Santa Scene in Elf

Will Ferrell is a child.

Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone

Val Kilmer's performance as Doc Holliday is inspiring enough to forever link him to the 19th century outlaw and peace officer. He provided a good combination of the tragic and comic nature of alcoholism.

In the movie, thugs have taken control of a small Western town bringing raucous anarchy wherever they spread. The gunmen referred to themselves as cowboys and could be identified by their red sashes.  The two leaders of the cowboy outfit are treacherous personifications of evil.




Wyatt Earp settles in Tombstone to make money as a casino operator, attempting to forget his troubled past by earning a fortune.

The ending scene is a jarring curve ball to the movie that works on so many levels. The cannonball that sunk the boat. Spoiler warning.

Top 5 Angst Movies from 1990-2010

Oh the angst. We felt it more during our adolescent years but it is always a treacherous memory to revisit. A sense of anarchy and chaos that is difficult to explain but best channeled against authority, with self-destruction and loud music. But punk rock is dead, remember? Don’t forget that.

This article is a modern look at the Top 5 Angst movies between (1990-2010). All movies are different special in their own way, with each capturing a certain essence about the torments of existence. Each ranking is followed by a illustrative scene from the movie.

1. THUMBSUCKER

Thumbsucker wins because it is the perfect combination of laughter, sadness, and most importantly angst. The context of the angst is during high school and involving family, which everyone can relate to. Teenager Justin Cobb is experiencing his teenage years on Aderol, and the attention drug has made him better at it. Although he has thumb-sucking and "girlfriend" issues, Cobb manages to excel on the high school debate team.



2. FIGHT CLUB

Fight Club captures the essence of angst in the working world and consumerism. The unnamed protagonist is jaded and bored with life, and he looks for outlets in some of the most hidden, dark and possibly genius places.




3. DONNIE DARKO

Donnie Darko comes in a close third. The movie deals with high school angst, but the context is in a well-off private school for privileged families. The movie is one of the few performances of Jake Gyllenhal that is thoughtful and interesting.




4. WELCOME TO DOLLHOUSE

While some of the other movies on the list involve adolescence, Welcome to Dollhouse deals with angst from a younger age: Youth. While some students are eager to grow up in junior high, some students don't want to or just don't know any better. The movie is a jarring performance and at times, difficult to watch.



5. WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE

Gilbert Grape approaches life’s angst through the context of a fatherless rural family in a small town. It uses a technique of silent angst, one that eats at you, hence the title.



There you have it. Comments? The ranking is limited from 1990 to 2010 because most of the other rankings were pre-1990 with Rebel Without a Cause and American Graffiti. Great movies, but from generations ago. Other rankings included 80s movies like Say Anything and Breakfast Club. Such rankings are out of touch with the last 20 year and were in need of an update.

Waking Life BoatCar Driver Scene

This scene from Waking Life is funny, perplexing and sets the tone for the rest of the film. In a way, the carboat driver serves as the jester of the film. 

The movie consists of a series of philosophical commentaries about living, dreaming and existence. The rotoscoped cinematography serves as a really effective device in producing the mystical qualities of the dream state.

Issues such as free will and evolution are nicely, eloquently, and sometimes emotionally discussed. While the movie is a little on the long side, Waking Life is sure to open your eyes.

Fight Club Chemical Burn Scene

I bring you the contemporary philosophy of Tyler Durden, an industrious manufacturer of luxury soap:



Fight Club introduced the public to the world of Chuck Palahniuk. The film brought perspective to a generation with nothing symbolic to hold onto. The 50s had World War II. The 60s had its hippie movement and civil rights. Since then, America has been faced with questionable wars, civil complacency and greed. In this movie, the public’s social coma is awakened to the jarring reminder that accepting personal sacrifice and pain can lead to an enlightened consciousness.

Happy Gilmore Fight with Bob Barker

I know it is played out, but one cannot forget the epic showdown between Happy Gilmore and Bob Barker at the Pepsi Pro-Am. It's a shame that future generations won't have the privilege of enjoying the emotional and physical strength of the now-retired Bob Barker.






Happy Gilmore said it best: God I hate that Bob Barker.

Car Scene in Seven with Kevin Spacey

Seven is one of the most suspenseful thrillers of the 1990s. Two crime detectives have finally found the man who committed a string of brutal murders based on the seven deadly sins. He walked into the police station and confessed. Following him to the scene of his last crime, Spacey opens up about his motives: an egregious perspective that we know is in our egos, but rationally suppress. The dialogue builds up to one of the most surprising endings in cinematic history, say otherwise. The scene is an ominous reminder that something utterly terrible will happen. 

Dumb and Dumber: Harry and Mary's Snow Date

Harry is having his first date on the ski lifts of Aspen, Colorado. He recently came into some money so he sets out to suitor Mary Swanson, a rich young woman he met at a Charity Banquet the night prior. Perhaps the funniest scene in one of--if not the greatest comedy--of the 1990s.




In the end, both sides laugh it off.

Old School: Blooper and Outake Scenes

In 2003, Old School, and arguably Zoolander, made salient a genre of comedic style for the aughties to build upon: the improvisational skills of Will Ferrell. But since its release, the movie has become so mainstream to the point that it would be an injustice to include a scene from the original film. Here are some outtakes that although they didn't make the final cut, are laughable nonetheless.

Screenwriting Seminar in Adaptation

The movie Adaptation reveals an interesting perspective on screenwriting. It follows Charlie Kaufman's struggles with life and writing a book for the screen. In this scene, Kaufman struggles with writer's block, a treacherous experience that virtually everyone can relate to. If you can't, then you're not trying hard enough. A good lesson a friend taught me is "when in doubt, just keep writing."
 
Brian Cox, another fine character actor, plays accomplished film director Robert McKee, who holds the seminar. He offers a mind-opening perspective on writing for the screen and later gets drinks with Kaufman.

Edward Norton Fuck You Scene 25th Hour

Monty Brogan is enduring his last 24 hours as a free man before he begins a 7-year term in prison for selling drugs. Among his many stops during his last day, he gets a steak with his father. His father is a watershed of guilt, blaming his son's failures on his own alcoholic child rearing. Monty is forlorn and excuses himself to the restroom. This scene skillfully captures Monty's misdirected anger and paranoia for his bleak situation.

Commentary on the Ego from Revolver

Although I found Guy Ritchie's Revolver somewhat confusing, the scholarly commentary in the ending credits is the most enlightening scene that ties the movie together. The commentary brings some interesting notions to perception. Keep in mind, an "ego" is defined as the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and the sense of personal identity. 

Smokin' Aces: Common and Buddy Israel (Jeremy Piven)

Smokin' Aces has to be one of the most underrated films of 2006. The picture is unique because of it successful combination of drama, action, and humor and it does a pretty good job developing most of its many characters. In this scene, Buddy Israel has just sold out his loyal accomplice, Ivy, to the FBI. Ivy confronts him about it. The short clip does not do the scene justice, as it is one of the more suspenseful scenes of the film.



The clip cuts off before one of Ivy's best lines. Something along the lines of "You thought you had it bad with the Italians, wait til you see what I'm gonna do to ya." For another good scene from Smokin' Aces, click here.

The Late Heath Ledger as the Joker from the Dark Knight

Tom Wilkinson in RocknRolla

Lately, I have greatly enjoyed the works of older actors. Perhaps it is because I am getting older. Chris Walken, Brian Cox and Tom Wilkinson are good examples. Wilkinson just might be my recent favorite considering his performance in Michael Clayton. In RockNRolla, Wilkinson portrays Lenny, an underhanded London city boss with high connections and evil dispositions. Here is an example of how Lenny works.


But Lenny may be in over his head. A Russian billionaire, eerily familiar to Chelsea Football Club current owner Roman Abramovich, wants to engage in business in areas of London that Lenny controls. To bring luck to their business dealings, the Russian lends Lenny a painting that has brought him luck. Unfortunately for Lenny, the painting has brought quite the opposite when it gets stolen. Little does Lenny know that his junkie son Johnny Quid has developed quite the vendetta against his father.

Tom Wilkinson's Character in Michael Clayton

The movie Michael Clayton was a strong influence in my hesitance to be an attorney, especially at a big law firm. The cunning and venal litigation strategies, the 80-hour work weeks and most importantly Tom Wilkinson's portrayal of ostensible psychosis excellently represents the distressing toll that results from an overwhelmed attorney lifestyle.

Before watching the below scene, you must first give a look to the movie's opening scene, which YouTube is not allowing Scene Junkies to embed by request. Tom Wilkinson is a brilliant and diverse character actor of our generation.

Diner Scene From Pulp Fiction

It's amazing how much form and substance Tarantino makes out of an early morning drive from San Diego to Los Angeles. Switching scenes to different times in the plot is also an interesting way of developing and linking characters and events.

Spoiler warning. In this scene, Jules tries to justify the many rare events that the day has provided him over a briefcase carrying his boss' soul.