Music is an essential part of almost any film, it helps to set the tone of certain scenes and influences the way in which the film makes us feel. It can make a scene more tense, more uplifting and sometimes extremely depressing, in general it is fundamental in triggering certain emotions in us that ultimately makes a film much more memorable. Some scenes are defined by the songs that accompany them, the visuals and audio compliment each other in such a perfect way that something unforgettable is created. The following list is composed of what I feel are some of the greatest musical moments in film, I'd like to make clear that this is NOT a list about musicals, moreso scenes in film that have become iconic because of the music used. As musicals tend to have music and singing in almost every scene I'm going to exclude them, they deserve their own list. Also beware, there are potential spoilers in this list.
26. Bela Lugosi's Dead- The Hunger (1983)
The Hunger isn't exactly the best vampire film, I wouldn't even say it's the best vampire film of the 80's, but if one thing is certain it's that this film is stylish as hell. Nowhere is this style exhibited better in this film than in its opening scene that sees vampire duo Miriam and John Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie respectively) nonchalantly stalk through a goth club. The two just look so incredibly cool in their sunglasses and black garments as they casually scope out their prey, all to the tune of the 80's darkwave classic 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' by Bauhaus. The band actually perform during this scene as it cuts between Bowie and Deneuve, and the bands lead singer Peter Murphy, whose melancholic expressions seem to foreshadow the events that will follow. It is a very stylish scene that sets the dark, gothic tone of the film and had goths everywhere shaking in their leather jackets.
Watch that scene here.
25. Somebody to Love- Cable Guy (1996)
Whether you like Jim Carrey or not, you can't deny that Cable Guy is one of his best films. While Carrey does essentially play his usual wacky self (with a lisp this time), the films dark undertones and theme of obsession make this a much more captivating film than his usual stuff. It still has its laughs however and boasts some iconic scenes such as the Medieval Times duel and this magnificent musical moment. During a party at Steven's (Matthew Broderick) apartment, Carrey's character tries his hand at karaoke and what follows is one of the most hilarious musical moments in any film of the comedy genre. From his bizarre accent, exaggerated facial expressions and his choice of song, Jefferson Airplane's 'Somebody to Love', this is one hilariously surreal scene. The image of Carrey grooving around to the sound of Airplane's psychadelic rock classic is one that you won't soon forget and one of the films defining scenes.
Watch that scene here.
24. Mad World- Donnie Darko (2001)
This surreal sci-fi film sees teenage outcast Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) struggle with premonitions of the impending apocalypse and a man in a giant bunny suit as he goes about his daily life in suburban Virginia. The film plays out like the lovechild of John Hughes and David Lynch with its surreal imagery and 80's soundtrack, it's full of memorably bizarre moments throughout. However, one of the most memorable and heartbreaking scenes comes towards the films end after Donnie makes a noble sacrifice in order to save the world, a montage that plays out to Gary Jules' cover of 'Mad World'. We catch glimpses of a number of characters who Donnie has interacted with throughout the film as they lay down to sleep, they have no knowledge of what he has just done, yet they show some sense of awareness that something has just happened. The sombre music playing over each of these characters after what has just happened is incredibly hard-hitting and leaves us feeling rather melancholic, a bittersweet ending to a wonderfully complex film.
Watch that scene here.
23. Johnny B. Goode- Back to the Future (1985)
From the very beginning of this sci-fi classic it's clear that time travelling teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) has dreams of becoming a rockstar. He has incredible guitar skills and musical knowledge making him the perfect contender for future rock sensation, however he gets a bit side tracked with the whole time travel thing. But it's when he travels back to 1955 that Marty gets the opportunity to show off his musical talents in front of the whole school when he belts out a cover of Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode'. Fox has so much onstage energy in this scene and its clear that his character is putting his heart and soul into this song, he doesn't even realise how carried away he's getting until he witnesses the crowds shocked expression at the end. It's an upbeat, energetic scene and one of the films many highlights, what makes it even more memorable is the concept that Marty may have just inspired Berry himself to record the song after his cousin plays it to him over the phone. Good job McFly, good job.
Watch that scene here.
22. Peaches- Sexy Beast (2000)
Gal Dove (Ray Winstone) is a retired criminal living a peaceful life with his wife and two friends in a villa in Spain. He has reached the stage in his life where he doesn't have to work or worry about anything, he just relaxes by his pool beneath the blazing sun. Therefore the Strangler's groovy summertime classic suits the opening scene of Sexy Beast down to a T. The song alone conjures up thoughts of relaxing on a sunny beach somewhere, this makes it the perfect introductory song for Winstone's character as all he does is lay about in the sun. Gal has become so relaxed that even when a giant boulder lands in his pool he still appears to remain nonchalant about it, 'Peaches' is the perfect music to accompany this opening scene. Of course things aren't this relaxed for the entire film as Gal finds himself being pulled back into his former life of crime by former colleague Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), but this scene helps to give us a feel of how Gal lives at the beginning of the film. It's the quintessential calm before the storm.
Watch that scene here.
21. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You- The Deer Hunter (1978)
The Deer Hunter is quite a harrowing film, it portrays the gritty horrors of the Vietnam war and how it effected the human psyche. This may make a song like Frankie Valli's hit single 'Can't Take My Eyes Off of You' seem very out of place in the rather gripping film, however it makes what would have been a rather forgettable scene extremely memorable. The scene takes place near the beginning of the film where the two main characters Mike and Nick (Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken respectively) play pool in the local bar with their two friends Stan (John Cazelle) and Axel (Chuck Aspegren). As Valli's song begins to play in the bar, the friends gradually start to sing along before erupting in a drunken sing song. It's a scene that feels very natural and builds a lot of chemistry between the characters, they don't look like actors in a film but more like four friends having a few drinks down the local bar. It makes what happens later in the film a lot more impactful as the strong bond between the characters feels very realistic, what may seem like an insignificant scene is one of the foundations to making The Deer Hunter as emotionally gripping as it is.
Watch that scene here.
20. Man of Constant Sorrow- O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
This Coen Brother's classic that follows a trio of escaped convicts as they travel across the deep South has a brilliant soundtrack consisting of a number of country and bluegrass hits. There are plenty of brilliant musical moments in this film, but the most iconic is undoubtedly when the three main characters perform 'Man of Constant Sorrow' in front of a crowd of villagers. Under the guise of a band called 'The Soggy Bottom Boys', the trio emerge clad in fake beards and farmer clothing before performing the catchy folk song in front of a crowd who are evidently fans. In reality this is all a plot for the main character Everett (George Clooney) to win his wife back, but it's one hell of a performance and one of the films most memorable scenes. Clooney, albeit lip syncing, is immensely entertaining to watch during the performance along with his comrades played by John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson, it's upbeat, uplifting and retains that classic Coen brand of comedy that transcends a lot of other humour. While the song was performed by the trio in a recording studio earlier in the film, I feel like it works even better in this scene mainly due to their outlandish costumes and the crowds response.
Watch that scene here.
19. You Make My Dreams- 500 Days of Summer (2009)
500 Days of Summer is more than just your average rom-com, its self aware sense of humour and somewhat meta style set it apart from the usual stuff to make it a very original film. One of the films most iconic scenes is a huge dance number set to the tune of 'You Make My Dreams' by Hall & Oates where Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a number of bystanders break into spontaneous dance. It's a parody of sorts of the musical genre and most likely an exaggeration courtesy of Tom's imagination, bare in mind this scene takes place the day after his romantic night with Summer (Zooey Deschanel). It's quite a funny scene considering the context and how on top of the world Tom seems, it also keeps in line with the films self awareness. While it is more or less a pisstake, it's still a really uplifting scene and really captures how anyone feels when they begin to fall in love, never before has the feeling of the honeymoon phase been depicted so well onscreen.
It's fair to say that this scene has become iconic since the release of Ex Machina last year, mainly due to Oscar Isaac's incredible dance moves. The scene begins with Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) about to question a servant named Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno) about the true intentions of the mysterious software CEO Nathan (Isaac), contextually this is a serious matter. However the charismatic Nathan manages to swiftly change the subject by initiating a dance with Kyoko to the seriously funky 'Get Down Saturday Night'. The scene literally comes out of nowhere and is a huge contrast to the rather serious tone of the film, it acts as a comic relief scene but since then it has become so much more. Isaac and Mizuno show off their brilliant dance skills here, Isaac especially is quite suave and his dancing could charm the pants off anybody. What acts as the cherry on top of this cake of hilarity is the dumbfounded facial expressions of Gleeson's character who looks just as surprised as we are watching the duo tear up the dance floor. Already proven to be a talented actor and singer, this scene also shows that Oscar Isaac is a master of the dance as well.
Watch that scene here.
17. Town Called Malice- Billy Elliot (2000)
All young Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) wanted to do was dance, however as a boy he was expected stick to things like boxing or other activities that would have been considered 'masculine'. He is constantly struggling with the internal conflict between his love for ballet and his societies gender roles that inhibit him from embracing that passion. We see this internal conflict build up throughout the film, however when his brother (Jamie Draven) and dance teacher (Julie Walters) eventually argue over what's best for Billy, he breaks out into a cathartic dance to the tune of The Jam's 'Town Called Malice'. Bell is phenomenal in this scene as he manages to convey Billy's emotions through dance, his anger and frustration manifests itself in aggressive dance moves. The uptempo sound of The Jam's hit song intertwines perfectly with what's happening onscreen and manages to emphasise Billy's conflicting emotions perfectly. Along with the films powerful finale, this is one of the defining scenes in Billy Elliot and and always springs to mind whenever 'Town Called Malice' plays.
This early collaboration between writer Quentin Tarantino and director Robert Rodriguez sees two criminals and the family they have held hostage face off against a vampire-ridden strip club, attempting to survive from dusk till dawn. This particular scene takes place before the bloodshed when vampiric stripper Santanico Pandemonium (Salma Hayek) takes to the stage to entertain the patrons. As her sensual dance begins, the house band played by chicano rock band Tito & Tarantula begin to play their song 'After Dark', making for a very hypnotic scene. It is clear from the faces of the patrons that they are falling under Pandemonium's spell, most evidently from the expression of Richie Gecko (played by Tarantino himself) who, in classic Tarantino style, winds up with her foot in his mouth. It's a very sensual scene and Hayek is fantastic at portraying the vampire seductress Santanico Pandemonuim, it also makes the horrific events that follow all the more shocking.
Watch that scene here.
15. Stuck in the Middle With You- Reservoir Dogs (1992)
If there's anyone who knows a thing or two about blending music and film it's writer and director Quentin Tarantino. His films are known for their catchy and diverse soundtracks that consist of a variety of memorable songs made even more memorable by the scenes which they accompany. His directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs, is a prime example of this. While there are many great musical scenes here such as the opening scene set to the George Baker Selection's 'Little Green Bag' and a later scene where Blue Suede's 'Hooked on a Feeling' plays, perhaps the most iconic scene of the film is the torture scene accompanied by Stealers Wheel's 'Stuck in The Middle With You'. Psychotic criminal Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) attempts to gain information from a cop through means of torture, and he does this all to the tune of the classic Stealers Wheel song. It is a darkly comical scene and Madsen is more twisted than ever here, performing a sinister dance before taking his razor to the unfortunate cop and slicing off his ear. The scene also brings a whole new meaning to the song itself, as much as you try not to think of this scene whenever you listen to it, you simply won't succeed. It was clear from here that Tarantino knew how to make a good film.
Watch that scene here.
14. Hip to Be Square- American Psycho (2000)
Before he was Batman Christian Bale was Bateman, Patrick Bateman that is. This businessman turned murderer was the star of the show in American Psycho as he went around murdering people usually to the sound of his favourite music, in this case it's Huey Lewis and the News' hit song 'Hip to Be Square'. After luring co-worker Paul Allen (Jared Leto) back to his apartment, Bateman sticks the song on, explaining his interpretation and opinion of it while donning his signature raincoat to keep blood off his clothes. As the song reaches its iconic chorus, Bateman violently attacks Allen with an axe in what is one of the most darkly comical scenes of all time. The juxtaposition between the upbeat music and dark subject matter makes this scene unforgettable, Huey Lewis and the News is the last thing we would associate with murder which adds some hilarity to this otherwise gruesome scene. Bale's performance as the eccentric Bateman makes this scene even more iconic as he rambles on about his opinion of the band and even having a quick dance in his raincoat. His reason for killing Allen? Having a better business card than him and the last reservation at Dorsia.
Watch that scene here.
13. Puttin' on the Ritz- Young Frankenstein (1974)
Mel Brooks' parody of Universal's Frankenstein films sees the grandson of the original doctor Frankenstein continue his grandfather's work after years of running from his families legacy. The late Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle take on the role of the doctor and the monster respectively and this iconic musical number is one of the films most hilarious scenes. It sees the doctor trying to display his creation to a large audience by showing them a dance number he thought him, a tapdancing number to the tune of 'Puttin' on the Ritz'. The scene gives Wilder a chance to display that he is equally talented musically as he is an actor, while Boyle chimes in every now and again with his inaudible moaning. It's a very funny scene that pokes fun at the Frankenstein story with Peter Boyle's tone deaf monster, but at the same makes for an upbeat and entertaining musical number thanks to Wilder. The duo are fantastic together onstage and both are a joy to watch in their own ways, Wilder because of his immense musical talent and Boyle for his sheer hilarity. The crowd may not respond so well, but I know I certainly do.
Watch that scene here.
12. Don't Stop Me Now- Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Edgar Wright's big screen debut sees a group of survivors led by Shaun (Simon Pegg) navigate their way through a zombie apocalypse, making their way to their local pub The Winchester. Upon arriving at the legendary pub, the gang soon realise that they are far from safe when the pub soon becomes surrounded by a horde of zombies. Shaun and co. are then forced to fight off the bartender of The Winchester while Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' plays on the jukebox. The juxtaposition between the zombie-centric violence and Queen's rather upbeat song is what makes this scene so enjoyable, Freddie Mercury isn't exactly what you'd associate first with zombies after all. There is also a sort of synchronization between the music and the actions of the characters, they beat the zombie with their snooker cues in time to the music while Lucy Davis and Penelope Wilton's characters nod along in the sidelines. It's a fine example of how Edgar Wright managed to turn one of the scariest horror subgenres into an odyssey of hilarity, it all works so well. It's also a prime example of Wright's impeccable taste in music.
Watch that scene here.
11. A Real Hero- Drive (2011)
Ryan Gosling plays a nameless stunt driver in this arthouse crime film from Nicolas Winding Refn, he leads a very isolated life and tends to keep to himself, that is until he forms a bond with his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son. There is a very natural chemistry between the two, relying more on body language than dialogue, and this scene is the perfect example of how their chemistry develops. It sees them spending more time together and watches their relationship grow, all playing out to the tune of College's 'A Real Hero', it's a really beautiful way of building chemistry between Gosling and Mulligan's characters. The electronic music fits nicely into this wholesome montage sequence and it's in this moment that Gosling's driver seems to have finally found acceptance in Irene and her son, a means of escape from his isolated and often dangerous life. We know things don't turn out as easy for the driver, but for this moment in time it is clear that he is happy, that he has finally found acceptance and I think it's quite a beautiful scene.
Watch that scene here.
10. The End- Apocalypse Now (1979)
Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam film based off Heart of Darkness shows the true horrors of war and what that can do to a person. No better is this embodied than in the opening scene, beginning with a shot of a forest in Vietnam with helicopters flying past, the tune of The Doors' haunting song 'The End' can gradually be heard creeping in. Soon the forest begins to burn by napalm and as it gradually burns, the music becomes more prominent making for some incredibly powerful imagery. As it does this, shots of the protagonist Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) fade onto the screen as he presumably reflects on his service during the war. Eventually the scene fades fully to Willard lying in his hotel room, the image of the ceiling fan reflecting the earlier helicopter propeller. It is an extremely powerful scene that hints at the psychological effects that war can have on the individual, Willard is clearly unsettled as he reflects on his experiences in Vietnam and the prospect of him returning is not an appealing one. The haunting music of The Doors playing over this scene makes it all the more impactful and adds a sense of hopelessness to a film that has only just begun. It sets the tone for what is a very tense and thought provoking piece of cinema
Watch that scene here..
9. Bohemian Rhapsody- Wayne's World (1992)
'Bohemian Rhapsody' is one f those songs that somehow everyone knows the lyrics to, a song that's guaranteed to initiate a sing song between every group of friends, and nowhere is that better exhibited than in the 1992 comedy Wayne's World. This scene during the opening credits sees Wayne (Mike Myers), Garth (Dana Carvey), and company drive around their hometown while listening to this Queen classic. The result is a hilarious musical scene that feels so real, fully displaying the passion poured into every group rendition of the song. The highlight of the scene comes towards the end when the gang begin to headbang to the sound of Brian May's heavy guitar, again, an experience that we can all relate to. The scene became so popular that 'Bohemian Rhapsody' went to #2 in the Billboard singles chart despite being released 17 years prior to Wayne's World. The scene is just a thoroughly accurate representation of how iconic this song is and how seriously it is taken during group sing songs, what's more is that Queen frontman died only months before the films release, making this scene a fitting tribute to the fallen musician.
Watch that scene here.
8. Canned Heat- Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Napoleon Dynamite is one of the greatest comedies of the noughties, its subtle humour, hilarious dialogue and bizarre characters make it stand out from the usual brand of comedy from the time. The titular character played by John Heder is a lanky teen with a blonde fro and one facial expression, his pastimes include drawing mythical creatures and feeding his pet llama Tina, oh and he's one hell of a dancer. During the class presidential campaign one of the nominees, Napoleon's friend Pedro (Efren Ramirez), learns that as part of his speech he must perform a skit, despite having nothing prepared. That's when the heroic Napoleon steps in, taking to the stage to perform a dance routine to Jamiroquai's 'Canned Heat'. Napoleon breaks out some of the most outlandish dance moves I've ever seen, combining a number of dance styles to create his own bizarre brand of dance, all while wearing moon boots and maintaining his signature blank expression. It's a hilarious scene, seeing this awkward character suddenly break out into the funkiest of dance routines and acts as a fitting climax for this off-the-wall comedy.
Watch that scene here.
7. Tiny Dancer- Almost Famous (2000)
This comedy-drama from Cameron Crowe is by far one of the most feel good films of all time, following an aspiring journalist (Patrick Fugit) who goes on tour with a band named Stillwater, the film shows his growing friendship with the bandmates and veteran groupie Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). This scene takes place on the tour bus the morning after lead singer Russell (Billy Crudup) got wasted at a party. As Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer' starts to play on the radio, the passengers gradually begin to sing along, the bandmates, groupies and Fugit's character William, everybody joins in singing this rendition of the song. William then turns to Penny expressing his interest in returning home, however she then stops him, telling him that he is home. It's a wonderful scene that really emphasises the themes of friendship and acceptance, William had been trying to find his place in the world for so long and now he has finally found it. The scene just feels so natural as well, it's just like watching a group of friends singing along to the radio, it's one of the main factors in what makes Almost Famous such a feel good film.
Watch that scene here.
Watch that scene here.
6. Singing in the Rain- A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Anthony Burgesses dystopian sci-fi novel is arguably one of the director's greatest films. The tale of violent teenage gang leader Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) was controversial at first, but over the years it has gained its deservant acclaim. One thing that makes this film so memorable is the association between violence and music, during some of the more violent scenes Kubrick chose to play various pieces of classical music, making the violence look like more of an art form than anything else. While there are a number of fantastic musical moments in this film, the best in my opinion is the 'Singing in the Rain' scene. After Alex and his droogs break into the home of an unsuspecting writer and his wife, they proceed to wreak havoc on their victims, beating the writer and sexually assaulting his poor wife. It sounds like a very hard scene to watch, but during the whole scene Alex sings his rendition of 'Singing in the Rain', making it a much more captivating scene. As he kicks the writer to the ground and destroys his house, he does his best Gene Kelly impression and it makes what would have been a very disturbing scene, well, even more disturbing, but McDowell's electric performance keeps us from looking away. Apparently Alex breaking into song was not scripted, Kubrick supposedly told McDowell to do what he felt right and this was the result. It is by far one of the films most chilling moments and gave a new meaning to the otherwise cheerful song.
Watch that scene here.
5. Where is My Mind?- Fight Club (1999)
Fight Club is one rollercoaster of a film, a tale of violence, anarchy and soap, it's quite an insane journey for our nameless protagonist played by Edward Norton. Spending most of the film with his new companion, soap salesman and anarchist Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), Norton's character discovers that he is in too deep and attempts to free himself from Durden once and for all. However, this is not as easy as he thought and what results is a violent climax atop a skyscraper. Norton's character does finally escape Tyler but cannot prevent his sinister regime, as his lover Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) approaches him, as Pixies now iconic opening riff begins to play, he tells her that she has met him at a very strange time in his life. Too right. The song then plays out as the duo stand together hand in hand watching the world burn, a beautiful image of their silhouettes against the window of the skyscraper is then the last thing we see before this film fades out. It is a really beautiful way to end this utterly bizarre film, the sound of Joey Santiago's guitar playing over the images of explosions and destruction tie in really nice here and the chorus really reflects the mindset of the protagonist, questioning his own state of mind.
Watch that scene here.
4. You Never Can Tell- Pulp Fiction (1994)
I've already mentioned how talented Quentin Tarantino is at blending music and film together, and nowhere in his filmography is this more evident than in Pulp Fiction. The films soundtrack is iconic and contains a number of catchy tunes that play out during some of the most memorable scenes, my personal favourite being the dance scene between John Travolta and Uma Thurman's characters. Travolta plays a hitman who must take his bosses wife Mia (Thurman) out for dinner while his boss is away on business. At the 50's themed restaurant Jack Rabbit Slim's the duo discuss Mia's acting career, foot massages and even dissect conversations themselves before Mia insists they enter the restaurants twist competition. Travolta and Thurman are on fire in this scene, both of them showing off their incredible dance skills while adding their own distinct flares to the twist. Chuck Berry's classic rock and roll hit is the perfect song to accompany this scene, suiting the 50's theme of the restaurant and making for the perfect music to twist to. Travolta and Thurman already established their brilliant onscreen chemistry and this scene serves to cement that chemistry in cinematic history due to their incredible dance skills, it's no wonder they won the twist contest.
Watch that scene here.
3. In Dreams- Blue Velvet (1986)
This scene from David Lynches surreal neo-noir sees wannabe sleuth Jeffery Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) being taken against his will to an apartment by the sadistic Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). The owner of the apartment is Ben (Dean Stockwell), a flamboyant friend of Booth's who proceeds to lip sync the Roy Orbison song 'In Dreams' at Booth's request. It's quite an odd scene in typical Lynchian fashion, as the mysterious Ben mimes along to Roy Orbison, Hopper's character watches on with a look of profound sorrow on his face, as if the song has some deep connection with him. It is never made clear what the connection is between Frank and this song or why Ben mimes along to it for him, but this is a David Lynch film so details like this are better off left unexplained. Other small details that make this scene even more surreal are the reactions of Frank's henchmen, particularly that of Brad Dourif's character who performs an outlandish dance in the background. The song is then put to a stop when Frank becomes seemingly overwhelmed and turns off the stereo, leaving many questions for the viewer. This scene is classic David Lynch, it has a gaggle of strange characters, a catchy tune and a number of unexplained occurrences that contribute to making it a surreal and memorable moment.
Watch that scene here.
2. Just Dropped In- The Big Lebowski (1998)
This cult classic from the Coen's follows the exploits of The Dude (Jeff Bridges), a slacker with a penchant for bowling, joints and white russians, who gets caught up in a kidnapping plot. After he is spiked and knocked unconscious, The Dude experiences a surreal dream sequence involving bowling, Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore) in viking armor, and Saddam Hussein. The dream plays out like a scene from a musical, complete with dancers clad in bowling-themed costumes and set to the tune of Kenny Rogers' 'Just Dropped In'. It's a wildly entertaining scene, Jeff Bridges has so much energy which contrasts to the usual laid back demeanor of his character The Dude while the production and costume designs give it that distinctly dreamlike atmosphere. Along with the presence of Julianne Moore in Viking armour and Saddam Hussein handing out bowling shoes, this is by far one of the greatest dream sequences in cinema. It's a very well choreographed scene as well, the back up dancers in particular are what give it that very musical feel while Bridges and Moore share a brilliant chemistry with their bowling themed dance routine. A hilarious dream sequence complete with surreal imagery and social commentary, The Big Lebowski is well deservant of the number 2 spot in this list.
Watch that scene here.
1. Jedi Rocks- Return of the Jedi (1983)
Only Joking...
1. Bornslippy- Trainspotting (1996)
The soundtrack to Trainspotting has become one of the most iconic of the 90's, consisting of a number of brilliant songs such as Iggy Pop's 'Lust For Life' and 'Perfect Day' by Lou Reed, the soundtrack to Trainspotting is one that defined a generation. With so many brilliant musical moments to chose from in the film it was hard to pinpoint just one, however I would have to go with the final scene that plays out to the tune of Underworld's 'Bornslippy'. After spending most of the film rejecting social norms and taking solace in the world of hard drugs, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) finally decides to 'choose life' instead of heroin. After stealing money from his unhinged associate Begbie (Robert Carlyle) and fleeing from their hotel room, Renton vows to lead a more stable, drug-free life that he has been rejecting for so long. When Begbie awakens he is furious but it is too late, Renton is long gone and he doesn't look back. Playing out to the tune of 'Bornslippy', the final scene ends the film on a more hopeful note after a series of rather bleak events, Renton has seen what the heroin life can do to people and he has finally had enough, he is finally moving on. How serious he is about this new lifestyle is never made clear, regardless it is evident from the smile on his face that he is happy with his decision. Not only did the use of 'Bornslippy' make this an iconic ending, it also ensured that song at least one play at every party in the years that followed.
Watch that scene here.
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