Best of...

[gammaray117]

Have you noticed that the big parts of action and otherwise suspenseful sequences get all the glory? What about the tiny ones? What would you say is the best of...

People dangling from ropes or ledges
People jumping onto a moving vehicle
People running around on fire then jumping out a window
People flying through the air after an explosion
Random people falling to their doom
Flipping random people in a brawl scene
People standing in front of a moving car firing a machine pistol at the windshield

"BATEMAN!!!!!"

[JohnL]

>People jumping onto a moving vehicle

Liam Neeson in Next of Kin. He jumps from one train to another while both are in motion.

>Random people falling to their doom

Ronny Cox in Robocop getting blown out the window.

>People standing in front of a moving car firing a machine pistol at the windshield

Fred Dryer in Hunter, although it wasn't a machine pistol.

[Brother Ragnarok]

People dangling from ropes or ledges:  Danny Glover and the Predator in Predator 2.
People jumping onto a moving vehicle:  Iniana Jones jumping onto the tank in Last Crusade.
People running around on fire then jumping out a window:  Dr. Butcher M.D., although he wasn't on fire.
People flying through the air after an explosion:  Guitar Wolf yelling "ROCK AND ROLLLL!" in Wild Zero.
Random people falling to their doom:  The guy in Dr. Butcher again.
Flipping random people in a brawl scene:  The entire reverse barfight from the Red Dwarf episode Backwards.
People standing in front of a moving car firing a machine pistol at the windshield:  Ahnold in Eraser.

Brother R

[Lee]

People jumping on to a moving vehicle: Police Story 2. Jackie Chan jumps from a truck going one way on to a bus going the other way. Then he dodges some signs and dives through a window!
Also: Eatern Condors. Sammo Hung jumps from the top of a hill into a an army truck below.

People falling to there doom: Police Story 2 again. Three big ass falls during the last fight.

[odinn7]

Brother R...
You brought up a great one with Dr. Butcher. I love the scene with the guy going out the window and hitting the pavement below. Did you happen to notice that when he hits the pavement, his arm flies off? Then when we see him up close, he has his arm back! One of my favorite stupid movies for all the cheese in it.

[The Burgomaster]

People dangling from ropes or ledges - the opening sequence of CLIFFHANGER

People jumping onto a moving vehicle - any episode of STARSKY AND HUTCH

People running around on fire then jumping out a window - THE TOWERING INFERNO

Flipping random people in a brawl scene - the big fight scene in LEGEND OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER

[Brother Ragnarok]

Yes, the arm falling off is what made the scene.  It wouldn't have mattered had that not happened.  As it is, that's one of my favorite scenes from any movie ever.

Brother R

[fritz21]

WHERE EAGLES DARE- Richard Burton's John Smith jumping from one cable car to the next. Also, in the preceeding fight (incidentally, one of the best around) I really liked it when Christensen fell to his doom. Think about it: the two grapple in an exciting fight to the death, until Christensen finally slips from the cable car. Desperate, he grabs the nearest solid object: Smith's legs. Christensen looks up, inexorably sliding down, pleading for mercy and even forgiveness. But there is none to be found. Pure hatred in his eyes, Smith kicks Christensen, and his oddly stereo death scream echoes through the valley as he falls to his doom.
THE TOWERING INFERNO- Sure, the scene where Bigelow and Lori go out the window is classic, but I really liked it when the goober went out the window at the end when the tanks were demolished. What I really like about this movie is seeing people punished for their stupidity; i.e., the morons who didn't tie themselves down in the aforementioned climatic scene, and the fools who overcrowded the breeches buoy. Of course, people trying to save others were killed too, so I suppose it all evens out.

[gammaray117]

I forgot to mention death screams.

Little too dramatic, Fritz, but yes, the cable car fight scene from WHERE EAGLES DARE has three great qualities: Christainsen's death scream, the shot of him falling, and Smith's cable car transfer.

A friend of mine liked the opening scene of HART'S WAR for "machine pistol at windshield" best, but I'm inclined to say THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, with Alan Arkin and the Volkswagen.

THE TEMPLE OF DOOM's climax combines a tense fight with great screams, falls, and hangs, wouldn't you say? And yes, Indy is the master of jumping onto moving vehicles (though I prefer the Thuggee in the mine cart chase to the tank).

Keep it coming, folks!

"BATEMAN!!!!!!"

[Neon Noodle]

gammaray117 wrote:

What would you say is the best of...
>
> People dangling from ropes or ledges

Jackie Chan in Supercop from the rope ladder.

> People jumping onto a moving vehicle

Michelle Yeoh in Supercop - the outtakes look absolutely suicidal!

> People running around on fire then jumping out a window

I'm sure there was an X-files that supports this, but I can't think of it.

> People flying through the air after an explosion

The Transporter - That sure was fun to watch.

> Random people falling to their doom

Various stormtroopers in Star Wars Episode 4

> Flipping random people in a brawl scene

Pretty much the entire Ax Gang in Drunken Master 2, gotta agree with Burgo on this one.

> People standing in front of a moving car firing a machine
> pistol at the windshield

I always liked Harvey Kitel in Reservoir Dogs but that was 2 handguns.

[fleabag]

i really liked it in the towwering inferno with the guy and the elivater on the chopper for dangling. force 10 from navarone, great flips in the fight towards the beginning with the mps. the fight from where eagles dare was pretty lame, gamma.

[dirtcreature]

People dangling from ropes or ledges - Sylvester Stallone in Rambo

People jumping onto a moving vehicle - Arnie in The Terminator

People running around on fire then jumping out a window - Robert Wagner in Towering Inferno

People flying through the air after an explosion - Christian Bale in reign of Fire

Random people falling to their doom - Randon Kryptonions at the beginning of Superman

Flipping random people in a brawl scene - Clint eatwood in Every Which Way You Can

People standing in front of a moving car firing a machine pistol at the windshield - not exactly a machine pistol but Danny glover in Leathal Weapon

Best death scream - Girl at the start of Jaws

NEW CATAGORY! Randon Vigilante trying to off main villain - Vietnam vet attacking the kurgan in Highlander

[gammaray117]

I think we're all in agreement about Robert Wagner in THE TOWERING INFERNO. Fleabag, the cable car fight from WHERE EAGLES DARE is great and effective because it *doesn't* have a lot of smashing of furniture and judo. It's a lot more like how real people fight, and it strikes closer to home for that.
Dirtcreature, you really caught the spirit of this post. Atta boy, have a biscuit.
As for the new category, PASSENGER 57, in which an elderly gent grabs the main villains gun hand, shoves it away, and is punched in the stomach at the carnival chase scene.

"BATEMAN!!!!!!"

[StatCat]

Think I could contribute one good one at least:

Random people falling to their doom

In the Cat o' Nine Tails the best scene is the guy falling down the elevator shaft with his hands burning on the pulleys- painful.

[dirtcreature]

Another choice for people flying through the air after an explosion would be all those Deadites in Army of Darkness, plus that poor sod sent flying through the air after that lightning strike in the same movie!

Gammaray117...I do my best! :o)