The 10 most paused scenes in cinema history
Movie fans are meticulous creatures, willing to pick apart each and every scene from their favourite movies to extract as much information as possible from their beloved cinematic texts. Ranging from big blockbusters to intricate independent releases, there are thousands of films across the landscape of cinema that dedicate themselves to adding little easter eggs, whether intentional or not.
Many of these come in the biggest and most celebrated franchises of all, with George Lucas’ Star Wars series having long been obsessed with secrets both big and small that only ‘true fans’ will respect. Similar examples can be found throughout the filmography of Steven Spielberg, whose fan-favourite series Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park often reference each other with winks to the audience.
Several of these easter eggs are so special that they prompt movie lovers watching a film at home to pause the screen and get as close as possible to the T.V. in order to dissect each and every pixel. From classic movie mistakes to intricate details, take a look at our list of the most paused scenes in cinema history, below.
The 10 most paused scenes in cinema history
10. Star Wars: A New Hope (George Lucas, 1977) – Storm Trooper scene
In the first instalment of the Stars Wars franchise, eagle-eyed fans spotted a rather funny blooper that made it into the final film. A Stormtrooper can be seen hitting his head on the doorframe whilst walking into the control room, which seemingly goes unnoticed.
Director George Lucas has acknowledged the mistake since the film’s release, and in 2002 the scene was even re-edited with an added sound effect to draw attention to the humourous gaffe. The identity of the Stormtrooper remains unidentified, with two different actors recalling hitting their heads whilst donning the iconic costume.
9. There’s Something About Mary (Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly, 1998) – Testicles + zipper
Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s rom-com There’s Something About Mary was a box-office hit upon its release in 1998, praised for its unrelenting humour that wasn’t afraid to be crude and juvenile. The film’s most memorable scene sees Ben Stiller’s nerdy character Ted get his genitals stuck in his trouser zipper.
Whilst he starts to panic, the bathroom fills up with more and more characters, including a policeman that magically appears through the window. Lots of comedic tension is built by the reactions given by different characters, and it seems unlikely that we will actually see the dreaded image – but we do – and the timing of the scene plays out perfectly.
8. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (George Lucas, 1999) – E.T. Cameo
Steven Speilberg has included many Star Wars references in his films, most notably in E.T., when the little alien follows a child dressed as Yoda on Halloween, thinking that he will take him ‘home’. Therefore, in 1999, George Lucas decided to return the favour by paying homage to Speilberg in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
During a scene where Queen Padmé Amidala calls for a vote against the Head of the Galactic Senate, Chancellor Valorum, multiple representatives can be seen sitting in pods with varying responses to the vote. One of these pods contains three aliens who resemble E.T. Whether it’s actually E.T. or just three of his friends remains unknown, but fans were delighted to spot the easter egg.
The appearance does beg the curious question, was E.T. a Jedi?
7. Signs (M. Night Shyamalan, 2002) – The alien
Science-fiction horror Signs, starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin, was a huge success for director M. Night Shyamalan, grossing over $408,247,917 worldwide. Audiences went crazy for the film’s use of suspense as it becomes apparent that aliens are invading Earth.
The film’s most memorable scene has been dubbed as one of the scariest moments in cinema, despite only having a 12-certificate age rating. As Phoenix’s character sleeps in front of the television, his attention is immediately captured when a news report shows an image of a terrifying alien sighting at a children’s birthday party.
6. Iron Man 2 (Jon Favreau, 2010) – Nick Fury scene
Marvel is no stranger to strategically placed easter eggs; however, the one that excited fans most took place in Iron Man 2. During a scene where Nick Fury meets up with Tony Stark, a massive S.H.I.E.L.D. activity map can be seen in the background, highlighting key areas in the Marvel Universe.
The map highlights Tony’s Malibu home, New Mexico – a reference to the Mjolnir impact site from Thor, Greenland – where Captain America was frozen, and Wakanda – eight years before the release of Black Panther, to name just a few.
5. The Cabin In The Woods (Drew Goddard, 2012) – Whiteboard scene
Drew Goddard’s subversive horror comedy The Cabin In The Woods was beloved by fans upon its release in 2012 for breaking down the rules of the genre and exposing the hilarious cliches underneath. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz and Sigourney Weaver, the film tells the story of a group of teenagers brought to a remote cabin in the woods only to fall victim to an evil corporation who sends different horror villains to kill them.
The pause-worthy scene in question comes when one of the corporation’s managers stands in front of a whiteboard that lists all the possible villains who could go after the teens, with such names including ‘Sugarplum Fairy’ and ‘Snowman’.
4. Fight Club (David Fincher, 1999) – Tyler Durden
If you’ve never seen Fight Club, stop reading now, we’re about to reveal one of the most famous spoilers in all of cinema! In David Fincher’s celebrated drama, the main character, played by Edward Norton, befriends a maverick macho-man named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), only to find out at the end of the film that they are, in fact, one and the same, with the protagonist projecting Pitt’s character into his life.
Throughout the film, Fincher alludes to this by flashing Pitt’s character on screen for a split second, just long enough to know that you saw something.
3. The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1974) – Captain Howdy
For good reason, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist is recognised as a horror classic, with the terrifying tale of lost faith producing one of the most frightening stories of all time. The performances from Linda Blair, Max von Sydow and Ellen Burstyn certainly helped to solidify this 1970s classic. Still, it was the fandom that emerged from the film that brought its legacy into the 21st century.
One of the film’s most notorious scenes comes when Jason Miller’s Damien runs down the street in panic; suddenly, the terrifying face of the demon Captain Howdy pops on screen for just a split second. Blink, and you would have missed it unless you’ve paused it, of course.
2. Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1997) – Changing room scene
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights is an explicit movie about the porn industry in the late 1970s and early 1980s, starring Mark Wahlberg as Dirk Diggler, the film sees the young man’s rise from an eager actor to one of the industry’s biggest stars. We mean ‘big’ in more ways than one too, as whilst he reaches great heights at the top of the industry, he is also gifted with quite the mighty member.
To not beat around the bush, Wahlberg’s Diggler has impressively-sized privates, and the film finally shows them off at the end of the film when the character is standing in front of the mirror in the changing rooms. Why would you not pause it?
1. Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992) – Interrogation scene
The truth is, no matter how you people might try to cover it up, just like our previous entry on the list, humans are sexual beings, with Paul Verhoeven’s iconic piece of titillation undoubtedly taking the top place on our list. Telling the story of a violent police detective who investigates a brutal murder that might involve a seductive novelist, the film stars Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone as the iconic femme fatale.
The much-paused moment comes when Stone’s character is being interrogated, and she suggestively crosses her legs, giving viewers a split-second shot where she is exposed.
