Which scene is ripped off most often???

[kassius]

You hear a lot of people talk about how movies suck because it's the same thing you've seen a million times. The same old formula. blah!

But I wanted to focus on single scenes and what movies get ripped off the MOST.

I'll go first.  I think it's "The Graduate" where we watch Benjamin running in to stop Elaine Robinson's wedding at the last second. Sure, last second wedding stops have been done before but "The Graduate" took it to a new level and now so many movies about love that shouldn't be steal it too often.  



Wonder what everybody else thinks? What are some other scenes that they think are abused in Hollywood????

[Weak2ndAct]

The steadicam in Goodfellas (well, both big shots).  Now in any 'edgy' movie, where we come to a new location, we have to have a 2 minute steadicam showing the place off and having nothing of serious dramatic weight happen.  Just there for masturbatory purposes.

[pete]

whichever movie had the scene with the terrorist holding the hero's loved one hostage, and the loved one bites the terrorist's hand to break free.  that scene is everywhere.

[Sleuth]

It's the scene where a protagonist tricks a secret antagonist into exposing himself

"How did you like [something]?"

"I liked it, but [something else]"

"I didn't mention [something else]"

[SHAFTR]

Odessa Steps Sequence in Battleship Potemkin..for direct ripoffs.

[picolas]

frog rain. can i go one movie without the frog rain sequence? even pta is doing it.

[Chest Rockwell]

Scene in which the main character talks to himself in a mirror (from Raging Bull). The main rip-off ('tribute') is in Boogie Nights.

[ElPandaRoyal]

frog rain. can i go one movie without the frog rain sequence? even pta is doing it.

Even still, there will be a frog rain scene in my directorial debut - a film about a man who runs from the war only to stop her loved one from marrying an idiot who likes to talk to himself in the mirror.

Biggest rip-off ever: END CREDITS  :P

[Pubrick]

bullet time.

[ShanghaiOrange]

Scene in which the main character talks to himself in a mirror (from Raging Bull). The main rip-off ('tribute') is in Boogie Nights.

Taxi Driver  

[rustinglass]

Scene in which the main character talks to himself in a mirror (from Raging Bull). The main rip-off ('tribute') is in Boogie Nights.

Taxi Driver  

Yeah, I was going to say that. More of a tribute or parody, not much as ripoff, but I have seen that in so many films! Even Lars von Trier says "are you talking to me? there's no one else here... you must be talking to me!" in Epidemic

bullet time

Yeah, I invented that! When I tried to play Final Doom on my old IBM, the bullets were that slow. I want a million dollars!

[abuck1220]

It's the scene where a protagonist tricks a secret antagonist into exposing himself

"How did you like [something]?"

"I liked it, but [something else]"

"I didn't mention [something else]"

that really pissed me off in minority report. i thought spielberg was better than that.

[soixante]

I'm not sure where this cliche started, but the psycho calling the cop and/or potential victim and threatening him is getting old.  Maybe it started when Malkovich taunted Eastwood over the phone in In The Line of Fire.  The tradition continued with Robin Williams calling Pacino in Insomnia, etc.  I see this plot device in a lot of trailers for movies I never will see.  Talk about phoning it in.

One oft-imitated scene was the car chase in French Connection.  Or how about the Mexican stand-off from Reservoir Dogs (which was used in an obscure 70's movie called Report to the Commissioner).

[SoNowThen]

Or how about the Mexican stand-off from Reservoir Dogs (which was used in an obscure 70's movie called Report to the Commissioner).

um, or how about The Wild Bunch (1969)?!

and besides, mexican standoffs are cool. Movies can only benefit by having them (I kinda feel the same way about the long steadicam shot, too).

[BonBon85]

The Jennifer Connelly on a dock shot and the celebratory overhead shot of a character standing in the rain with his arms out.