There is no magic like movie magic. Movies have provided us with many cherished moments, the ones that stay with us, bringing us joy, excitement, and inspiration. No matter how much we exalt movies, they are products of creative minds.
Sometimes, that creativity leads us to witness some bizarre moments. We have listed four such moments (two from the same movie) for you to look back on. You may even enjoy this throwback.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” –The Fellowship’s Emotional Reunion
One thing that different factions of movie fans can agree upon is that Peter Jackson’s “Lord of The Rings” trilogy is a masterpiece. However, even a masterpiece is not without its flaws. Case in point, the overly saccharine scene at the end of “The Return of the King” shows Frodo gaining consciousness after destroying the One Ring at Mount Doom.
The scene would have been okay if it was just shot like any other scene in the movie. However, director Peter Jackson badly wanted the audience to feel the jubilation of the Fellowship meeting each other after a long struggle against a great evil. So, what did he do to make this moment poignant?
He shot it in contrived slow-motion and weird camera angles. If the camera is not showing a shell-shocked Frodo maniacally laughing slowly, it is showing an extreme close-up of Gandalf’s face. Sir Ian McKellan, who plays Gandalf, is emoting joy like a normal person here. The way his face is shot ,in slow motion and framed in the center of the frame, makes this scene awkward.
The depth of field trickery employed throughout the film series is also at play here. It was used to create a height difference between diminutive magical people, like hobbits and dwarves, and other characters. However, the effect doesn’t land in this scene, adding to the awkwardness. The cherry on top is the fact that during the whole scene, the Fellowship members say each other’s names. All of these elements come together to create a scene that’s ripe for parody. Did this scene ruin the movie? No, but for some, it almost did.
“Meet Joe Black”–Car Accident Scene + Death Speaking Patois
When making this list, we were in a bind about which scene to pick from “Meet Joe Black.” In the 1998 romance-fantasy hybrid, Brad Pitt plays Death manifested into flesh and blood. Death falls in love with the daughter of a man he has to take to the ‘the other side.
’It’s one of the movies that cemented the actor’s status as a leading man. It’s also the movie where he switches from his regular American accent to Jamaican Patois. It’s a moment that hasn’t aged well. However, this moment of absurdity is not alone.
The scene that we wanted to highlight is the one where we see a young man become the victim of a car accident (spoiler!!) orchestrated by Death. As per this movie’s logic, Death just can’t materialize as a person; it has to take someone’s body.
So, how does Death get said body? By getting an innocent man hit by not one but two cars! One after the other. This character’s body flies around like a ragdoll. The short yet incredulous scene is bound to elicit a chuckle out of you, which is not the reaction the filmmakers wanted.
The moment’s timing matches something out of the “Final Destination” movies. It still feels insane to know that this scene was meant to be a serious moment from an otherwise lovely film on the nature of life and death. It has to be seen to be believed!
“Superman: The Movie”–Superman Reverses Time
“Superman”(1978) directed by Richard Donner, has a special place in movie history and among fans of the DC Comics character. It set ablaze the imaginations of the movie-going audience. It showed studios that superhero movies could be profitable.
It introduced the world to the talent of Christopher Reeves, who played the titular role. It made ‘Superman’ and ‘superhero’ synonymous among kids. The movie is considered a must-watch among fans of blockbuster fare. However, this movie also contains a glaring plot hole, courtesy of the movie’s screenwriter Mario Puzo.
The movie ends with Superman saving Lois Lane, who had succumbed to an earthquake. Yes, events in the movie led her to die and then get “resurrected” by the reversal of time.
How is Superman reversing time? He flies fast around the Earth, causing it to spin backward. By this film’s logic, this action should reverse time.
We’re not being nit-picky but hear us out: time is not dictated by Earth’s spin on its axis. Superman’s actions in the film should only cause everyone on Earth to experience longer daytime, not a ripple in the fabric of reality.
Audience members were riding the wave of euphoria and optimism the character epitomizes, so they gave this ending a pass. However, in retrospect, what were they thinking?
Did we ruin your memories of these otherwise good movies? Well, we’re just pointing out horrible scenes that almost ruined the entire movie. We hope you enjoyed this retrospect. Do you also know of horrible scenes that almost ruined the entire movie? Tell us about them in the comments.