Favorite Fourth Wall Breaks

[Raffine]

Kevin McCarthy screaming "You're next!" at the audience at the end of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.

Peter Pan begging the audience to clap to save Tinkerbell!

EDIT: THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1903) considered by many to be the first true motion picture with a plot, ends with a great 'Breaking the 4th Wall' moment that supposedly sent audiences screaming!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc7wWOmEGGY

[Andrew]

In TOP SECRET, the main character, Nick Rivers,  says something to the effect of:

"I'm sure I'm not the first American rock singer to come to East Germany, be arrested and sentenced to death by the Gestapo, then escape and join the French Resistance and fall in love with a beautiful spy only to lose her to her childhood sweetheart, that she hasn't seen in 10 years,  who just arrived in a boat with a bunch of German sailors . . . "

Hilary replies: "Oh, Nick, I know it all sounds like a bad movie!"


And they both turn and stare silently at the camera.

I nearly fell off the couch laughing the first time I saw that.

This is undoubtedly my favorite one. It's what instantly jumped to mind when I read the topic.  It might be my favorite part of the movie, and I find it to be a darn funny film.

[indianasmith]

I still find that to be one of the funniest movies of all time, Andrew.  There are so many little subtle sight gags buried in it that you have to see the movie multiple times to catch them all!

[Andrew]

I still find that to be one of the funniest movies of all time, Andrew.  There are so many little subtle sight gags buried in it that you have to see the movie multiple times to catch them all!

It's one of mine.  I still remember recording the backwards scene with my computer (this was easily 15 years ago) so that we could play it backwards and hear what they were saying (not trusting the subtitles).  Yes, she really does ask for a book called "Europe on five quaaludes a day."

[Trevor]

Robert Hays in Airplane looking at the camera and saying: "What a p*sser!"

Leslie Nielsen attacking Gorbachev in The Naked Gun and rubbing his birthmark off, saying to the camera: "I knew it!"

Literally breaking the glass door and the wall with the camera dolly and crane in "High Anxiety. 

Shirley Valentine has a lot of these moments with Pauline Collins addressing the wall.

In TV, the pilot episode of In Love and War had Jay Thomas and Susan Dey talking to the camera a lot.

[HappyGilmore]

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back does it several times.

1.) Ben Affleck (as Holden McNeil from Chasing Amy) is talking to Jay and Silent Bob, who just found out that a movie is being made about the comic book they're the inspiration for.  Jay and Bob are mad, not because of money they're owed, but because people on IMDB are talking s**t about them.  Affleck looks at them and says "A Jay and Silent Bob movie.  Who'd pay to see that?"  Then all three stop, look at the camera and smile.

2.) Jay and Bob are set up for a crime at one point in the movie.  Jewel thieves have Jay and Bob sneak into an animal laboratory to rescue animals, causing a disturbance long enough so they can steal some diamonds from the jewelry store next door.  Will Ferrell shows up as a Wildlife Marshall to find the animals, and is informed of the real crime: a jewelry heist.  He says "Sounds like a plot out of a bad movie" and both look blankly at the camera.

3.) Towards the end, Ben Affleck re-appears alongside Matt Damon (both playing a parody of themselves, starring in a fictional Good Will Hunting 2.)  Jay and Bob are on set thinking that Ben and Matt are playing Jay and Bob in their comic book movie.  Ben and Matt start making fun of each others bad movies, such as Reindeer Games, Talented Mr. Ripley, etc.  Ben Affleck then says to Matt: "Sometimes you make your 'art' picture, sometimes, you make your action flick, and then there's the time you do a movie cause your friend says you owe him." at which point both look at camera.  (For those who don't know, Kevin Smith helped get Good Will Hunting picked up by Miramax.  He was friends with Ben after hiring him for Mallrats and Chasing Amy, giving him a big following on MTV.  He read the script for Good WIll Hunting and became a producer on it, and it won the Oscar and helped launch their careers.)

[retrorussell]

The cartoon Drawn Together has moments where a character will sit in the confessional and address the audience.  Usually the most outlandish/sick/twisted things will come out of their mouth.

[Celx]

Funny games did some excellent fourth wall stuff, I like the original better but both are pretty good...
Aside from that S&man, it has a twist that only a few will catch...

[Doggett]

It has to be the She Hulk comics for me.
I know it's not a film (it nearly was...), but its so much fun and light heartedness in a time where I think comics get taken a little too seriously.

[AndyC]

In Trading Places, when the Dukes are explaining commodities trading to Valentine, and dumbing it down to the point of putting bacon into context for him. Eddie Murphy turns his head and gives the camera that look that says "These guys have got to be kidding." Very funny.

[Rev. Powell]

This is not a favorite, in fact it's something I'm getting tired of: stage blood spattering on the camera lens.  What could take you out of the mood and remind you that your watching something that's being filmed more than that?  In fact, I saw a movie recently where they actually took the time to paint gobs of CGI blood on the camera "lens."  Exceedingly lame, in my opinion.

[BTM]

Can't believe no one's mentioned Kick Ass yet, and one of it's greatest lines:

"And if you're reassuring yourself that I'm going to make it through this since I'm talking to you now, quit being such a smart-ass!"

[ulthar]

PRIVATE RESORT:  George the horny kid: "Boy, I'd pay to see this."

[Trevor]

I was watching The Haunting (Robert Wise's version) again the other day and even in this scary film, there is a light moment and what seems to be a fourth wall break by Richard Johnson.

RJ: "Now. Which door?"
Claire Bloom: "That one." [points to her right]
RJ: "You're wrong, I've studied the map, it's this one." [smiles at camera, walks straight into the broom closet]

[WingedSerpent]

I was recently reminded of another good one. In the horror/comedy Dr. Giggles. The killer doctor gets stabbed with his own killer medical equipment. He looks at the camera and asks the audience "Is there a doctor in  the house?"