As you no doubt recall this past January, I unleashed a torrent of sadness on all of you. This month is going to be the exact opposite, and a tidal wave of happiness is gonna crash right on top of you! All throughout March, I got 3 lists showing of things that make me smile, make me laugh, or a pleasant combination of both. Today, I’m showing off the scenes in all of cinema that warm my soul, and give me the biggest grin. So let’s not waste anymore take, and take a look at the top 10 moments in movies that make me laugh and/or smile!
10) Honey I Blew Up The Kid - Diane & Oscar (Scene)
I am always a sucker for warm & fuzzy moments where characters reunite. The scene before this (Which I talked about here) is an absolute tearjerker, and I won’t lie when I say that this moment can get a tear or two out of me also. However, the smiles that come from seeing mother & son come back together are far more numerous than the tears that fall down my face. Honey I Blew Up The Kid isn’t quite as mature as the original movie before it, as this one is considerably more cutesy, but I cannot deny that I still get a kick out of this scene. Speaking of warm & fuzzy.....
9) Rugrats the Movie - Family Reunited (Scene)
As I said above, warm & fuzzy reunions are a-okay in my book. There’s just something about characters coming back together after being separated that tugs at my heartstrings, and this scene fundamentally is the same as above: a tragic event happens before, and then the happy counterpart happens not long after. I think I rate this one a little bit higher than the one at no. 10 mostly because of the connections to their beloved pooch. It’s odd that I’ve just watched this movie in recent years, when I recall growing up with Rugrats when they were on Nickelodeon. If you ever want to reconnect with your inner child, then you might want to watch this film.
8) Army of Darkness - This Is My Boomstick! (Scene)
I was one of those weird people that actually saw Army of Darkness before Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2. So when it came time to see the 1st two films, I experienced a big case of whiplash in terms of tone! Regardless, for a movie that tries to bank on it’s scary moments, it also happens to be equally hilarious at the same time. A big example of this is when Bruce Campbell climbs out of the pit at the castle: pretty peeved at being falsely accused of being with King Henry, he shows off the power & majesty of his “Boomstick”. He even manages to turn his sales pitch for it into a threat towards the crowd in front of him, and said crowd completely falls for it. It’s the kind of scene that only Bruce Campbell can command, and you’ll be laughing as you try to speak the lines!
7) Jackass 3d - Duck Hunting (Scene)
Sometimes, you need a movie that just shuts your brain off and turns you to mush, and all 3 of the Jackass films easily fit the bill for me. However, if there was one dumb stunt of their’s that gets me to howl like a hyena, it would be in the 3rd film where I just shake from laughter. It’s nothing much: Just 6 guys out on a duck hunt from boats......with paintball guns.......shooting at “ducks” that are launched from an inflatable balloon. Honestly, it’s a hell of a lot more hilarious when you see it in motion, so give it a watch!
6) Die Hard - Hans’s Fall (Scene)
One of the most, if not perhaps the most essential action film, Die Hard’s legacy is without question. From the explosions, to the other practical effects, to the one liners, and to the characters, it’s easily to see why it’s in the public’s consciousness a little over 30 decades after it’s release to theaters. Though there are plenty of scene that’ll get you to jump out of your chair & cheer for Bruce Willis, it’s at the near end when he’s rescuing his wife that gets this reaction out of me. After practically destroying Alan Rickman’s gang, he corners him. After a scuffle, he promptly takes a bullet from Bruce, and almost drags Bruce’s wife with him. Fortunately, she’s saved from a crushing death. Alan on the other hand falls down, and turns into a bloody pancake. I can’t think of any other way to kill a 80s bad guy quite.....like.....this!
5) Schindler's List - Ending (Scene)
There are two kinds of “Hell Yeah” moments in film. You got the ones that make you jump out of your seat like the one above, and then you have scenes like this one. A much more dignified kind of “Hell Yeah” scene where one keeps quiet, takes in what unfolding, and a small smile shows up. Make no mistake: the ending to one of the saddest films in all of history will leave you crying your eyes out, but in an odd way I smile. As horrific as the events in the movie were, it is nice to see a “Light in the Dark” situation take place. 1,100 Jews were saved by the hand of a man once concerned with wealth & his ego, and it took an act of horrific cruelty to change his mind. Schindler’s List may not be for everyone, and I can understand why some would stop the movie after a point, but it’s moments like this that actually make it worth seeing till the end.
4) Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade - Airplane Tunnel Car Chase (Scene)
A movie that, to this very day, proves to me why cinema can be awesome! I remember sitting down with my parent’s tape, putting it into the VHS, and sat there for 2 hours & 7 minutes. Baring witness to one of the 80s best action films, Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade has become my number 1 movie of all time (Read here for further details), and also became a film for when I want to laugh. Case in point is when Indy & his Dad are in their getaway car, and they’re being chased by 2 Nazi pilots. The first one, in an act of incredible brilliance, decides to follow them into a tunnel. His wings are torn off, and becomes a flaming mass that contains a rather confused pilot. Then there the other pilot, and without getting into details.....yes just say he has his own moment of The Birds. It’s such an absurd set of circumstances, it somehow makes sense.
3) The Mummy - Wrong Side Of The River (Scene)
I remember way back in 1999 when I saw this movie in the theater with my folks, and despite how scary it was to me at the time, I love the absolute hell out of this movie! An example of how to do a remake right, The Mummy was a late 90s action legend, but it also had some pretty good humor spread throughout the film. A good example is when our heroes managed to fight back against some river pirates, but are forced to jump ship when it becomes too damaged. They end up being on one side of the river, and their rivals end up on the other side. The rivals state that they have all the horses, and......well, just watch it!
2) Mystery Men - Silent & Deadly (Scene)
We all have that one movie scene where it harkens back to our juvenile sense of humor. Where we forgo good taste, and embrace the wonder that is toilet humor. Despite it making only half of it’s cost, Mystery Men’s status as a cult-classic superhero parody cannot be denied. With a surprisingly great cast, it’s no wonder that it’s still talked about among it’s fans. If there was one scene that shows off how childish some of it comedy can be, hands down it’s when The Spleen shows up. I won’t get into details, but let’s just say that if you like fart jokes.....then this one is a gas!
Now before we get to my number 1, I want to cover some honorable mentions. Make no mistake: These scenes get me to laugh & smile as much as everything else on here. They’re not lesser in any way because of being at this point on the list, and no-one should think so. With that out of the way, here they are!
HM1) To Kill a Mockingbird - Scout Meets Boo Radley (Scene)
I spoke of this scene back in January, and I’ll say this again here: this scene is a tearjerker. From the mood and to the music, it’s obvious that this moment in the movie was meant to tug at the heartstrings. In an odd way, however, Scout meeting her mute savior is also a very heartwarming scene. Robert Duvall played the roll of the gentle (For the most part) giant without any hiccups, and Mary Badham’s pure innocence as Scout just makes for a beautiful moment in cinema history. If you don’t use a tissue during this scene, or if you’re not smiling, then something is very clearly wrong with you.
HM2) Lethal Weapon - Riggs vs Mr. Joshua (Scene)
Fun fact: I was a bit of a latecomer to Die Hard, but a much later arrival to the Lethal Weapon series. To me, I find both franchises to be action-packed classics. Filled to the brim with great actors, over-the-top set pieces, and some well placed humor, the Lethal Weapon franchise deserves it’s reputation, and it’s all thanks to fight scenes like this. Ironically, this is one of the more basic fights, but as a way to conclude the first film it’s more than appropriate. As with the death of main baddie Hans Gruber, seeing Mr. Joshua get mauled to death by Mel Gibson will get you to jump out of your seat & cheer loudly. You definitely don’t want to skip this!
1) Blazing Saddles - Welcome Sheriff (Scene)
I think it’s a safe bet to say that a movie like Blazing Saddles will never be made again. Thanks to certain people (*Cough* LEFTISTS *Cough*), we’ll never see this kind of film again (Despite it being written by a Black Man & one of the world’s most iconic Jewish comedians). It’s funny, it’s clever, and whether it was intentional or not, it is also one of the best pieces of anti-racist media to have ever been made. It’s ironic I say that, as my favorite scene also happens to be the most racist! I recall watching this movie for the first time in my late teens (17 if I recall correctly), and when I got to this scene my jaw dropped.....and I proceeded to laugh my ass off! If you want to know why I did, then give this scene a go. You might laugh a lot too!
And those were the top 10 moments in movies that make me laugh and/or smile. Last year was harsh for all of us, but if we watch something that’ll give us a chuckle.....maybe it’s not all bad. Speaking of watching, I got another list coming, and that’ll be on the moments in television that get me to laugh. See you soon!
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