The Top Ten Most Paused Movie Moments
We've all done it. We're watching a movie and an image flashes by in an instant. Did we really just see that? So we patiently wait, remote in hand, until the precise second. You click the pause button like the whole remote just suddenly lit on fire and there it is....most likely one of these moments. A subscription based British movie site called LOVEFiLM (basically a European version of Netflix) took votes from their 1.6 million subscribers and came up with the top ten scenes in movies that people pause. And, though Kevin Williamson wrote about it in Scream, Tom Cruise's penis in All the Right Moves did not make the list.
The data comes from a poll conducted by LOVEFiLM. Many thanks to them. Here's the list:
1. Sharon Stone crossing her legs – Basic Instinct (1992) – 31%
No surprise here. Paul Verhoeven's erotic thriller helped make Sharon Stone a super star as her character, the murderous Catherine Tramell, tries to seduce Michael Douglas' character by briefly flashing her most intimate of areas. The scene has inspired numerous spoofs, references and young male libidos.
2. Jennifer Lopez naked rear – The Back-Up Plan (2010) – 16%
Jennifer Lopez has been a dancer, singer, actress, judge but she's best known for one thing...her butt. In 2010's The Back-Up Plan, audiences got a brief, rare glimpse at the superstar's money maker in all its glory.
3. Stormtrooper bangs his head – Star Wars – Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – 15%
Star Wars fans know this clip well. George Lucas famously left in this gaffe of a Stormtrooper hitting his head on the Death Star and while you don't notice it the first see the movie, once you do notice it, it's all you ever see. Not sure why this is paused – it works better as a clip – but it's a hilarious moment.
4. Jamie Lee Curtis flash – Trading Places (1983) – 8%
Scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis was always known for being beautiful but it wasn't until 1983's Trading Places that audiences saw her topless. Here's a famous quote on the subject from the 1996 film Scream:
Breasts? Not until "Trading Places" in 1983. Jamie Lee was always a virgin in horror movies. She didn't show her tits 'til she went legits.
5. Jessica Rabbit goes commando – Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – 6%
Kathleen Turner's sultry turn as one of, if not the, most sexualized animated characters of all time had plenty of suggestive dialogue, visuals, but none more than this scene where it's pretty obvious she's not wearing any underwear. I must admit, this is kind of creepy.
6. Brad Pitt flashes behind doctor in hospital – Fight Club (1999) – 5%
Fight Club, directed by David Fincher based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, is filled with pause-worthy moments. Some obvious and some not so much, like this one where Brad Pitt flashes in a hospital.
7. Captain America's shield appears on desk – Iron Man 2 (2010) – 4%
One of the first of the many Easter Eggs linking the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jon Favreau's inclusion of Captain America's shield in Iron Man 2 was super subtle, but very exciting. And it makes sense as we later found out Tony's father Howard helped create Cap.
8. Dust spells out 'S.F.X' – The Lion King (1994) – 3%
Before YouTube, this clip from the Academy Award-winning Disney film was one of the first viral moments. Disney animators were famous for putting in subliminal messages and this one, which looks like the word "Sex," was widely debated. Personally, I still don't see it.
9. Pacman cameo – Tron (1982) -2%
The year is 1982. Home video games are just becoming super popular and you see a movie as visually stunning as Tron. Then, in a blink, it seems like there's one of your favorite characters on the screen. Did it actually happen? In the case of Tron, it did and the fact that it happened so long ago was probably a shock to audiences not used to this kind of thing.
10. Nicole Kidman rear-end flash – Eyes Wide Shut (1999) – 1%
Famous, naked women are always pause worthy and this moment in Stanley Kubrick's final film is certainly one of those. Kidman and Cruise both went all out for the master filmmaker and in a movie with a bunch of nudity, this is definitely one of the most exciting.
Other – 9 %
So, what do you think? Any surprises?
Well there's no surprise that female nudity accounts for four of the ten places (five if you are creepy and count Jessica Rabbit). I'm more surprised that the famous Stormtrooper faux-pas made the list, simply because it really has to be seen at full speed to fully enjoy it. Also, it's crazy that Iron Man 2 (and The Back-Up Plan?!?) made such a strong showing so fast. Plus, I have to admit, I had never seen the Pac-Man cameo in Tron.
Are there any moments that you paused or currently still pause?