The Top 10 Movie Moments Of 2013 So Far

Ever year, there are moments in film that just captivate audiences. Moments that make you laugh, make you scream, make you cry or simply just leave you in awe. Every year there are those scenes that just stay with you long after the end credits have rolled, scenes that replay in your head over and over and scenes that you can't wait to see again. With the year just over halfway done, join us as we take a look back at the top 10 movie moments of 2013, so far. This year has been a good one for film and there have been some great movies that feature some truly memorable scenes. It was definitely difficult to narrow this list down to just 10 picks but we feel that what's on display here represents some of the best that cinema had had to offer in the first half of 2013. So, without further ado, read on and relive some of the best movie moments from the past 6 months. Continue reading on the next page... 1) Behind The Candelabra - Liberace Performing Boogie Woogie Made for HBO but released everywhere else in the world theatrically, Steven Soderbergh’s extravagant Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra is filled with more than a few standout moments. From Rob Lowe’s hilarious turn as the plastic surgeon from hell to the emotionally wounding final scene between Liberace and his lover Scott Thorson. For us, however, there is one crowning moment that stands above the rest and that is the scene which introduces us to the character of Liberace, playing his famous Boogie Woogie routine to a packed Las Vegas audience. It is a transformative moment, brilliantly executed by Soderbergh and marvelously played by Michael Douglas. The actor is stunning, utterly embedding himself into that character and going for it full throttle. It is made all the more impressive by the fact that Douglas is actually playing the routine, which is in and of itself a masterful piece of technical acting, but the fact he can do that and then pull off a note perfect impression of Liberace while still playing is nothing short of breathtaking. This is Douglas’ finest hour and one of the most unforgettable moments of the year. 2) Spring Breakers - James Franco Sings A Britney Spears Song Spring Breakers was so divisive that saying you enjoyed it or hated it to the wrong group of people means certain death. One moment in the film, however, acts as a bridge between warring colonies in the universal language of WT Absolute F? What I'm referring to is the already iconic scene in which James Franco, after dwelling upon the direction that life has taken him, feels compelled to serenade the girls - in their bikinis and pink ski masks - with a version of "Everytime" by Britney Spears. The girls slowly sway and dance around the piano, twirling their shotguns as they lose themselves in the moment. It's not a great song. In fact, it's distinctly average. This entire moment is down to the indisputable genius of Harmony Korine and his incredible knack for picking which disparate elements will make a beautiful but completely batshit crazy, and totally unforgettable image. It's the one scene that everybody remembers, and I'd go so far as to say one that you will never forget. If the legacy of Spring Breakers is as "that film with the girls in bikinis and ski masks, dancing to 'Everytime' by Britney Spears," then that would be fitting. It'd be reductive, but it wouldn't be unwarranted. Then again, I loved the film, so what the hell do I know? Continue reading on the next page... 3) The Great Gatsby - Gatsby Shows Daisy His House Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby was remarkably faithful to its source material, and there may be no scene more faithful than the first time Gatsby is able to show Daisy the house he built for her. From the time the scene starts, with Gatsby trembling in the rain, too nervous to speak to Daisy, to Daisy’s tears which she covers by saying she’s never seen such beautiful shirts, it’s as if this scene wasn’t scripted, but rather was pulled straight from the pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. The visual effects in the film are absolutely stunning, and the work that team did in crafting the magnificent house is best displayed in this scene. But even better, even more memorable than getting to see the depths of the house, is getting to see the incredible chemistry between Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan. Those two are phenomenal in every scene together, but they shine brightest by far in their characters’ first intimate moments together after so many years. Getting to see the wonderment on Daisy’s face as she sees the beauty of his house and his belongings, and seeing the hope and pleasure on Gatsby’s as he watches her so adoringly was one of the true treats of the year in film so far. 4) The East - Spin The Bottle As great as the intense infiltration scenes of The East are, it’s the calm moments of intimacy between the members of the group that set the film apart. None of those scenes are as memorable as the spin the bottle scene in the middle of the film. In mere seconds so much is explained about the group with no exposition at all. The film’s version is similar to traditional spin the bottle, but instead of just kissing the person, the spinner asks if he or she may do something of his or her choice to whomever the bottle lands on, such as hug for one minute. If the person whom it lands on is uncomfortable with the request, they can suggest an alternative. At this point in the movie Brit Marling’s Sarah is extremely conflicted. She’s begun to relate to the members of the group, and may have feelings for its leader, but still is devoted to her job. In this scene she (and we) see just how close this group is. Watching Alexander Skarsgard ask to kiss someone’s belly button, and Ellen Page ask to kiss Marling, makes for an oddly powerful scene that feels so intimate that it’s almost overwhelming at times. Watching those calm moments, you feel like you’re witnessing something truly special. Continue reading on the next page... 5) Man of Steel - Final Battle One of the moments from 2013 that will be discussed for quite a long time is the final battle in Man Of Steel. The controversial ending to the film has definitely polarized people, but regardless of whether you loved or loathed it, there’s no denying that it will go down as one of the most memorable movie moments of the year. With how intense the battle building up to Superman and Zod’s showdown is, it’s easy to forget that Zod is still living. When Superman first glides over to Zod, I had a bit of trouble figuring out where he was going, but once he’s there, the epicness begins. First, Michael Shannon gives one of his best speeches of the film, unleashing his fury on the only other remaining Kryptonian. Then the battle begins, with incredible flight scenes through the city and Zod climbing buildings with a terrifying intensity. Zod makes it very clear that he won’t rest until he’s able to kill every single human, which he sets out to do once he’s learned to control his heat vision. Superman has him in a headlock, but Zod is nearly as strong as him, and much better trained. When Superman finally does snap Zod’s neck, it caught everyone by surprise, and earned Man Of Steel’s ending a permanent place in comic book movie history. 6) Iron Man 3 - House Party At the end of every superhero movie, there comes the point when it seems all hope is lost. In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark’s house has been destroyed, and he’s getting the crap beat out of him by tons of Extremis soldiers, making it seem that there is no hope at all for things to turn around. Will this be the death of Iron Man? Because of the anxiety Tony has been feeling due to that whole flying through a wormhole thing in New York, he hasn’t been sleeping at all. Instead, he’s been staying up late at night, building tons of suits, and tinkering with their inner workings. The result is a basement full of suits, all with different abilities, that do absolutely nothing in the film, until the end. When all hope seems to be lost, Tony tells Jarvis to initiate protocol House Party. Pretty soon dozens of suits are flying through the air, crashing in to save the day. While we didn’t really get to see the specialized abilities of too many of the suits, it’s tough not to feel chills watching those automated armors rush in to save the day. Continue reading on the next page... 7) Evil Dead - Raining Blood In the time building up to Evil Dead’s release there was a lot of talk about just how gory the film was going to be and how little CGI was used in the production. The trailers were extremely graphic, which might have prepared audiences for any normal movie, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for the bloodbath that the film would actually be. Scene after scene had moments capable of making even the toughest horror fan sick, but it wasn’t until the gory finale that the film finally rained blood. Literally. It actually rained blood. The sky fills with clouds and turns a dark crimson, then suddenly rain begins to fall from the sky. The rain appears to be darker than usual, but that’s probably just the lighting right? No wait a second, it’s actually raining blood. The gallons of human fluid falling from the sky make this easily one of the bloodiest scenes in horror history, and it’s simply the cap to a film filled to the brim with gore and guts. 8) This Is The End - Jonah Hill Gets Hate...Umm...Possessed This is the End is filled to the brim with memorable moments. Honestly, picking just one was the hardest decision I've had to make all year. You've got Craig Robinson's heavenly rendition of "Take Your Panties Off," Danny McBride and James Franco yelling about shooting loads everywhere, Michael Cera's ruining of the phrase "Sippy Time," the Devil's introduction, Channing Taint-YUM - seriously, how the hell am I supposed to pick just one moment?! Well, I know it might not be everyone's most memorable moment, but the scene where Jonah Hill gets raped by the devil is still seared into my brain. All the other moments made us break down in fits of laughter, but no moment had the shock value of seeing whatever demon raped Jonah looming over our star, sporting his schlonger for all to see. Building up to that moment has the twisted hilarity of Jonah being demon-raped, but once you see that evil dick, things get real super quick. Plus, it's sandwiched between two hilarious moments in Jonah praying to God by starting with "Dear God, it's me, Jonah Hill... from Moneyball" and then the inevitable "Exorcism of Jonah Hill." Because he got raped. By the devil. Where's Brad Pitt to save you from that fate? Continue reading on the next page... 9) The Kings Of Summer – The Kings Build A House Since The Kings Of Summer was one of the best movies I’ve seen to date this year, it’s only fitting that one of my favorite moments of the year also involves our unrivaled kings. But which moment of heartfelt hilarity made for one of the best cinematic moments of the year so far? Moises Arias’ antics surely made for some riotous entertainment, and Nick Offerman played an amazing role himself, but no moment rivals how we feel as soon as our main characters finish building their make-shift house deep in the woods. Why is this moment so striking? When we see the house, we see everything we wished to accomplish as children, transporting us back to those moments of wild creativity we felt while still coming into our own. It’s that moment of freedom where our boys acknowledge the major feat they’d accomplished, where a magical journey begins, and where we all remember back to that warm feeling of carelessness the simplicity of childhood held. It’s such a sweet and momentous moment for our boys, and one I can’t wait to relive again and again. 10) Trance - The Ending Trance was a real gem of a film. Not Boyle's best, but a solid thriller with a lot to admire. I can talk for hours about the flawless performances, the enticing visuals, the assured direction etc., but I won't. Instead, I'll focus in on what is for me, at least, one of the best parts of the film, and that is the ending. I love a good mindf**k. Inception, Memento, you name it. I love leaving a film scratching my head and rushing home to surf the Internet for discussions and theories on what I just witnessed. When it comes to mindf**ks, Trance is in a class of its own. It was never a straight-forward film, but at the end it completely goes off the rails and leaves you in a real state of confusion. Admittedly, some viewers may not appreciate the open-ended, not conclusive nature of the film, and that's fine. But if you want something challenging, something that will leave you with a lot to think about and something that will make you question everything you just saw, then check out Trance. It's one heck of a ride. So, there you have it, our favorite movie moments from the first half of the year. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below! Please note that this article has been a collaboration between Matt Joseph, Alexander Lowe, Will Chadwick and Rob Batchelor.