“If The Emperor wishes my death, he has but to ask. “
The Last Samurai did have the potential to be a poor mans “Dances With Wolves”, but for the saving grace of Ken Watanabe. The deliberate intricacies of his portrayal of Katsumoto made me believe he was this Samurai, and even though his fate was sealed, in my heart I longed for him to somehow change the fate of history. The dedication he portrayed the truth of The Samurai with is what made his death so powerful. His persona and being was so strong it stopped an entire battle. Without question a memorable death.
"He doesn't scream, not even when the mutt's had its fill and the killer's guts are lyin' all over the place - somehow the bastard is still alive, still starin' at me, not even when I grabbed the saw and finished the job."
"James, earn this..... Earn this....",
Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey play the two young star-crossed lovers from the different houses of Montague and Capulet. We all know the story and most kids have been forced to watch this version in their required English or drama course in high school, but hopefully it gave them an appreciation for the tragedy of Shakespeare. There tragic death by poison and dagger with Juliet yelling, “Oh, happy dagger” is gut wrenching, maybe because a dagger in the gut is an ouch thought.
The battle of wits game with Wesley (Cary Elwes) and Vinzzini (Wallace Shawn) with the poisoned wine tasting. Vinzzini makes the mistake of thinking he is far smarter than his opponent and it is his arrogance that does him in. Sure when he realizes he’s drank the poison it is shocking, but the real kicker is when Wesley reveals that each glass contained the poison and he had built an immunity to it. He is still prattling on that he is smarter when he suddenly keels over. Hysterical and cool death.
The accidental death of Marvin sets the face for the insane flick that is Pulp Fiction. Vincent Vega accidentally fires his face off sending brain-matter and blood all over their car. This is a death that is definitely memorable because of it’s situation and because of the shock of it. Who could forget poor Marvin’s brains flying in the back of the car or the Wolf cleaning it up. Marvin never even saw it coming.
Lester Burnham’s death in American Beauty is powerful because we are told at the beginning that one year from that point he will die. From the events that follow it’s difficult to perceive that actually happening and the story is so cleverly written it becomes a shock that he actually does. When the moment finally comes and and Chris Cooper enters the house it’s shocking and just wrong, but so good.
"I have been, and always shall be, your friend. Live long, and prosper."
After being exposed to massive amounts of radiation to save the Enterprise and her crew the dramatic death scene of Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is an unforgettable moment. Before he went to his death, Spock transferred his katra — his memories and experience — to Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley) with the word “Remember”. He reassured Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner)that his death was logical and the needs of many outweighed the needs of one. This one is a tough ending, even with the knowledge that he comes back in “The Search For Spock” and the other following sequels.
I love this movie and the wicked finale where hit-man Leon (Jean Reno) finally bites it is worth every moment built up to that point. His sacrificial death to Stansfield (Gary Oldman) after being shot in the back is the ultimate retribution. As he is dying, he hands a note to Stansfield reading: “This is from Matilda” with a grenade pin. It sets off a dozen or more grenades that he had strapped to himself dying on his terms.
"You're Terminated Fucker!"
The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) became nothing more than his exoskeletal frame when the oil tank-truck that he commandeered was blown up. In the fire, his skin and human features melted away leaving the frightening robot underneath. Living up to the hype of being impossible to kill, it survives, though with a limp. He follows Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) into a factory where she lures him to a hydraulic steel press machine and crushes his face and remaining body. Connor yells, “You’re terminated, F**ker!” Lightening bolts explode and the cyborgs glowing red eyes darken and since has been one of the most iconic shots in film.
"I am INVINCIBLE!"
This choice may not be widely known or remembered but it comes from the James Bond film “Golden Eye”. It is the death of Alan Cummings who plays a crime operative and programmer named Boris Grishenko who often made outrageous claims and would shout out “I am invincible!” Immediately following his last claim of invincibility he was frozen solid by liquid nitrogen that erupted from ruptured tanks. At least he died happy. It was and still is hilarious.
Pretty much everyone bites it in this movie, and all tragically and violently, but the best and most memorable death in The Departed is the death of Matt Damon at the end. When Mark Wahlberg knocks on the door you see that Damon still has the inclination to talk his way out of out his predicament, and almost in that same second you can see he accepts his fate and the bullet from Wahlbergs gun connects with his face. Utter brilliance.
Going into Bonnie and Clyde you know what eventually is going to happen, but the film is so enigmatic and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker teamed with Warren Beatty as Clyde Barrow the story was cast perfectly. The two doomed outlaws give each other one last look before the inevitability graphic ambush of each of them being shot to death. Even knowing what happens, you hope it’ll end differently each time.
"It was a good death."
Legends Of The Fall seems to be all about death and tragedy, but the closing, mystical, shuttered freeze-framed death of wild, reckless, now old and weathered Tristan (Brad Pitt) grappling with the grizzly bear he wounded as a teenager is one of the best finale’s in a film. With Native American One Stab’s (Gordon Tootoosis) narrating the film, he begins and ends the story with the bear.
Without question one of the most memorable scenes in cinema and it turns out it was basically an accident. Harrison Ford was scheduled to have a massive duel with his whip and the giant sword master guy. Apparently Ford and most of the cast got very sick from the food in Cairo, Egypt and being so under the weather Ford was unable to do the entire whip battle scene, so instead after the sword master puts on his show of talents, Indy just shoots him. Talk about happy accidents.
The scene that began a series of nightmares to people throughout the world boasted the tag line, “In space, no one can hear you scream.” If that forewarning isn’t terrifying enough, the scene where the alien burst threw Kanes (John Hurt) stomach during dinner not only shocks the audience, but the brutality of it breaking through his stomach and chest tearing away was just freakishly awesome. What could be more terrifying than the aliens gestating inside your own body? The subsequent deaths of the crew after are noteworthy, but nothing in comparison to this scene that launched a new way of looking and science fiction.
Gremlins may not be the most notable film ever made, though it certainly has a campy and almost disturbing comedic appeal, but it does have many moments of hysterically wicked death scenes via the little green monsters themselves and the humans they terrorize. The lead Gremlin can be distinguished by his Mohawk as was referred to by Billy as “Spike”. Traveling throughout the small town he finds himself in the towns meanest, richest, and most awful excuse for a humans home. Getting on with age she has a electric chair that goes up and down her winding staircase. The devilish creature.
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine"
In Star Wars: A New Hope the old Jedi Master faces his former apprentice gone wicked evil. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) and Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones) face one another for a long awaited light saber duel. Obi-Wan Kenobi suffered a sacrificial death and a mythical demise when he deliberately lowered his weapon in order to let Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the others escape, and suffered a fatal blow to the head.
Janet Leigh’s murder by being stabbed to death in the shower was one of the most shocking moments in film at the time it was released. This might be another film recognized in the horror genre, but this particular scene resonates so strongly I can’t simply ignore it. Even Janet Leigh herself was so disturbed shooting the scene that for nearly twenty years later she took baths instead of showers. You can’t fake that kind of realism. Darn Norman Bates.
People that haven’t even seen Fargo know about the brutal axe attack on the character Carl played by Steve Buscemi. He is murdered by Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), but it’s more Carl’s messy ‘burial’ in a wood-chipper that is the trademark of this film more than his death. Even so, how many years later people still talk about this scene in this brilliant film by the Coen brothers. Who else could be that brilliantly demented?
"Long live the King!"
Disney just hasn’t made a film with the impact Mufusa’s death had since The Lion King was released. Disney didn’t shy away from darkness and even murder. Mufasa was set up to save his young son Simba from a stampede of wildebeests. In the process his own brother Scar tossed him off the side of the cliff yelling “Long live the king” and watching as his brother was trampled and killed. Simba vainly attempted to awaken his father, shed some tears, and then cuddled up next to him. It was heart wrenching and Disney at it’s absolute best.
Like The Departed and Se7en I could easily pick any of the scenes in these movies. In the first I love the epic battle before “The Bride” meets O’Ren Ishi, and the battle between her and Vernita Green. In Volume II the final showdown with Bill is the scene I would point out. They literally have a battle across and table while sitting down, and in that brief exchange “The Bride” delivers the five finger death trick. After hours of her vengeance being sought, even though Bill turns out to be incredibly likable, his graceful five steps to his death are classic.
The scene where the T-Rex cocks his head to the side as though to decide whether or not a blood sucking lawyer will in fact be a worthy meal, and then violently tears his massive head down on Gennaro lifting his body off the toilet and swinging his prey to death. This scene is evokes a sense of karma in the universe, a bit of comedy, and a lot of terror. In one moment and one death there are a lot of emotions going on. I saw this in the theatre and after the shock of his death wore off, the crowd erupted in applause. That’s what he got for leaving the kids alone. This is a personal favorite of mine.
How can I not add the Thuggee sacrifice/torture scene to this list? It was a scene so disturbing that Hollywood changed it’s rating system adding a — PG-13 — rating to it’s options. The insane and obsessed Hindu priest Mola Ram played by Amrish Puri placed his hand across the Thuggee’s (Nizwar Karan) chest where his heart was and ripped it from him while it was still beating. He held it up as though it were a prize and his victim remained alive screaming as he was lowered into a deep pit of lava where he was incinerated, along with his flaming heart still in Mola Ram’s hand.
Like other movies on this list Se7en has at least “seven” noteworthy deaths in it’s film. Making the fat man eat till his stomach exploded for gluttony, or the awful torture of the lazy child molester, and even worse the brutal murder of the prostitute for lust, were just deaths that are beyond comprehension. It was the psychologically disturbing death of John Doe that was the most resounding of the heavily impacting film. When Detective Mills realizes John Doe has murdered his beloved wife and cut her head off and mailed it to him, his mind goes into a flutter of inconceivable insanity. I remember watching this for the first time and trying to keep the chunks from rising in my throat, the idea was so incredibly appalling. When he shot John Doe it wasn’t shocking he did it, but being the finale of his well thought out symphony was maniacal and utterly genius.
"Mother, where are you?"
It still surprises me how dark Disney went with the story Bambi. If Thumper wasn’t in the film, it would be almost as dark as “Watership Down” Though Bambi’s mother isn’t murdered onscreen, the traumatic resonance of it’s impact on Bambi when he’s searching for her crying, “Mother, where are you?” during a raging snowstorm is tormenting when she doesn’t respond. A child’s loss of a mother doesn’t get more enigmatic or powerful that the death of Bambi’s mother.
"I'm melting! I'm melting. Who would have thought that some little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?!"
There is no question the twisted, melting death of the green-faced Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton, from a bucket of water thrown by Dorothy in an attempt to put out the fire on the burning Scarecrow is iconic in the movie world.
"You just keep thinking Butch, that's what you do best."
Butch (Paul Newman) and Sundance (Robert Redford), criminal companions who happen to be best friends on their day off. They share a job money, taste in women, hobbies, and even a knack for trouble. When things in their wild world goes awry the two have so much devotion to each other that they face their imminent doom together without even blinking. When they burst through the door to face an essential firing squad it’s not only one of the most compelling death scenes, but one of the most iconic moments in cinema history.
American History X is a profound movie, that anyone who appreciates movies should be required to watch, but what the film is more widely known for is the infamous remorseless and merciless curb-stomping scene in where former neo-Nazi skinhead Derek Vinyard, played by Ed Norton, forces a black man, played by Antonio David Lyons)that he accuses of being a car thief, to bite down on the sidewalk curb and then stomped on the man’s head to snap his neck in half. After killing him, he spit on his body
James Caan as Sonny, the hot headed son of The Godfather made a lot of bad guys angry, but finally made someone angry enough to have him taken out. The scene begins with him driving angrily and quickly and in his attempt to reach his destination he is stopped by a toll booth. The clerk disappears and suddenly another car appears with men and guns a blazing. His car is shot so much you barely even tell what color it was before, he falls out of the drivers seat while his body in attacked by a slew of bullets. He falls to the ground and it’s over. No one forgets that scene.
To me the most memorable and resounding death scene of all time is none other than the Russian roulette scene in a gambling den in Saigon when Nick (Christopher Walken) blew his brains out and was cradled in the arms of buddy Michael (Robert De Niro). The story that built up to his inevitable end was a tragic story, but his ending was just insanity.
Interesting list. What I especially liked about it is that it comprises of both the high-brow and the low-brow.
Shubhajit Lahiri recently posted..Cinema Art- The Film Tapestry of Guillermo del Toro
Thank you. I tried to keep a good diversity throughout. There are so many scenes of this nature that impact people differently, I felt all should be highlighted.
Lots of great death scenes in there. Too many to even go back over though! HAHA! I can’t even try to pick my favorite one. I will offer one that is a little different though. I always loved the story in Gremilins about Kate’s (Phoebe Cates) dad getting stuck in the fireplace dressed like Santa. Sure you don’t get to see it but I’ve never forgotten that story ever since I watched that movie for the first time.
The Film Reel recently posted..Werewolf Fever Toronto Premiere – Oct 9th
That is such a great moment Will. Haunting, and so brilliant the way it was told, far more disturbing than any actual gruesome death scenes………..oh the smeeeeeeeeell.
Didn’t you just recently see Gremlins too?
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
WOW! What a list. There are some truly awesome moments of cinema there. Some that I haven’t seen and others which are the best part of the movie they come from. Big props for including twelve monkeys, that is a great moment and I love that you included some comic deaths in there too (Princess Bride, Goldeneye…)
Great work Heather!
Glad for the trip down nostalgia lane Katie. The Goldeneye one I quite literally quote daily! Just epically hilarious.
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
The Deer Hunter as number one is the perfect choice! It hits you so hard, and the whole scene itself is just perfect, and emotionally gut-wrenching. Also, I would say American history X’s ending, as another great one! That one sticks in my mind all the time. Great List!
CMrok93 recently posted..K-PAX 2001
Those are two great scenes. I love the list.
Thank you both gentlemen!
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
…this was heartbreaking to read…at times…at other times pervesely funny (love the Witch’s demise in Wizard of Oz).
…can’t even look at that American History X screenshot…usually turn away from the screen when the scene comes on…
Not sure what would top my own list…can’t argue with Deer Hunter. Maybe I’d throw Bonnie and Clyde to the top.
Of the ones I’d add: Quint’s death in Jaws is one I won’t ever forget, I’d stick Joe Gillis in there somewhere from Sunset Boulevard, ED-209′s human body demolition in Robocop and perhaps some that featured on my Goriest scenes top 10: http://www.top10films.co.uk/archives/750
Dan recently posted..Top 10 Film Composers
Quints death in Jaws is certainly a classic one. I recently just saw Bonnie and Clyde and while it was new to me in the last few years, it certainly had a huge impact considering I’ve always been a fan of both leads.
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
Yet another great list, Heather! I just did a meme of movie death not too long ago and I included the Mufasa death, though I definitely should’ve included Bambi’s mom also. I agree with a lot of your picks here, a nice collection of serious as well as whimsical ones. That Indy scene is a classic! Leonidas’ death is so iconic and his last thought of the queen is heart wrenching. I haven’t seen Bonnie & Clyde but that picture… oh my!
rtm recently posted..Random Thoughts- Who should Christopher Nolan pick as SUPERMAN reboot director
The Bambi and Lion King mentions I felt were important because they defined the rest of both of the films they were a part of.
I just saw Bonnie and Clyde a few years ago. We all know how it ends, but it’s a damn fine movie. You like the same kind of male leads as I do, so I highly recommend it to you.
May be Vincent’s death in Pulp Fiction, where Butch shoots him back into the loo by hearing the toaster should have made the list too.. or is it strictly one entry per movie?
No restrictions, I just tried to give as much diversity as possible, it’s also why the elevator scene is missing from The Departed.
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
Some really memorable movie deaths here! I was probably too young to picture Ed Norton crushing that guy’s head on the sidewalk. “Put your fuckin’ mouth on the curb”
Great list Heather! I reddited this but you know those a$$…
Castor recently posted..
Ha, they’re probably claiming I’m a moron and a gigantic douche bag. Or at least I can only hope for such accolades. Ha!
I remember seeing Bambi when I was like 3, or 4 and shutting the movie off. The death of Bambi’s mother wrecked me at that age.
Fitz recently posted..
They were doing a showing of it at a local theater (which now is so ghetto it’s an adult movie theater) with my friend and her mother and I just remember it being filled with adults and children alike bawling.
Years later I saw The Lion King with both as well. Lots of tears there as well.
HOLY SHIT! You wanna come write for THE LIST?
You should get the blogger equivalent of the Oscar for this list. The diversity in films is amazing. I’m not even going to gripe about order. FANTASTIC!
My only thought was The Departed… having seen it and the original (Infernal Affairs) I think the more shocking death is when they step out of the elevator. NOBODY saw that one coming. Though I do love Damon getting his come uppance in Departed. That scene is not in the original.
Kaiderman recently posted..TOP 10 MADE-UP MOVIE PRODUCTS
Thank you so much Kai. I don’t think I could get a compliment much better than that. I was just inspired by death over the weekend and instead of moping I put this together.
I haven’t seen Infernal Affairs so I can’t compare there, but what did make me choose the Wahlberg moment was the sweet taste of redemption. The elevator shocked me, but that part at the end did as well. Because so much shit went down, we’d all forgotten about the one guy who did know what happened and disappeared. Just a sickly wonderful bit of movie, and when Damon realizes he’s fucked, that one moment of resolve like, “Shit”. It was such a subtle and effective scene and it’s what the movie leaves you with. One of my favorite movie endings ever.
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
Plus, the fact that DiCapprio and Wahlberg didn’t seem to like each other all film makes the retribution all the sweeter.
PS. I’m surprised you posted all 40 at once.
Kaiderman recently posted..TOP 10 MADE-UP MOVIE PRODUCTS
I felt like it would lose some of it’s punch if I didn’t display them all together.
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
The elevator scene had everyone in my theatre shocked. No one saw it coming.
Fitz recently posted..
How could you? At that point there is almost a resolve that Damon is caught, you are relaxed in a sort of way. An absolute shocker. Brilliant movie.
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
Great list, Heather! The Lion King would probably be top 5 for me. Boromir or Gandalf would probably make my list, maybe even over Gollum.
And The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford would also appear, even if we knew it was coming.
And the face pounding in Mongol.
Oh, and Julianne Moore’s death in Children of Men is a top 10 death for me.
And Up.
Ok, I’m gonna stop now. There’s just too many.
Red recently posted..
See, when conceived this list was initially meant to be a top ten but I couldn’t in good faith narrow it down!
Up. I can’t watch the first twenty minutes of that movie. I’m unfond of crying!
Rosebud…
Scott recently posted..EP17 – The Town Review- Top 5 Most Overrated Movies
Just saw that Scott. Definitely a lovely choice.
Heather recently posted..Trailer Zone – ‘True Grit’ Teaser Trailer
Great post! Definitely a shoe in for next week’s Monday Corner (if I can remember). Ones I’d have to include if I did a list like this:
Grave of the Fireflies
The Green Mile
Seven Samurai (fall of Toshiro Mifune’s character)
Lion King (Mufasa)
Glory
The Bridge on the River Kwai (Alec Guinness = genius)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Elephant Man
So many to choose from, but all those really left a lasting impact on me.
That final line of Deer Hunter is just epic “One shot” – bang. A powerful scene that really summarizes the entire film in one moment. Great choice for #1!
Univarn recently posted..
Oh Grave of the Fireflies, how can I forget that one?? The Green Mile is a great one to. Very powerful deaths on that list…
Castor recently posted..
Oooo – two good ones. Love Green Mile scene. Agree!
Does he die in Cuckoo’s nest?
Kaiderman recently posted..MILFcast aka- the Man- I Love Films podcast – Episode 7
Well there are 2 deaths in Cuckoo’s nest, both of which I believe are pretty memorable. Didn’t want to specify since it’s hard to do a list like this without there being a spoiler.
Univarn recently posted..
I think Kai was referring to “Chief” or “McMurphy”. I’m fairly certain you are referring to the one played by Brad Dourif, because that’s damn haunting.
Heather recently posted..Star Wars Saga Headed for 3D Re-Release
I got Mufasa on here, but your other mentions are quite good. While I wasn’t a huge fan of Bridge on the River Kwai, Guiness’s death left a bigger impact that the rest of the film combined. Two of his movie deaths could have made the list! Cuckoo’s nest is just so terribly sad. Thankfully there is a little hope at the end. Another one that stuck with me is from Ordinary People. Utterly tragic.
Heather recently posted..Star Wars Saga Headed for 3D Re-Release
Good additions here. Love the Elephant Man sequence. Still have to see Grave of the Fireflies. It’s on the list.
Outstanding! Love all of the artwork choices, especially the use of Grizzly Man for Legends of the Fall! Love that Last Sumaurai’s so-called “perfect death” only made it to the last spot here. Great death on my list? The parents at the end of Time Bandits, Boromir in LOTR, Sam Jackson in Deep Blue Sea (ok, that’s a bit of a stretch, but it was totally shocking).
Steve recently posted..The Coens show True Grit
I thought Katsumoto’s death was a good one to set the tone with, and Boromir’s is certainly a noteworthy one. If I went 50 perhaps Sam Jackson’s in Deep Blue Sea woulda made it, just for comic purposes!
THE SHARK ATE ME!
Heather recently posted..Star Wars Saga Headed for 3D Re-Release
Damn it, Heather! I try to keep the curb-stomping scene out of my head, but here you are bringing it back to the surface.
Seriously though, superb list. The nerd in me must add Dumbledore’s death at the end of HP6. *tear*
Rachel recently posted..Tuesdays Trailer Talk- Gnomeo and Juliet
You know, I’ll trump your nerd and raise you a book reading on that one. I think the flick left a less resonating impact with me solely because I’d already been exposed to it through the book, which made me whimper a little. I can’t wait for the final two films.
Heather recently posted..Star Wars Saga Headed for 3D Re-Release
Some great deaths on here. I’d throw down for The Iron Giant, personally; while not technically a death in light of the film’s coda, I’d still count it. Heroic sacrifice and all that. The Giant’s selflessness never fails to move me. Same goes for Wonderful Days, a little-seen Korean animated film; one of the supporting characters lodges an explosive onto a tank manually and sends one last smile at his friend before being blown to bits. That one always stuck with me.
Return of the King has two good deaths; Theoden goes out with honor on the Pelennor. But for the LotR films, I’d have to give it to Fellowship for the sheer bravery and tragedy inherent in Boromir’s fall. Everything about that sequence, from his indomitable spirit to the glance he throws at Merry and Pippin after the second arrow strikes, is glorious and painful at the same time.
I’ll also throw in Midnight Cowboy– the death of Ratso– and Au Hasard, Balthazar. Two really moving and wrenching deaths that should be seen by everybody.
Theoden and Boromir are the most emotional from the trilogy, but Gollums death really captured the epic finale, the final end to the Ring by his death and it’s death. The strange sadness that went along with the victory paid a huge tribute to Gollums character and exactly how Gandalf described him early on, and of which Frodo began to mirror himself.
Heather recently posted..Legend Of The Guardians- The Owls Of Ga’Hoole 2010
In terms of theme and narrative, yeah, I definitely agree with you there. But for me a movie death is truly “great” when it hits me in the gut and lets the impact just linger. Gollum may have had a really important death for the good of the narrative and for his own character arc, but I felt genuine grief at Theoden’s and Boromir’s respective passings.
Andrew recently posted..Review- The Wrestler- 2008- dir Darren Aronofsky
Bravo, Heather! What a list!!! How long did this take to compile??? And what a great idea too. Some great scenes that did not come to mind and a nice reminder. I’d maybe re-arrangefor my own taste, but a terrific job. Love inclusions of : Bambi, R&J, Thelma and Louise, Butch & Sundance, Braveheart. I always liked the final Michael Corleone scene too. Tony Montana’s death?
A good one for sure. It’s after I write these things you guys always remind me how much longer my list could have actually been!
Heather recently posted..Legend Of The Guardians- The Owls Of Ga’Hoole 2010
I dunno why, maybe I’m just a horrible person, but I couldn’t stop laughing as I read this list. I guess I just view death as hilarious for some reason.
James Blake Ewing recently posted..Get Low 2010
I love that the Lion King is on there. V for Vendetta has a lot of memorable deaths. I love that movie.
Also one of my top ten deaths is mouses death in the first Matrix. Because of that movie I still use Mouse to refer to characters designed from the ground up to be likable just for their death
You should check out “Way of the Gun” sometime. It’s a classic crime thriller flick, if a bit hard to watch through the middle. The finale is absolutely incredible. It’s one of those films that overall is not that great, but has amazing individual lines and moments that you remember for a long time.
No White Heat?
“Made it, Ma! Top of the world!”
I think you could also add Charles Foster Kane’s death at the beginning of Citizen Kane (it pretty much instigates the rest of the movie).
And Richard Widmark pushing the old lady in the wheelchair down the stairs in Kiss of Death.
How’s about Clint Eastwood’s death in the end of grand turino?