Newmark's Door

Brief scene from a movie I really enjoyed a lot, The Big Short.

I think Zero Dark Thirty is an excellent movie. It has to be because you know the outcome going in. I thought Jessica Chastain's performance as a woman pursuing Bin Laden obsessively was outstanding. This one-minute clip summarizes her character perfectly.

Fridays I usually focus on music here at the Door. But I don't have anything new to post on that today. So here's something new: on a few Fridays now, I'll post a scene from a movie I liked. If you haven't seen the movie, understand that the scene would be better in the full context of the movie, But if you haven't seen the movie maybe the short clip I post will interest in you in the movie, which I think would be a good thing.

Here's Matt Damon and Martin Landau from Rounders. (5 minutes.)

The complete movie, free for now on YouTube. (One hour and 45 minutes.) I think it's an absolutely gorgeous movie, one of my all-time favorites. Starring Rod Steiger, Maximilian Schell, and a very surprisingly--to me, at least--good performance by Robby Benson as a Hasidic Jew[!]. Call me sentimental, but while at least a few critics decried the happy ending, I really thought it fitting and uplifting.

Related: "At first I didn’t want to make ‘The Chosen’ — then ‘The Chosen’ changed my life".

Since Chris Rock has been in the news--a lot--recently, so here's a clip from one of his concerts I found funny. (Probably needless to say, but there's a lot of potential offensive words and statements in Mr. Rock's routines.) (4-minute video.)

Here's another one: "Biggest liar men or women".

Some streaming services you may not have heard of including some for foreign films and one with "lots of film noir and classic Hollywood highlights".

A "piece" could be as little a single line or as much as an entire scene. This post reprises and extends a post from almost 20 years that many of my current readers may not have seen. The first 25--listed in rough order of preference--are followed by another 22 listed in alphabetical order. Depending on the day and my mood, most or all of the second 22 could probably substitute for ones in the top 25.

Scent of a Woman: Pacino and Anwar do the tango.

The Year of Living Dangerously: Sigourney and Mel break the curfew.

The Chosen: Rod Steiger declares his son to be a tzadik.

Rocky 2: Adrian wakes up.

Searching for Bobby Fischer: “There it is!”

Paper Chase: The water in the hotel room comes back on.

Friday Night Lights: "Being perfect . . . is not about winning."

Stand and Deliver: “If you do not have the ganas . . .”

300: “Madness? This . . . is . . .  Sparta!”

Other People’s Money: Larry the Liquidator’s speech to the shareholders.

An Officer and A Gentleman: “My grandmama wants to fly jets!”

The Gambler: Jimmy Caan calls the card.

The Right Stuff: “Light this candle!”

Norma Rae: Norma holds up the sign

Pope of Greenwich Village: Eric Roberts puts something special in the coffee.

Porky’s: Miss Balbricker talks to the principal.

Say Anything: John Cusack holds up the boombox.

Sixteen Candles: Jake comes to the church.

Charlie Wilson’s War: the story of the Zen master.

Gandhi: "It is time you left."

The Verdict: “Who were these men?!!”

Zero Dark Thirty: “I'm the motherfucker that found this place. Sir.”

Star Trek II: “I don’t like to lose.”

Young Doctors in Love: “Old man, haven’t you . . .”

Three Days of the Condor: “How do you know they’ll print it?”

48 Hours: Eddie Murphy as the new sheriff.

A Few Good Men: Jack Nicholson on the stand

Absence of Malice: Wilford Brimley sets a few people straight. (". . . by God, it ain't right.")

Animal House: Senator and Mrs. Blutarsky

Annie Hall: Lobsters.

Casablanca: Bogart says goodbye to Ingrid.

French Connection: Chase.

Gone in Sixty Seconds: “Donny, play Low-Rider.”

Heat: Pacino and DeNiro have a cup of coffee.

Jaws: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

Margin Call: Zach Quinto calls Paul Bettany back to the office very late at night to explain the imminent disaster.

Meatballs: Bill Murray plays cards for peanuts; the final race.

Michael: Travolta and “Chain of Fools”

Moneyball: Chris Pratt goes yard.

Patton: “Rommel, you magnificent bastard!”

Point Break: Keanu learns to surf to “I Will Not Fall”

Rain Man: “Rain Man?” “Yeah.” “Let’s play some cards.”

Spy Game: The final scene. Robert Redford drives off into the sunset in his Porsche having . . . [plot spoiler omitted]

The Big Short: Ryan Gosling’s presentation to Front Point.

The Social Network: “It’ll be because you’re an asshole.”

Top Gun: Carrier ops in the Danger Zone.

Year of the Dragon: “You’re stupid, Mr. White . . .”

Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, you understand.

Hour-long documentary in which the greats talk about the state of rock in the 70s--several express extreme contempt for disco--and about other greats.

I highly recommend Meatballs: sweet, funny, and Bill Murray at his best.