The instant you know that you'll like the movie

[Dave (imported)]

There's always a single point in a well liked movie that just sells the entire thing. All it takes is one thing and everyone remembers it:

Here's one of my "moments" ...

[the Fratellis are interrogating Chunk]

Francis Fratelli: Tell us everything! Everything!

Chunk: Everything. OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog... When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out... But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.

Jake Fratelli: I'm beginning to like this kid, Ma!

Mama Fratelli: [tired of Chunk's stalling] Hit puree!

[Dave (imported)]

I thought the first MAD MAX was kinda dumb and sucky.

The second, Road Warrior had all those funky cars and wrecks and silly costumes that made if fun. But again, not a "brilliant story" just a good story.

In #3, THUNDERDOME, It all seems like more of the same, been there seen that, the same. Until this:

Listen on! Listen on!

This is the truth of it.

Fighting leads to killing, and killing gets to warring.

And that was damn near the death of us all.

Look at us now, busted up and everyone talking about hard rain.

But we've learned by the dust of them all. Bartertown's learned.

Now when men get to fighting, it happens here.

And it finishes here. Two men enter, one man leaves.

And right now, I've got two men.

Two men with a gut full of fear.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. . . dying time's here!

He's the ball cracker.

Death on foot.

You know him. You love him!

He's Blaster!

The challenger, direct from out of the Wasteland.

He's bad. He's beautiful.

He's crazy!

It's the man with no name!

Thunderdome's simple. Get to the weapons, use them anyway you can.

I know you won't break the rules.

There aren't any.

Remember where you are.

This is Thunderdome.

Death is listening, and will take the first man that screams.

Prepare!

Two men enter, one man leaves!

A single scene with two lines... and anyone having seen the movie knows exactly where and when those lines occur and what they mean.

One thing I say to myself as I edit and rewrite -- each of my stories needs one or two lines like this. If I can write that once into a story, it's good, twice and it's a success. Give one character a speech like this and everything else succeeds.

[Riverwind (imported)]

How true, I waited most of the movie to get those lines in My Cousin Vinny, but as you say, it took an ok movie and made it a very good movie.

River

[Dave (imported)]

Alex Karras cold-cocking a horse with a right hook...

Cleavon Little singing "I get no Kick From Champagne" instead of "De Camptown Races" ...