Good evening Movie Bloggers and late night Interweb raiders. We here at the Movie Blog have started to collect “Top Lists”; you know, those “Best X Moments”, “Top X of all Time” or “Number X most gut wrenching things that make me want to commit seppuku” lists that we all love to agree with or smash into tiny little list. I to am a fan of the “List” and Toyfare has put together a list for those who are proud to announce their geekdom -but announce it very quietly-.
The December issue of Wizzard’s niche publication Toyfare gives us “The Geek 100: we pick the moments that drive geeks wild“, and it’s great!
In the shadows of the mainstream media lies an underground organization bigger than Fight Club. It’s bigger than Sam’s Club, almost as big as Oprah’s Book Club. It’s called Geekdom, and if you’re reading this magazine, odds are you’re a proud member.
And you should be proud. Geekdom’s touched and elevated all walks of pop culture, dominating fields like toys and comic books while also creating some of the most respected movies, novels and television of all time.
That’s what we’re honoring today: our geek-asses are counting down the hundred most definitive moments in geek history. Don’t go looking for the most *yawn* historic moments on this list, that’s not what this is all about. We’re talking the scenes and images that produce instantaneous dorkgasms, like Vader telling Luke he’s his father, Dark Phoenix’s death, Buffy killing Angel, and probably even some that are actually happy.
Veteran geeks, enjoy the retrospective. Rookie geeks, here’s a primer on the society’s secret handshakes.
The Toyfare Staff. “The Geek 100.” Editorial. Toyfare Dec. 2005: 57-76.
Here are a few items from the list:
#89. Fatal Error: 2001 when we realize that Hal can read the lips of the crew that’s plotting to disconnect him. Brrr.
#95. I ran Contra: “Up up, down down, left right, left right, B A, B A, select, start”!
#82. Jason goes to town: Horror icons Jason and Freddy finally get there freak on in Freddy Vs. Jason.
#73. Who ya gonna call: The Ghostbusters finally get the respect they deserve when they arrive on the scene to shut down Gozer and the city rallies behind them. “Ghotsbusters! Ghostbusters!”
#45. Do they speak bocce on what?: When Mace Windu takes out an entire army of Droids without so much as a word in the Clone Wars.
#34. The big red pill: Neo thinks he’s ready to see the real world when he pops the red pill in The Matrix. What follows is an existential cold shower. Robots harvesting humans and taking over the world? Whooooa.
#25. Purrfect Catwoman: We love ya, Halle, but Michelle Pfeiffer rose to new feline heights in Batman Returns, striking that first pose in latex that did more for hormone production than our pituitary glands ever could.
#13. Princess, I think you just bent my Wookiee: Princess Leia’s winter coats couldn’t prepare us for the adolescent fantasy she was to become in Return of the Jedi, as a golden bikini-clad slave to the fat slob Jabba.
#7. With great power comes… stress: When a carjacker aces his beloved Uncle Ben in the Spider-man movie, Peter Parker chases the perp across the city. Seeing Spider=Man swinging like Tarzan for the very first time on the big screen -and knowing the shock that awaited him- was a dream come true.
#1. Vader’s Redemption: Homeboy blew up an entire planet, true. But Vader performs his penance at the climax of Return of the Jedi. As the Emperor fries his son like a sausage, Darth looks from his pleading son to his master, back to his son … we all leaned forward in our seats – “Is what we think is going to happen really going to happen?!?!” – and it does. In the most geek-out moment in fanboy history – and one of the most emotionally fueled moments in movie history – Vader attacks his master, saves his son and dies a hero’s death, putting an un-toppable exclamation point on one of the greatest stories ever told.
There were a ton of them – in fact there was 100. They are all great and well worth the read, that is if you’re a geek? Unfortunately the website only had a blip covering all the characters on the cover of the December issue, so if you want to check this out, you’ll have to go to Barnes & Nobel to read Toyfare.
Are you a geek?
If so, what would you add to this list?
I would have to go with the Mines of Moria scene in LOR…damn…that was some killer scenery. As short as it is…it is the one scene in the whole trilogy that takes my breath away!!!
The boulder in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” or the mine cart chase in “Temple of Doom”. Indy is the man!
Sorry Pudie, but if you’re reading a post like this one you’re bound to get some spoilers… But again, I present you my sincere appologies.
Yes! Definitely that “Luke I am your father” scene makes me geeky all over, nd that is EVERYTIME I watch that film.
Geek alert, geek alert! LOL
Ha! I’m glad everyone is having fun with this one. It’s nice to see that we are on the same page.
I could drop so many Star Wars joints, Lord of the Rings, Indi or a million others out there -I own Blade Runner, Rutger Hauer is frik’n sweet-, but I think I would have to go with the following -just to be different and show you how geek I can be-.
When Robert Preston as Centauri put his face back on with a rag in THE LAST STAR FIGHTER!
I’m sorry I played a shit load of arcades after that flick with hopes of being discovered and becoming a galactic pilot.
The Gopher dancing at the start of Caddyshack…
…what do you mean I’m a freak not a geek?
Blade Runner. Roof of the building. Rain. Batty saves Deckard’s life.
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the darkness at the Tanhauser Gate… All those moments will be lost in time… like tears… in rain”
I’m surprised you didn’t put Johnny knoxville yelling “Yeee Haaa” in the Dukes of Hazzard. :P
Just teasing ya man
~John
One of the geekiest moments I would have to say is standing in line at 5:30 in the morning for episode I tickets. We played SW trivial pursuit and watched a couple reenact the saber duel between Vader and Luke. Plus we bought tickets for 3 showings that day. The midnight viewing had people standning in the isle, and when the film burned out durring the Queen’s speech, the geek packed crowed tossed popcorn and sour patch kids all over the screne.
Great Post Brad, good to see that you’re back!
See the belching fire in the opening scenes of BLADE RUNNER, especially when the fire is reflected in Holden’s eye.
Or also in BLADE RUNNER, when Batty saves Deckard from falling, gives a beautiful monologue about life, and releases the dove.
I’d put, “Luke, I am your father” above Vader’s redemption, personally.
xixita – I just started watching Buffy. Just finished Spikes first episode actually. Thanks for ruining it :(
My biggest geek moment was seeing Anya die on Buffy’s last episode. I kept rewinding it and getting shocked everytime I saw it…
Also other geek momento is, again on Buffy, in season 4 when Spike realizes that he can’t hurt anyone and goes to Giles’s House saying “Spike made a trip to the vet and now he doesn’t chase the other pupies anymore”. ahahah…
They claim to be geeks, and they get the Contra code wrong. Shame on them!
A big geek moment for me was seeing Legolas taking down the huge elephant in LotR. On the big screen with the sound thundering. Feels like you’re on the field watching him.
The Nightcrawler scene in X-Men 2 was another. Right up front. Loud as hell. Crazy teleporation karate. My mouth was on the floor through that whole movie.