POP5 April: COMIC MOVIE SCENES

Hey there! We'll be posting a new monthly segment called POP5, wherein we will post our top 5 list for any given topic. If you have an idea for next month's list, let us know. Email your brilliant ideas to info@poptardsgo.com

So without further ado: this month's Pop5 List of Comic Book Movie Scenes!!

JayDee!

5.) The Dark Knight - The Pencil Trick

During the months leading up to the release of this modern classic (that's right, I said it..wanna fightabouddit?), I read review after review that mentioned something called "the pencil trick" during The Joker's introduction to the mob. I was intrigued. What the hell could this possibly be? And then..opening night at the theatre, I found out. If you saw the movie, you know what it is. If you haven't seen it yet, when you do....you'll know what it is. And you'll be glad I didn't spoil it for you.

4.) The Crow - Stand-Up Comedian from Beyond the Grave

Brandon Lee's final role was his best. Murdered on the night before his wedding (on mischeif night, no less...or "Devil's Night" in this film's incredibly gothic world), Eric Draven (gothic name) returns as an unkillable umm...killing machine to wreak vengence down upon Top Dollar and his (gothic) gang of ne'erdowells one year later to the sometimes pounding, sometimes whining (gotchic) music that plays throughout. There are too many memorable scenes to pick from, but mine would have to be the one wherein our hero shows up to give Fun-Boy the ole coup de grâce, and has a devil of a time doing it. Brandon really shows just how much fun coming back from the grave to avenge some murder can be. So much fun, in fact, that he tells an incredibly inappropriate Jesus Christ joke while playfully enjoying getting riddled with bullets. Also, Fun-Boy's brilliant muttering of "look what you've done......to my ......SHEETS" right before he passes out from the pain, is the perfect cap to this amazing scene.

3.) X-Men - Oh you silly Nazis, way to make an evil mutant pissed off!

About 5 minutes into this film, and I already knew that this wasn't going to be a silly romp through the world of mutants. One of the most powerful origin stories ever displayed in a comic book movie, our intro to this world takes place during the houlocaust, as we watch a young jewish boy being ripped away from his parents at a concentration camp. As the rain falls, so do young Eric's tears, and the force of his anguish causes the metal gates of the fence to be bent by forces unseen. This is all we need to know about the X-Men's nemesis, Magneto and his belief in why the homo-superior race should take wipe out the lowly, murderous homo-sapians.

2.) Superman II - Kryptonian Throwdown

Seriously, how is it that Superman II, which was filmed in the late 70's, had a bad-ass, mid-Metropolis brawl that hasn't been matched in ANY of the Superman films that have come in the decades following it? Not even in Superman Returns?? How is this possible? At any rate: it was friggin' COOL. Super-breath blowing away half the city's residents, super-beings flinging each other into Coke billboards, tossing whole BUSES full of people at each other? And I can still here that sexy man-woman Ersila whistling "...oh SUPER-maaan...." before kicking up a manhole cover and tossing it into Supes' midsection, knocking him through the air. Those pleather-bound evil Kryptonians gave our boy in blue a run for his money!

1.) Spider-Man 2 - Doc Ock Train Fight

Oh good god. As a LIFE-long Spider-Man fan, I had been waiting to see a live action Spidey thwipp his way through Manhattan's cityscape. The original film was pretty awesome and I thought I got what I needed from it. Then came the sequel, which was, without a doubt, a Spider-Man comic come to life. Seeing Spidey and Doc Ock fighting on  the SIDE of a speeding train, then the absolutely amazing shot of Doc Ock flinging Spidey through the air, hurtling towards an oncoming bridge, only to have our boy diving through the incredibly close metal bars to come out unharmed on the other side? HOLY HELL. I get chills just thinking about it.

Slai

5.) Kick-Ass- The dinner scene between Big Daddy and Hit Girl

Nostalgia, I was that little girl who preferred well-crafted tools to Barbies and had an uncle that would encourage my interest.  I like the dynamic of Hit Girl having a sense of humor so young and Big Daddy's pronounced fear at raising an actual little girl.

4.) X-Men 3- Professor X and Magneto visiting Jean Grey as a child

It wasn't for the footage itself which was heavily CGI-ed, but just thought the scene was really well done acting wise. I think anyone with an extreme ability hopes to be sought out and mentored to be able to use that gift for good.
 

3.) Hellboy II- Hellboy and Abe Sapien singing "I Can't Smile Without You"
It's possibly just nostalgia again, but I remember seeing this at an almost empty movie theater for the last showing of the night on a weeknight and cracking up.  I'm big on drunken singing with friends and enjoyed that these characters were as well.

2.)The Dark Knight - The Joker burning the stack of money.

I think that money can't be the motivating factor for any great hero nor any effective villain and was demonstrated much to the dismay of the surrounding lesser villains.

  
1.) V for Vendetta - Evey in the rain after being imprisoned

It's just such a strong scene, and the first that jumped into my head at the request of this list. With Portman's imaginative acting, you could see all the emotions Evey went through as she celebrated her freedom and gained the understanding she sought without first knowing the cost.

Uncle Dunklenutz:

5.) V for Vendetta - When he first introduces himself to Evey.  Just a fun demeanor and set the tone for the whole movie. Also brought me back to the times of the black and white Zorro tv show that I would watch.    

4.) The Punisher - The scene where Castle leaves the one guy with a bomb in his hand and if he drops his arm he blows up.  Just that tension and all the blowing up shit as he walks away is just testosterone overload.

3.) League of Extraordinary Gentleman - I had some trouble with this because there are so many scenes I like, but I would have to say the one that stands out the most is when Dorian Grey is getting unloaded on with a machine gun.  He just enjoys it.  Great scene and an awesome camera angle.

2.) Incredible Hulk 2008 - The scene at the college where Tim Roth is fighting the Hulk and they have a stand off and then the Hulk just kicks him onto a tree.  Badass and fun to watch.

1.) 300 - Final show down where they through the spear.  I love the narrator describing it all while it's happening. The movie all around is great, but the tension and all the other emotions just poor out.

 

Optimus Douche:

5.) Kirsten Dunst’s Tits – Spider-Man #1 - 3

Each time Ms. Dunst’s tits were showcased, whether wet and in a t-shirt or trussed up in some theatrical wear, I could have sworn it was the real Mary Jane on screen…now if they could have just done something about her face.

4.) Fantastic Four – Johnny Storm’s Hair

Yeah, sure there were those two Fantastic Four movies a few years ago, but that is pure crap compared to the 1994 never-released Fantastic Four. Why? It all boils down to Johnny Storm. Chris Evans for all of his well-acted swagger is simply not a blonde. As a natural toe-head myself, I always identified with the few and far between blonde dudes in comics. Now Jay Underwood is a real man’s man. His scalp had boils they made his hair so blonde in the 1994 version of FF. To that I salute you Jay and give you 4^th place.  

3.) Edward Norton walking in Hulk

The minute they cued up the Hulk music when Ed “I’m a creative control Douche” Norton was walking in the hulk, I shed a wee tear. Then when they had Lou Farigno as the security guard and gave him lines I laughed out loud. Seriously, the dude’s deaf, that’s why they needed Bill Bixby. There’s nostalgia and then there’s just being sad.

2.) Jack Nicholson – The Joker

“Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?” to this day I don’t know what the fuck he was talking about, but I can recite that line in a heartbeat from memory. What else do you need to qulify a scene as memorable.

1.) Heath ledger – The Joker

Every fucking scene he was in. Seriously, sure the pencil was great, but each moment fo his performance will forever be burned into my cerebellum as a reminder to the enormous talent his selfish drug cocktail ripped away from the world. Seriously, talented actors please listen. Just smoke some fucking weed and call it a day. K – thanks! 

 Jess "The Hoss" Tutton

5.) The Crow - Something really got me, right at my teenage core watching him run from building to building at top speed, to a Nine Inch Nails song. He was so full of heartbreak, ready to avenge his love. It was enough to turn me goth for a while. It's true. Knowing what happened to Brandon Lee in real life always made it a little more eerie too to watch the film. This movie was the first time I was inspired to read a graphic novel. (I'm a girl, it didn't come naturally, sorry to say!)

4.) Spiderman - This movie was great because I think it helped us to realize once again how great comic movies could be. I also like Spiderman 2 and some people say it's the best, but for me I liked this one for the scenes where he is learning to use his powers and ablities.I mean really who among us hasn't wanted to be able to try some of it? There's something so great about Peter Parker, we can really relate to him.

3.) The whole of Sin City was amazing. How do you pick a scene? I like the Bruce Willis scenes in That Yellow Bastard. However, I love the idea of chicks getting revenge so I like "The Big Fat Kill." I like the idea of women who aren't portrayed as helpless and stupid, they defend their own and in their own way in the midst of a hellish city.

2.) (The  Michael Keaton) Batman- This movie was so awesome when it first came out. Admit it! My favorite scene is the one where he goes to meet Vicki Vail in her apartment and he's rehearsing "I'm Batman" to tell her... and then later the Joker shows up and he breaks some shit and says, famously, "Ya wanna get nuts??? Let's get nuts!!!!!!"

1.) Does it get any better than the Dark Knight?  Again, too hard to pick a scene. You can go with the pencil scene. Because, it's frickin' amazing. But pretty much any time the Joker is on screen, I am mesmerized by Heath Ledger. Who knew he could be the joker we had always dreamed of? For some reason though, I really enjoy the fight scene where the Joker is driving a truck. (That on the side says SLaughter is the best medicine...) He decides he wants to drive, and lots of fun action ensues.

MasterFilmMakerMarkMackner:

5.) The Origin of Splinter, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)"
I told JD I’d be including this, and he probably hoped I was kidding.  I’m of course, talking about the first LIVE ACTION Turtles movie.  You know it’s an EPIC scene, because you know that as soon as you read the words “origin of Splinter”, you got a mental image of that crudely made rat puppet in the bird cage practicing karate kicks while watching his master.  It’s poorly lit, and very deliberately so.  But no amount of shadows can cover up the fact that that is one hilarious rat puppet doing karate kicks in a bird cage.  And the part where he flies at Oruku Saki’s face and bites him?  Fucking priceless.  Say what you want about the rest of the movie, but I will defend this scene with an intensity normally reserved for Viking invasions.  It just never fails to make me smile. 

4.) Superman vs. Zod, Ursa, and Non, “Superman II"
As far as I know, this is one of the first live-action, super-powered smackdowns in filmdom, and it’s still immensely entertaining.  So what if the effects are a little dated.  It’s still a lot of fun. 

3.) Joker makes his intro, “The Dark Knight”.
And now for something completely different.  Only… not.  I mean, it’s still The Joker, right?  But he’s nothing like Joker ’89.  Well, kind of.  Let me start over.  Heath Ledger’s Joker is definitely different from Jack’s Joker.  And, as much as I love Jack’s Joker, THAT’S A GOOD THING.  The beauty of this scene is that we’re not given the luxury of an origin story, or any kind of set-up, really.  Joker just walks in out of nowhere, no name, no background.  And he IMMEDIATELY joins the ranks of Cinema’s All-time Great Villains.  With the cherished memory of Jack’s Joker still dear to thousands of fanboys (including me), Ledger just HAD to kill in this first scene.  And, boy.  Did he EVER!!!!  AMAZING first impression, LEGENDARY performance, BRILLIANT scene!

2.) Joker and his goons redecorate the art museum, “Batman (1989)”.
This scene is just one of the most FUN scenes ever!  This would probably be on my Top 10 Scenes Ever, regardless of any connection to comics.  There’s just so much energy and demented glee infused in every frame.  Who would have thought that Jack Nicholson and Prince would make such a dynamic screen team?  I don’t have to tell you that Jack was firing on all cylinders here, and Prince just fucking rocks.  The dialogue (“You’re insane!”  “I thought I was a Pisces”), the direction, the dancing (Those goons had style!), the performances, all first-rate.  EPIC scene!

1.) Spider-Man vs. The Green Goblin in Times Square, “Spider-Man”.
Since Spidey has always been my favorite comic, and #1 hero, this should be no surprise.  I remember seeing this for the first time in the theater, loving every minute of the opening credits and origin story.  But it was THIS moment that really made me squeal with glee and say to myself, “HOLY FUCK!  We’re gonna see Spidey vs. the Green Goblin!  For reaiz!”  When everyone looks up into the sky and says “What’s that?”, and you see the smoke trail from the Goblin Glider in the distance, fast approaching… I fucking LOVE that!!!!!  It’s a great fight, and you get some Spidey zingers in there, too.  And with all the parade balloons and all, it’s really colorful and comic booky, and I mean that in the most beautiful way possible.  When Spidey shoots some web in Gobby’s eyes, and he’s like “Gah!”, that’s fucking classic.  And when Gobby takes off, “We’ll meet again, Spider-Man!”  So Silver Age.  So magnificent.  Yeah, everybody complained about Gobby’s costume.  Whatever.  I’m cool with it.  Great scene.

"Nite"Pete Tutton:

5.) Akira- motorcycle chase scene.
This movie influenced my entire aesthetic. It was one of the first anime films I’d really seen and the motorcycle sequence with the clown gang blew my mind. The trails behind the taillights, the percussive soundtrack,  those kickass bikes. It was between this and the scene where Tetsuo turns to a giant mountain of vaginas but there’s a wee bit too much repetitive name-screaming in there for me.

4.) Superman 3- the cyborg closet.
I only have vague memories of watching this as a kid but this scene scared the shit out of me. When somebody pushes the female bad guy into this closet or something that turns her into some sort of cyborg. I remember it as being very graphic, with her screaming as mechanical bits are getting grafted onto her skin. I had nightmares for a week.

3.) Batman- Joker likes Francis Bacon.
As the Joker and his goons go through the Gotham Museum of improving the paintings, cavorting to the strains of a young Prince, Joker stops at a Francis Bacon painting and tells the goons to leave this one alone. Give a weirdo like Tim Burton the reigns of a beloved comic book franchise and you have to expect an insider art reference or two.

2.) The Dark Knight- chase through Chicago, I mean Gotham.
There is a truckload of things to love about this movie but my favorite little bit is during the Batcycle sequence where he slides out and the front wheel spins end over end and is then automatically realigned and Bats drives off, not missing a beat. It’s a blink and you miss it moment but from an industrial design perspective it is friggin awesome.

1.) Spider-Man 2- runaway train.
After Spidey is knocked for a loop by Doc Ock, the good people of NY step up and issue the old if you want him, you hafta go through us first ultimatum. This was the least red state treatment of the 9/11 ‘let’s roll’ mentality I’ve ever seen. It gave me chills. Actual chills, people!

Well, that's it for this month's list. ARE WE WRONG? Let us know! Leave a comment below or email us! Thanks for reading and we'll write atcha later!