Top 20 Improvised Movie Moments
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#20: Show Tune “The Warriors” (1979)
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For the Coney Island confrontation between this film’s rival gangs, Director Walter Hill wanted David Patrick Kelly’s character Luther to taunt The Warriors from his ’55 Cadillac, and he gave him free reign to do it any way he wanted. Kelly clinked three bottles together in one hand and delivered the legendary singsong taunt that we’ve come to know. According to Kelly, it was a childhood bully that inspired the chant. It also helps that he’s a musician blessed with the singing chops for the line.
#19: Just Kickin’ It “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002)
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Showbiz is dangerous. During a particularly emotional scene in the adaptation of Tolkien’s trilogy, Viggo Mortensen’s character Aragorn breaks down when he comes to the realization that two of his hobbit friends might be dead – and he expresses himself by kicking a nearby helmet. Turns out his breakdown was not only emotional, but also physical, because after too many takes of kicking solid metal he broke two toes. The shot chose for the final cut of the film was the toe-breaker, because you can’t fake the intensity of the actor’s excruciating pain.
#18: The Barn Story “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
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Matt Damon only shows up towards the end of this epic war film, and he’s so preoccupied with survival, we barely get to know his character – except in this scene, which was improvised by the actor. As Ryan and Captain Miller quietly await more fighting, Private Ryan reminisces about his lost brothers in a spontaneous tale. Damon obviously thinks the story is as funny as we do, but once he realizes it’s the last time his family was together, the scene takes on a bittersweet feel, made more impressive when you remember it was ad-libbed.
#17: The Zit “National Lampoon's Animal House” (1978)
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When a director gives a comedian like John Belushi a little wiggle room, anything can happen. But, it’s almost guaranteed to be funny. John Landis knew that when Bluto began dumping food onto his tray, something magical might occur, so he let the cameraman follow him for the rest of the scene. Everything Belushi did in the cafeteria was unscripted, and since the cast and crew weren’t in on his joke or its disgusting punchline, the reactions captured on camera were real. It’s classic Belushi, and possibly the flick’s most famous scene.
#16: Chest Waxing & Gay Jokes “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005)
Some say a comic is only as good as his ability to improvise. By that logic, this film features some stellar comedians, as it has many unscripted moments, including Steve Carell’s genuine pain-induced curses at having his very hairy chest waxed. On top of that, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen’s gay joke barbs were completely off-the-cuff. And if you’re a fan of the “you know how I know your gay” back-and-forths, you should check out the extended DVD scenes, where the two try to outdo each other for several minutes – all ad-libbed, of course.
#15: Roy Batty’s Monologue “Blade Runner” (1982)
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It’s completely natural for actors to tweak their lines for a monologue, but rarely do they go beyond grammar or sentence structure to resonate this much with the character and audience. Though there were previous scripted versions of this soliloquy, Rutger Hauer mainly improv’d the depth and philosophical musings of Roy Batty’s last words – and gave us even more reason to ask the question “what is human?” It might sound a little cheesy on paper, but it isn’t when it’s delivered as a replicant leader’s dramatic final epiphany.
#14: Sword to a Gunfight “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)
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Actors aren’t immune to travel troubles, and even a tough-guy like Harrison Ford submitted to dysentery while filming “Raiders” in Tunisia. That’s a big reason this scene was altered. Originally, Indy was supposed to engage the showoff-y swordsman in a choreographed swordfight where the adventurous archaeologist would disarm him with his whip. But Ford was sick and just wanted to shoot the guy. Though it wasn’t improvised while cameras rolled, that move impacted the franchise in a big way, and the scene is one of the series’ most iconic and hilarious moments.
#13: The Most Annoying Sound in the World “Dumb and Dumber” (1994)
As dumb-dumbs Harry and Lloyd head on their cross-country road trip, they meet all sorts of people – including a hit man who’s trying to kill them. Well, sucks to be that guy, cause car rides with these two mean sing-alongs, anti-quitsies and the most annoying sound in the world. That last one was injected into the film by Jim Carrey on the fly, and you can see in Jeff Daniels’ reaction that he was not expecting it. Even the hit man’s outburst was unscripted; proving that sometimes unplanned is best.
#12: Look Out, Bellow “Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932)
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This jungle-living ape-man originated in a series of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novels, where his signature sound was described as “the victory cry of the bull ape.” When it came to bringing that noise to the screen, Olympic swimmer and once competitive yodeler Johnny Weissmuller was the first actor to succeed where others had failed. Tasked with inventing a call to summon his jungle crew, Weissmuller – and apparently some Hollywood sound editing trickery – combined to create one of the most celebrated, imitated, re-used and easily recognized soundbites in film history.
#11: "I Got a Jar of Dirt" “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (2006)
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When Jack Sparrow was given the jar of dirt, he was unsure of its power, but when he comes face to face with Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman, he can’t help but flaunt it a little. The script simply had Jack Sparrow calling Davy Jones names with some schoolyard level taunting, but that didn’t sit well with Johnny Depp. The reactions of the rest of the actors are genuine confusion and surprise, as Depp falls down the stairs, only to get up and sing the infectious little ditty to further taunt Jones.
#10: Singin’ in the Rain “A Clockwork Orange” (1971)
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Always a perfectionist, Stanley Kubrick shot and reshot the scene where the main group of droogs engages in their brand of ultra-violence – which in this case involved beating and gang-rape. But the scene still felt empty, so Kubrick instructed actor Malcolm McDowell to inject a little spontaneity – which he did, to the tune of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Taking this classic old song and twisting it into such a creepy scene turns out to be a terrifying blend of happiness and evil. One that will be seared into our brains forever.
#9: “Hey, I’m Walkin’ Here!” “Midnight Cowboy” (1969)
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Though there’s some debate about whether this scene was actually unscripted, it’s still a memorable movie moment that Dustin Hoffman claims to have improvised. He and Jon Voight are walking NYC streets discussing the ins-and-outs of the gigolo business when bam! A taxi works its way into the shot, almost running Hoffman down and prompting him to deliver the endlessly quotable line “I’m walkin’ here!” Hoffman has said that while he uttered those iconic words, what he really wanted to say was “Hey, we’re makin’ a movie here!”, but method acting’s his game, so he stayed in character the entire time.
#8: Boat Envy “Jaws” (1975)
This ain’t just any shark – Chief Brody knows it and so did the actor playing him. In fact, Roy Scheider was the one who came up with the film’s most famous line off-the-cuff. The first time we actually get a look at the giant great white, Scheider decided to cut the tension with a one-liner that earned its spot in the annals of film history. He didn’t come up with the phrase on the spot though, it was actually a common saying on the set! As the story goes, the film’s producers didn’t spring for a big enough barge to hold all the equipment needed, so saying “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” became a running joke among crew members.
#7: Mirror Image “Taxi Driver” (1976)
Martin Scorsese encourages actors to contribute to his films, and this is one case where he hit pay dirt. The script read: “Travis speaks to himself in the mirror.” Robert De Niro turned those instructions into one of the most famous and oft-quoted sequences in cinema history. Perfectly capturing Travis Bickle’s loneliness and alienation, this scene has been cited as the one that says the most about his flawed personality. It has gone on to be referenced time and time again in movies and tv shows alike.
#6: “Funny How?” “GoodFellas” (1990)
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Even if you’ve never seen this flick, there’s one scene you surely know. Scorsese again allowed actors to invent dialogue, which he would retroactively add into the script. And Joe Pesci nabbed an Oscar by showing he could turn on a dime. Not only does his improvised diatribe explain his character; it also stops his buddies dead in their tracks, and has audiences holding their breath. He manages to keep the tension going just long enough to really emphasize the humour when he finally lets up and admits he’s joking.
#5: Hopkins is Hiss-terical “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
Sir Anthony Hopkins is still haunting our dreams with his portrayal of cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and the scene where he’s introduced is arguably his creepiest – and yes, we’re counting the muzzle. The mounting tension and quiet hostility between Hannibal and Clarice is palpable, and one sound sums it up best. Call it a hiss, a slurp – whatever, Hopkins invented it on the spot to spook Clarice, creeping us all out at the same time. We’ll never be able to get this eerie moment out of our heads and for that he more than deserves his Oscar.
#4: Major Malfunction “Full Metal Jacket” (1987)
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What’s the best way to portray how brutal drill instructors are? Hire a real one, obviously. Stanley Kubrick originally enlisted ex-Marine R. Lee Ermey as a consultant for his war flick, thinking he wasn’t vicious enough for the drill sergeant role. But Ermey proved him wrong, and wound up chewing out recruits for almost 40-minutes-straight as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Oh, and he invented about half of his own dialogue, spouting one-of-a-kind insults and unique nicknames left and right. One thing is for sure: we wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of his rants.
#3: Blood, Sweat & Smears “Django Unchained” (2012)
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When injured on the job, most people would take a 30-second breather before continuing with their day. Not Leonardo DiCaprio. He got so into character for “Django Unchained” that when he slammed his hand down onto a table during a tense scene, smashing a glass and cutting his hand so badly he required stitches; he just kept right on with his racist rant. Apparently, the room erupted in a standing ovation after the take. DiCaprio even worked the blood into the scene by smearing it across an obviously horrified Kerry Washington’s face.
#2: “Here’s Johnny!” “The Shining” (1980)
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Mirroring the plot of this Stephen King adaptation, Stanley Kubrick caused the downward mental spiral of some of his actors – mainly Shelley Duvall. Helping him along was Jack Nicholson, who improv’d the film’s shining moment. After chasing his family into a bathroom, Jack borrows a popular late-night catchphrase to add comedy and creepiness to the scene. Channelling Ed McMahon in horrifying fashion, he riled Duvall up so much her screams started to become real. Here’s a tip: never play hide-and-seek with Jack Nicholson. Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions: Head Shaving “50/50” (2011) Sneeze “Annie Hall” (1977) Benicio Del Toro in the Lineup “The Usual Suspects” (1995) “I Know” “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)
#1: We Kid You Not “Casablanca” (1942)
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This Hollywood classic is full of quotable lines (though some aren’t exactly what we think but that’s another story). But only one was unscripted. Representing the couple’s bond, the famous words are said by Humphrey Bogart multiple times through the film. Turns out Bogey borrowed the phrase from real life: between takes, he taught Ingrid Bergman to play poker and would often utter the iconic line to her. Who knew you could ad-lib one of the most famous phrases in film history?
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