What are your favorite movie death scenes? (SPOILERS)

[Purge]

How can people let the "You hear - hear a little girl, Frankie?" pen scene in Casino go without mention?
Also, the brutal cleanup at the end was pretty memorable.

Then there was the "Stuck in the middle with you" scene in Reservoir Dogs.

[CeeKay]

Damn  Im watching that series.   I thought this was movies scene spoilers, not current tv series.  You might want to spoiler tag that one. 

you didn't guess that Dexter is a killer yet? 

[Eel Snave]

Seriously, this one caught me so off guard and I loved this guy so freaking much, I actually screamed out "NO!" when it happened.

Wash, in Serenity.

Oh man, that still hurts.

This was the first one I thought of too.  Certainly not my favorite (Joss, you bastard!!), but very memorable.

Yes!  After that, it felt like all bets were off.  That took a ton of balls to do.

[CeeKay]

Seriously, this one caught me so off guard and I loved this guy so freaking much, I actually screamed out "NO!" when it happened.

Wash, in Serenity.

Oh man, that still hurts.

This was the first one I thought of too.  Certainly not my favorite (Joss, you bastard!!), but very memorable.

Yes!  After that, it felt like all bets were off.  That took a ton of balls to do.

makes you wonder if Wash was meant to survive the whole series if it hadn't been cancelled...

[Unagi]

Seriously, this one caught me so off guard and I loved this guy so freaking much, I actually screamed out "NO!" when it happened.

Wash, in Serenity.

Oh man, that still hurts.

This was the first one I thought of too.  Certainly not my favorite (Joss, you bastard!!), but very memorable.

Yes!  After that, it felt like all bets were off.  That took a ton of balls to do.

makes you wonder if Wash was meant to survive the whole series if it hadn't been cancelled...

I came away feeling like in some ways perhaps Wash=Joss, and that he was sorta removing himself from the story or such...  or , perhaps as you allude - it was a comment on the show's untimely, premature and meaningless end.

[Kevin Grey]

makes you wonder if Wash was meant to survive the whole series if it hadn't been cancelled...

I read an interview where Whedon or Tudyk said that Wash would probably have been killed off in a similar manner at the end of the second or third season. 

[Eel Snave]

makes you wonder if Wash was meant to survive the whole series if it hadn't been cancelled...

I read an interview where Whedon or Tudyk said that Wash would probably have been killed off in a similar manner at the end of the second or third season. 

Another thing I liked is that he didn't get some big, dramatic death scene where he imparts some grave truth the other crew members.  He's just...dead.  It's the finality that's so shocking.

I have to watch Serenity again.

[Kevin Grey]

Another thing I liked is that he didn't get some big, dramatic death scene where he imparts some grave truth the other crew members.  He's just...dead.  It's the finality that's so shocking.

I have to watch Serenity again.

Whedon actually did something similar in Buffy:

Spoiler for Hiden:

with Anya's death in the finale. 

[chaosraven]

Marv in Sin City

Leonidas in 300

[Big Jake]

Ok, some great picks in here - Roy Batty in Blade Runner is a TOP THREE death of all time (Spock is in at #2).  The directors cut version without the idiotic voiceovers ('hi, I'm an idiot who needs everything spoon fed to them' - and then you're watching this film, why?) is specifically fantatsic, with Gaffer's words wrapping up the film.

There's some truly atrocious picks in here too.  I wont name names to keep the thread flame free.

My Additions to Roy Batty:
Seven Samurai,

Spoiler for Hiden:

Kyuzo (The sword master) - everyone freezing on the battle, samurai, villagers and brigands, when he falls over dead is one of the great scenes of all time.  The Utter shock that everyone clearly feels at that moment is only rivaled by the stark emtpiness of Kikuchiyo's death moments later, killing the brigand leader, but dying himself.

Brazil,

Spoiler for Hiden:

Harry Tuttle, Rogue Heating Engineer.  For my money, still the best death scene of all time.  The manifestation of 'paperwork eating you alive' comes out of nowhere and blindsides you.  Arguably one of the pinnacle's of Terry Gilliam cinematic visions, right next too...

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Spoiler for Hiden:

 Ever seen this movie?  WIll you ever forget the Baron's near-death at the end of the film (with the Reaper exploding out of the statue the moment the bullet is fired?)

Tie: Star Wars 1(or 2 or 3 or whicever one it was) and Return of the Jedi - Jango and Bob Fett.  Let's create the scary bounty hunter concept...and then kill them in really stupid ways.  Needs to be mentioned as some of the worst on-screen deaths of all time.

2001, Frank Poole.  It's the silence of the scene that really cements it's place.

Alien, Kane.  Funny, the guy's involved in an absolutely legendary film scene...and almost nobody even thinks about the fact it's HIS death scene.  Poor space trucker.

and finally:

The Iron Giant.  "Superman!"  (How did not one of you already say this?!?!?!)

[CeeKay]

Whedon actually did something similar in Buffy:

Spoiler for Hiden:

with Anya's death in the finale. 

that bit seemed to be very tacked on though, like an afterthought along the lines of 'oh wait, it's the end so there must be a death', and the reactions aftewards even more so.

Seriously, the final episode of Buffy needed to be longer-  it felt way too rushed.

[Kevin Grey]

Whedon said that it was intended to be a 2 hour finale but it didn't work out scheduling-wise. 

Spoiler for Hiden:

  I'm the odd man out in that I really like the Buffy finale.  I do wish Anya had a bit more of a rememberance than "that's my girl" but that was clearly a sacrifice because they did it all in an hour.  But I thought her death itself was pretty brutal and sudden.  Like Wash's death it was one of those things where the instant you see it, you just know there is no coming back from it. 

I actually found Anya's death more affecting than Wash's because Anya had been a character who been immortal and she gave that mortality up only to die several months later.  Especially poignant to me since she never got back together with Xander (damn you, Season Six !!!!).

[Eightball]

Willem Defoe's in "Platoon" does.

That's what I was about to post.

And if you want a good villain death scene, Barnes in the same movie.  It's so powerful, and so unsatisfying.

[gameoverman]

King Kong, the REAL King Kong that is.

Or "I'm melting" From Wizard of Oz

[Toe]

I liked the knife kill in Saving Private Ryan during the defense of the bridge. ~shivers~ Top notch.

[Montag]

uhm Kahn? "To the last I grapple with thee..."

[Montag]

I liked the knife kill in Saving Private Ryan during the defense of the bridge. ~shivers~ Top notch.

Are you referring to where the German puts his finger to his mouth to shush the GI as he stabs him?

[Ninyu]

I liked the knife kill in Saving Private Ryan during the defense of the bridge. ~shivers~ Top notch.

Are you referring to where the German puts his finger to his mouth to shush the GI as he stabs him?

Yeah, that makes me shudder when I think of it. 

How about:

Joe Pesci's death in Goodfellas.
Tim Roth's death in Rob Roy.
Brad Pitt's death in Meet Joe Black

[Eel Snave]

Just thought of a couple!

Once Upon A Time In The West: One of the great duels & deaths in cinema.

The Manchurian Candidate: The shock on Angela Lansbury's character's face is awesome, right when she realizes it's all falling apart.

I'll think of more.

[USMC Kato]

I liked the knife kill in Saving Private Ryan during the defense of the bridge. ~shivers~ Top notch.

Not to derail from the thread but that scene in particular made me so frickin mad that I am unable to watch this movie ever again. 

[Big Jake]

EEL SNAVE!  I thought of the original Manchurian candidate, OF THE EXACT SAME MOMENT, but didn't post it.  Loved that scene!  Angela Lansbury's finest moment as a truly EVIL human being.

[The Grue]

Tie: Star Wars 1(or 2 or 3 or whicever one it was) and Return of the Jedi - Jango and Bob Fett.  Let's create the scary bounty hunter concept...and then kill them in really stupid ways.  Needs to be mentioned as some of the worst on-screen deaths of all time.

I agree on Boba Fett, but not Jango.  Jango got owned by Mace...no shame in that.

[hispanicgamer]

The first death of Sark in Tron

[Larraque]

Saw a pretty good one last night. Since it's a more recent movie, I'll post a spoiler. It's from the movie Beowulf (which I don't really recommend - it has 3 really awesome action sequences and sound design but is 60 minutes of pure boring with 30 minutes of pure awesome interlaced. Kinda like the Matrix Reloaded.)

Spoiler for Hiden:

The death of Beowulf. Absolutely awesome watching him fight that dragon.

[CeeKay]

Tie: Star Wars 1(or 2 or 3 or whicever one it was) and Return of the Jedi - Jango and Bob Fett.  Let's create the scary bounty hunter concept...and then kill them in really stupid ways.  Needs to be mentioned as some of the worst on-screen deaths of all time.

I agree on Boba Fett, but not Jango.  Jango got owned by Mace...no shame in that.

Boba didn't die.

[The Grue]

Tie: Star Wars 1(or 2 or 3 or whicever one it was) and Return of the Jedi - Jango and Bob Fett.  Let's create the scary bounty hunter concept...and then kill them in really stupid ways.  Needs to be mentioned as some of the worst on-screen deaths of all time.

I agree on Boba Fett, but not Jango.  Jango got owned by Mace...no shame in that.

Boba didn't die.

True, the books and comics had him escape.

[TK-421]

Tie: Star Wars 1(or 2 or 3 or whicever one it was) and Return of the Jedi - Jango and Bob Fett.  Let's create the scary bounty hunter concept...and then kill them in really stupid ways.  Needs to be mentioned as some of the worst on-screen deaths of all time.

I agree on Boba Fett, but not Jango.  Jango got owned by Mace...no shame in that.

Boba didn't die.

True, the books and comics had him escape.

Yes, but is it canon?

[Big Jake]

Ok, my reasoning on Jango: We had established earlier (in the Obi-wan fight) that he had no intention of going Toe to Toe with a Jedi - he was NOT stupid.  So what does he do during his climactic scene? Does he use other people around him as body shields?  Use Ninja smoke bombs to try and escape?  Kick sand in Mace's eyes?  No.  He stands there in one spot shooting a gun (he must've been a fan of Capcom games) and lets an acknowledged Jedi Master close the distance so he can get carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey.  Uh, sorry, but I'm struggling with envisioning a battle-hardened mercenary being so uncreative when knowing he's facing a demonstrably superior opponent.  It was a lame death, people.  (Of course, that just makes it fit in with the entire set of horrific 'new' star wars movies

[CeeKay]

Tie: Star Wars 1(or 2 or 3 or whicever one it was) and Return of the Jedi - Jango and Bob Fett.  Let's create the scary bounty hunter concept...and then kill them in really stupid ways.  Needs to be mentioned as some of the worst on-screen deaths of all time.

I agree on Boba Fett, but not Jango.  Jango got owned by Mace...no shame in that.

Boba didn't die.

True, the books and comics had him escape.

Yes, but is it canon?

it depends on who you ask.  even what Lucas considers canon can change over time.

[map]

John Wayne in "The Shootist"

[Ralph-Wiggum]

William Wallace in Braveheart. So sad. 

[Pyperkub]

the old lady in A Fish called Wanda as she walks around the concrete block...

"you owe me a p-p-pound!"

[gameoverman]

William Wallace in Braveheart. So sad. 

The thing that bugs me about that death is that in a movie that didn't shy away from depicting the carnage of the era(or at least what I picture it to be like), they sure did sugar coat what drawing and quartering really entails.   It's all well and good to have that last cry of "Freedom" at the end, it makes Wallace look all badass.   He wouldn't have come across as badass if they showed him get his junk cut off I guess.

That's why The Passion had the best death scene of all Mel Gibson movies, he didn't back off showing what happened to his character there.

[rshetts2]

the old lady in A Fish called Wanda as she walks around the concrete block...

"you owe me a p-p-pound!"

Or when KKKKenny  KKkills KKKevin KKKLine!  Awesome scene!

[Big Jake]

A question- how in hell does William Wallace scream FREEDOMMMMMM when he was just eviscerated, and thus can't expel any air at all?  Never did like that - it was just such an annoying contrivance, IMO.

And it BOTHERS me that I forgot this:
'Lo, there do I see my father. 'Lo, there do I see...
My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers.
'Lo, there do I see...
The line of my people...
Back to the beginning.
'Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them.
In the halls of Valhalla...
Where the brave...
May live...
...forever.
Opening of the battle that ends with  the death of Buliwyf

[Moliere]

A question- how in hell does William Wallace scream FREEDOMMMMMM when he was just eviscerated, and thus can't expel any air at all?  Never did like that - it was just such an annoying contrivance, IMO.

I thought his intestines were being pulled out. He still has his lungs. That's what the midgets were demonstrating on the doll to entertain the crowd before the real show started.

[Eel Snave]

Yeah, drawn and quartering means pulling out the intestines, not the lungs.  I also agree that they should have showed what happened there, but I suppose there was a limit as to what they could reasonably fit into an already gory movie.  It's a shame, really.

[Big Jake]

Even with your lungs intact, I believe they need to 'push' (I think on the thoracic diaphragm) in order to push air out.  Even so, Ever been punched in the gut?  It doesn't matter your lung didn't get hit, you still ain't yelling.

[PeteRock]

Spoiler from the film Layer Cake:

Spoiler for Hiden:

Mr. X's death at the end.  It came completely out of nowhere and my jaw hit the floor when it happened.  I had actually come to like the character, even in spite of his career choice, and while one is supposed to gain some level of satisfaction from a criminal receiving what they have coming to them, in this case I actually felt bad for the character.

Another favorite is Cynric's death at the hands of Lancelot in King Arthur, as well as Cerdic's at the hands of Arturious. 

A moving death scene for me was the closing moments of the great battle in The Last Samurai when Katsumoto fell.  Not to mention all of the deaths portrayed in Black Hawk Down, such as the two snipers who came to Durrant's aid, and Corporal Smith bleeding to death.  I wouldn't say that these are "favorite" death scenes, but certainly very memorable and moving.     

[Pyperkub]

How about Leon's death in the Professional?