind of films like that are able to do this by making sure to have its audience begin under the assumption that we already know this world and therefore allows us to exist in it seamlessly. This is what he accomplishes with Princess Mononoke as we witness demon boars, cursed arms that give super strength, talking wolves and gods that give and take life. Besides being one of the most gorgeous animated features ever made the film is relentless in bringing the viewer into it’s fantasy without making us ever disbelieve its existence.

5. Jackie Brown (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Here is a film that I didn’t quite warm to upon initial viewing. As head of the Tarantino fan club I was shocked by the linear approach and most un-Tarantino-esque style that the film had (given it’s the only film he’s directed that was based off a pre-existing piece of work; via a book by Elmore Leonard), but over time I’ve come to appreciate that fact more and more. Last year I (as did many critics) praised Tarantino for his work in the blaxsploitation genre with Django Unchained, but it’s even more obvious his love of the genre with this film as we see Pam Grier return to relevance as a woman caught between a rock and hard place and using opportunity to wiggle from underneath that predicament to finally have a notch in her win column. Very heavy on the multiple perspective idea that film never looks away from the opportunity to keep the entire world in focus as he depicts the ineptitude of law enforcement and criminals, “he’s just repeating shit he heard,” in a grading light that leaves it for the audience to see for themselves just the kind of adversaries Jackie is dealing with.

4. Boogie Nights (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

What can I say that hasn’t been said about Paul Thomas Anderson and his films, more specifically Boogie Nights. The film is a chronicling of the rise and fall of stardom through the character of Eddie/Dirk in the porn business.

3. The Game (dir. David Fincher)

I can’t think of a better thriller made in the last twenty years than The Game. Fincher has been documented saying that his intentions of the film was the make the audience leave the movie asking themselves what their game would look like and that frightening thought is what the film does every time I watch it.

2. The Ice Storm (dir. Ang Lee)

The family is a sacred thing but in reality it isn’t so sacred, it’s broken and constantly unmended usually. Here we see a family which theorizes and intellectualizes everything to the point of no longer being able to relate or comprehend each other’s decisions in life and this creates a web of entangled lives that never meshes but rather manages to just be stuck together awaiting for someone to come and undo it all.

1. Life is Beautiful (dir. Roberto Benigni)

This is one of those movies that if you’ve seen it and don’t like it, you don’t have a heart. It’s hard to understand how masterfully Benigni is able to mix light humour and the holocaust and make it work so well on these two separate levels. On one look you see the child’s perspective who sees a game he plays with his father and on another viewing we see his father suffering so that his son doesn’t notice the horrors his life has become and able to survive this time of tragedy. As we watch Benigni make funny walks that are worthy of a Monty Python sketch I can’t recall a movie that made me laugh and cry as much as this all at the same time.

What’s your favourite films of 1997?

If you’ve listened to the Top Ten of 2012 Episode of TUMP already you may notice a couple of discrepancies with this list as opposed to that one. There were no late sneak ins but rather for that episode I was forced to veto a few picks for one reason or another… this, as presented, is what I consider to be the true representation of my favourite films of 2012. So enjoy:

#11 – #20

Argo (dir. Ben Affleck)

It’s Ben Affleck tackling a story that has the highest of stakes while juxtaposing it all against the whimsy of Hollywood. Even better, 80s Hollywood. Where makeup was thick and budgets were cheap. Read my full review here.

Café de Flore (dir. Jean-Marc Vallée)

There are few movies which are able to convey emotion more than story and this is one of those movies. Telling the story of two romances, one of a troubled DJ and his girlfriend in modern day Montreal, and the other of two children suffering from down syndrome in 60s Paris. The film is touching and beautiful in every way.

Everyday (dir. Michael Winterbottom)

Back to the idea of a film displaying an emotion more than anything else. Here’s Winterbottom playing with narrative by presenting a film about a family over a five year period torn apart since the father is in jail. The film was made over a period of five years so we get the joy of watching the family age in real time and the score as well as brilliantly placed visuals bring about more drama than any David Mamet screenplay. Read my full review here.

Moonrise Kingdom (dir. Wes Anderson)

If whimsy is the word you like to hear when looking if you should watch a movie then look no further. We watch a tale of young love as a scout and a outcast early teenage girl run away together to live off the land while the rest of the adults are left scrambling looking to find them. Brilliant visual appeal as well as comedy that makes the eye laugh as much as the rest of your body. It’s a joy in every fashion of the word. Listen to the Podcast.

ParaNorman (dir. Chris Butler & Sam Fell)

It’s hard to believe that someone could find so much to discuss about horror films, technically an adult genre, and put it all in a children’s movie. Add to the fact that the stop motion animation is some of the best animation of 2012 and you have an all around winner. Read my full review here.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (dir. Stephen Chbosky)

Every once in a while a film comes along that feels way too personal and it is either going to be your favourite film ever or worst. This is the case of me being the audience that this film works for and I understand for anyone who isn’t into hipster (for lack of a better word) crowds where all they want to do is talk about David Bowie songs and the Rock Horror Picture Show that they’re going to act for the fifteenth time that year.

Reality (dir. Matteo Garrone)

When you believe yourself to be the next big thing it’s difficult to handle someone else not believing that as well. When Luciano auditions for the Italian version of Big Brother he’s sure he’s got the spot set. However, that is only the beginning of a wonderous twisted viewpoint on celebrity, faith and life on the whole as we watch Luciano go insane fantasizing and focussing on this opportunity that he waits on to be official. Read my full review here.

Safety Not Guaranteed (dir. Colin Trevorrow)

Time travel (a genre we’ll be discussing more later) is a genre that has many misgivings however there’s one theme that’s true throughout it that is barely ever discussed within its own genre. That theme is of regret. Our protagonists want to travel through time more times than not to fix some regret they have in their past and this film touches on that note so beautifully it makes me weep at times. Throw in some great performances from Mark Duplass, Aubrey Plaza and Jake Johnson and you have a winner. Read my full review here.

Searching for Sugar Man (dir. Malik Bendjelloul)

This is a film I want to say as little about as possible other than it’s great and now there’s an artist I have to find his music for.

Skyfall (dir. Sam Mendes)

James Bond is a relic of the past. Even after his successful reboot with Casino Royale they botched the series again with Quantum of Solace. Here the franchise is re-rebooted and it’s one of the most gorgeous films and well delivered action films of 2012. Sam Mendes you rock. Read my full review here.

 See My Top Ten of 2012 on the Next Page>>

In not particular order

The Thin Red Line (1998) (dir. Terrence Malick)

I’ve always been in love with spralling interconnecting cinema. One of my favourite movies of all time happens to be one that is an unapologetic version of it (i.e. Magnolia). Here we have Terrence Malick taking on war with a three hour runtime and enough actors that I truly believe he has a fifteen hour version sitting on the shelf at home that he enjoys watching in his off years wondering what other abstract story he wants to tell next. I’m not going to call it the greatest war film of all time, but it might be the most gorgeous one. It’s weird seeing the opening scene of Jim Caviezel co-existing with this tribe of people and having to figure out where the war comes into all of this. The film is a harsh viewing for anyone not acclimated to Malick‘s odd structure for telling stories but that’s always been his biggest strength for me as a viewer.

My Man Godfrey (1936) (dir. Gregory La Cava)

Many love to title stories being ‘rags to riches’ but I don’t think I can imagine one movie more dismissive of that summation than this film. Societal discussions as well as some of the best scene chewing acting from the likes of William Powell as Godfrey makes this movie a magical piece of old Hollywood entertainment that I feel all should see.

My Left Foot (1989) (dir. Jim Sheridan)

Daniel Day-Lewis to today’s just budding cinephiles is Daniel Plainview in There will be Blood, Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting in Gangs of New York and Abraham Licoln in this year’s Licoln. Here may not be where he started out proving that his acting is enough to propel films from heavy handed dross into cinematic gems, but it sure as hell is one of the best examples. While he’s usually the shining spectacle in his starring films I’m willing to hear arguments for other elements in all of his more modern releases (listed above) being why someone would love those movies, here however the entire selling point is him and him alone and it wins.

Ben-Hur (1959) (dir. William Wyler)

I make fun. I watched this movie over the Easter weekend, because it’s billed as an Easter film. However, I consider it to be a brilliant story of revenge that someone decided to shoe horn in cameo appearances of Jesus throughout to play to the religious crowd. So as long as you edit out the Jesus scenes, which I feel ruins the film entirely, it’s one of the grandest most amazing revenge stories ever; and the chariot scene is so good.

Heathers (1988) (Michael Lehmann)

If you need a better anti-culture film of the 80s ever made this might be it. The anti-establishment messages of Winona Ryder and Christian Slater going on a killing spree to make the world a better place, but not really, are so good it’s criminal. Related Post

City Lights (1931) (dir. Charlie Chaplin)

I had this grand plan at the beginning of last summer to marathon through a few of the Chaplin classics, sadly this was the only film I actually watched (maybe I’ll reboot that idea early this year…). However, this became an instant hit with me. I always watch old comedies with the feeling that the comedy won’t work. Comedy in itself is such a subjective genre that I feel that when you reach for comedies so far back that the context will be lost or the style has become so overused by then it’ll fall flat. On the contrary Chaplin falling flat, and in all other manners, was exactly what I needed as I couldn’t stop laughing. The tramp forever. Read my full review.

A Man Escaped (1957) (dir. Robert Bresson)

People love to dig deep into the realm of nitpicking movies. Call out generalizations and assumptions that movies make in order to keep a tight runtime and entertainment value high. Here in lies a film that does the opposite and still manages to engage in a way that so many movies forget to do nowadays, all while remaining to a sub 2 hour runtime. We’re given a meticulously detailed explanation of how Fontaine manages to live and eventually escape from his prison after being detained by the Nazis. There is no detail that’s left unexplained and nothing feels frivolous which gives the film the stakes needed to keep us on the edge of our seat for the entire runtime. Read my full review.

Today y’all living in nice places will be able to head out to your local cinemas and go catch Cloud Atlas the latest film starring Tom Hanks. If you missed you can read my review from TIFF here, I thought it was great.

However, this got me thinking as to what were the ten roles that Mr. Hanks has played over the years that I’ve loved… read the following:

10. Charlie Wilson – Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)

Definitely aided by the fun Aaron Sorkin screenplay here’s a role where Hanks gets to enjoy monologuing and being smarter than everyone else in the room a lot more than possibly his other roles.

9. Joe – Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

Is there someone out there who doesn’t like this movie? It’s the right kind of silly romantic comedy which plagued Hanks‘ first few years as an actor, but while it stopped him from going on to do the more memorable roles we all know him for he still excelled at this frivolous roles so well that we loved them anyways.

8. Chuck Noland – Cast Away (2000)

Who else could make a romantic relationship with a volleyball as adorable as Hanks does here? It’s a film that didn’t quite grab me initially, as I was still not ready to digest a film like this, but overtime I’ve come to admire the film for what it did. It predated a lot of the crazy survival films and took the minimal approach to blockbuster filmmaking that not many moves in 2000 took the time to do.

7. Viktor Navorski – The Terminal (2004)

Some view this film as useless and too silly for it’s own material. Regardless of those comments which have this thing called evidence to back them up it doesn’t stop Hanks’ performance from being anything but brilliant.

6. Forrest Gump – Forrest Gump (1994)

When a film is able to be as earnest as this is and still be loved by all without ever questioning its intent then we know that it worked. Hanks’ performance, which is know considered the one to look towards when discussing disabled performances, is none short of great. No matter how on the nose our characters may be it’s when we believe in them and feel with them that everything came together in the right way.

Read the Top Five on the Next Page>>>

It’s been a while but I feel a desire to return to rounding up years of cinema to which I both know not that much about and wasn’t blogging for. A few months back I rounded up my Top Ten Films of 1999, now it’s 1998′s turn.

10. American History X (dir. Tony Kaye)

When a former Nazi supporter is released from prison and had his life changed due to the experience only to find that his younger brother has been ensnared by these same Nazis it’s left him with a job to do before it’s too late. The film’s strengths include being visually jarring and thematically poignant dealing with the need for those people in our lives to guide us along the right path. We understand that Derek (Edward Norton) strayed from the path due to this lack of guidance and seeing that his absence has led Danny (Edward Furlong) into the same predicament which further nails the film’s point into the audience’s mind. The black & white versus colour, past and present storytelling makes for a visually interesting film that won’t be forgotten too quickly.

9. He Got Game (dir. Spike Lee)

Spike Lee is a filmmaker who has his own style and venacular that goes along with it. With his love of basketball he takes on an interesting father/son dynamic as Jake (Denzel Washington) is released from prison with the sole purpose of convincing his son, Jesus (Ray Allen), into showing intent to attend a specific college. Jake takes this opportunity to attempt to — as best he can — try and patch up his relationship with son after heading to jail in what some may call a series of poor circumstances. Using daring visual shots, evocative dialogue heavy scenes (one of my favourite being the car ride monologue NSFW btw) and  when you throw in a passion like basketball as a core subject Lee shines as bright as he ever has.

8. Pleasantville (dir. Gary Ross)

Many scholars still argue that the shift from black and white to colour in cinema was a poor choice, let this film change your mind. In this world — at all times — we site dreading change. We embrace it only after being dragged kicking and screaming only to realize how good that change can just be. So when in the world of Pleasantville — a black and white TV show — we introduce the notion of colour the citizens (for the most part) are reluctant to the point of violence. The film is a great allegory for racism and the shift in culture but can also be extended to any time in history when social change was asked of the world. It’s honestly one of the most unsung gems of 1998.

7. Out of Sight (dir. Steven Soderbergh)

Noir crime drama done at it’s finest and from the hands of the veteran Steven Soderbergh. With scenes that will down right leave you mezmerised as we watch Jack Foley (George Clooney) charm his way out of any scenario it just works.

6. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (dir. Guy Ritchie)

The crime comedy that redefined the genre as every film that followed tried its best (including the director’s follow up films) to imitate and recreate it.

Read the Top 5 on the Next Page>>>

So here are my Top Ten Film Set in LA.:

10.  Boyz n the Hood (1991) (dir. John Singleton)

Ice Cube, Lawrence Fishburne and Cuba Gooding Jr. deliver performances that should keep them working for the rest of their careers, however looking at the current state of affairs it doesn’t mean that it happens. The film takes us into the ghetto of Los Angeles with two best friends and how they grow apart due to the morals that define them. However, no matter the distance their friendship is so strong that it keeps them coming back together as they each have to figure out their own way of right and wrong.

A stark depiction of not only inner city life but also gang warfare in Los Angeles.

9. Drive (2011) (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)

Last year I found it hard to find a movie cooler than Refn’s latest and looking back I still am not sure I can. Ryan Gosling takes on the role of the silent and nameless Driver who gets wrapped up in a bad heist and tears his whole world apart just as it’s beginning to take form. He shows his skills being more than proficient in every area that’s needed and when called upon can deliver what’s necessary for almost any situation. The film deals with the moral grey of life and delusion all while fetishizing violence in a way that’s hardly done as gracefully as this film.

8. Pulp Fiction (1994) (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

If one was the think of a much more serious and equally enjoyable relative of Seven Psychopaths this is the film you would come up with. Pulp Fiction takes the ensemble scattering of stories and brings them together in one big L.A. gangster action/comedy film at once. With John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel and Ving Rhames (to name a few) all getting together to tell stories of hit men with brains in a car, boxers running from mob bosses and robberies gone awry then you know you’re in the right place for a Tarantino film.

7. Heat (1995) (dir. Michael Mann)

A crew of highly professional thieves come to L.A. to pull a big bank job and the police get wind of the job. The film then becomes the cat and mouse of cop and robber pitted against one another to see if one can pull it off and if the other will catch them in the act. Pacino and De Niro have been lauded for this film, with good reason, but more than that is Michael Mann’s calculated hand at making sure all the elements add up and giving a true sense of space at all times. The film takes us on (out of all the films in this list) the most detailed and grand tour of the city of L.A. without distracting from the narrative or feeling too ‘go here when you come in town’. Otherwise the film itself is fantastic with one of the most engaging bank robberies in history of cinema.

6. The Graduate (1967) (dir. Mike Nichols)

With a much more odd view of L.A. we see Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft shuffle around having a secret relationship after he returns from college. It’s a story of a man who falls in love with a woman after having relations with her mother and trying to make one thing work without having the other’s existence ruin it all. Hoffman’s performance is infectiously lovely and also endearing as he has to deal with his own guilt for what he’s done and at the same time be in service to his honest love for Mrs. Robinson’s daughter.

Read my Top 5 On the Next Page>>>

Let’s start this out with the admission that I’m odd, or at least that’s what I think at times. Everyone has had this conundrum, whether it happens to them twice a year or fifty it’s the same paradox. You’re not sure whether you believe a film may be worth a full price ticket at the local Cineplex and you’re not sure what to do. Do you risk it and hope to be surprised, or skip it and wait another year to randomly catch it on HBO (if you have such lavish things) and expect to be vindicated in your decision a year prior?

There are films that do this to me. However, in my odd state, I find that more than often I tend to take the risk, if for no reason other than I love movies too much. As I tend to say to people who discover this about me, “I have an addiction, and I’m still not ready for the 12 step plan.” Here are some movies coming out over the next six months that I’ve not quite come to a decision as to whether they’re movie theatre worthy or just catch on cable forgettable, help me decide:

Pitch Perfect: I’m not sure if this movie is going to hit that perfect tone of spoof for it to work for me without being one of the ridiculously bad episodes of Glee (I’ve gone on record being nice about that show, but post first season has gotten progressively worse)

The Paperboy: Is it a court room drama or a psychopathic murdering gorefest? I’m not sure. It feels to me like all I’m going to be able to say nice about this movie is that it has good actors and they were good.

Argo: This is a case of a trailer just feeling off to me. It starts out as a proper CIA office driven spy film and then turns into a wacky Hollywood is crazy movie and I’m not sure which of those two beasts this movie will really serve.

Zero Dark Thirty: Katheryn Bigelow (a filmmaker I respect) is going on a hunt of Bin Laden. I just don’t see this subject matter being done in a manner that doesn’t come off as America jerking itself off completely for some reason (*cough* Newsroom *cough*).

The Impossible: Sometimes a movie comes off with too much heart, last year taught me that I shouldn’t be doubtful of them, but I’m going to go ahead and doubt this one.

Am I wrong to doubt these? Which films do you doubt?

It’s been near a month since my last top ten, I almost feel like it wasn’t missed at all, and with Premium Rush hitting theatres this weekend I felt it best to take on a topic that will probably bore you all to tears, movies and bikes. So let’s get on with the counting…

10. Donnie Darko – Opening Scene

It’s odd to be starting this list with an opening scene from a film which actually has little to do with bikes as anything else. However the scene remains particularly striking, because like most great films it takes the opportunity to grab you and give you a small idea of what kind of tone this film looks to take. Just calmly following Donnie as he wakes up on the side of the road next to his bike and rides home with some great mellow soundtrack in behind him is just so fun.

9. 127 Hours – Beating a Record

What I love so much about this scene is how it basically explains who this guy is. He’s not that guy who passively enjoys nature and is out here for no reason, he’s aggressive with his passion and the way he seems to want to push himself to break some silly record for just himself shows some greatness and what’s to come.

8. Torque – The Cat Fight

So I don’t think I can talk about movies with bikes without talking about the brilliant film that is Torque. Joseph Kahn decided to film a bike fight scene where two women (who say bitch about five times each in 3 minutes) fight while on bikes, riding bikes, doing spin kicks with bikes and surprisingly not crashing into anything.

7. The Shining – Tuesday

This low-key scene works so well, for the same reason every scene in The Shining works so well, because of how eerie it is from top to bottom. As we follow Danny peddling his big wheel around the empty hotel you can’t help but getting a sense of uneasiness as he stops and gets up going towards that door. Help me sleep at night please.

6. The Great Muppet Caper – “Couldn’t We Ride”

I did a marathon of the Muppet films last year, this scene was is one of those gems from the history of the Muppets that I dare say surpasses so many others that no one should ever forget it. It’s shocking the first time you see the camera come away and you see what must be a woman in a massive Ms. Piggy outfit and some similar setup for Kermit as they ride in tandem singing a great song. It’s gorgeous.

Read the Top Five on the Next Page>>>