Movie Magic (spoilers abound!)

I watched the first film in months today. It was Ratatouille. I don't know how many times I'll watch that film, or any Pixar film, for that matter, but that climax will always bring tears to my eyes. I really like films; I like to consider myself an aspiring film buff, so as you can imagine, films can really tug at my emotions. Today, in lieu of some earth-shattering video taken from that stupid video camera, I'd like to offer a list of moments of cinema that have, in the words of Anton Ego... "rocked me to my core."

DISCLAIMER: The following several paragraphs contain what we in the film (and every single other medium ever) industry call "spoilers." If you don't like being spoiled, then you should go play outside.

First of all, we have Ego's review, at the climax of Ratatouille. Ego's a wonderful character. He's the epitome of coolness to me-- slender, pale, reading glasses, dark hair, British/French mixed accent, a high level of critic that can make or break (but usually break) whatever he comes into contact with. There's one particular scene, earlier in the film, in which awkward protagonist Linguini is giving a press conference of sorts. Abruptly, all sounds cease as the doors fling open, and in walks slender Anton, dramatically and swiftly. Every single line given by the critic is poetic and yet harsh. So when the protagonists serve him the eponymous dish of ratatouille, only for him to be so stricken by it that he drops his pen to the ground and stares, mouth agape.. well, you just know something's changed the man. Then we come to the review in question. You do not see Ego directly say it; it is read aloud as a voice-over narration, over gentle shots of Ego pondering out at the night sky of Paris, or over the various protagonists going home and lying in bed, awake. The review contains a reflection on the essence of professional criticism, subtle nods to Anton's sympathy and admiration for main protagonist Remy (perhaps even very small hints of empathy), the realization on the true meaning of the arc words of the film (and by a character who has dismissed the arc words as being ridiculous in quite logical ways), and then even some slips of less-than-formal language (by such a reserved character, this makes it very apparent as to how much the meal has touched him).

All in all, the very combination of all these things, added to the context we've gathered from the film, makes this into one emotional climax.

Eddy's brother. *shudder* In Ed, Edd n' Eddy's Big Picture Show. This is a film I think very highly of. Ed, Edd n' Eddy was, at one point, my childhood. That is, it was nothing like my childhood; I mean I watched the show every day. I loved it, though I hated the violence. I hated how cruel everyone was to the eponymous trio. So when the TV-movie aired, I watched it on my Tivo. The plot was interesting enough: the protagonists are on the run from the cul-de-sac kids, and so Eddy says his brother will save them. However, at some point in the film, you'll notice something is horribly fucking wrong. The trio gets violently attacked, only for Eddy to brush it off and say "I'm getting tired of slapstick." For the rest of the film, there is no more violence like that. Personally, I greatly loved this sudden change of pace, but I just knew there was something terribly wrong with it all. You see, the climax of the film, the scene I am about to tell you of, singlehandedly changes the context of the entire fucking show. So at the end of the film, after almost a whole movie of very little violent comedy, Ed, Edd, and Eddy arrive at Eddy's brother's home. For the first time in the entire show, we see a new character. We see Eddy's brother. And we find out why Eddy fears him, why Eddy acts so mean, why Eddy's acted the way he has all this time, and one other thing I will say in a bit. So they find Eddy's brother, in his 20s (for comparison, Eddy's about twelve). And.. gah. I have trouble even saying it. Eddy's brother beats the shit out of him. As well as anyone who tries to defend him. The cul-de-sac kids stand and watch. Eddy gives his tearjerking monologue as to how much he sucks. Everyone defends him and takes down his older brother, and they all hold hands and accept the Eds into their circle of friends.

Fucking tearjerker. You see, violence is in every goddamn episode, and it's always treated as comedy. When Eddy says he's tired of slapstick, only for there to be no more violence until the climax.. that's the show growing up. That's the show telling us that every single ounce of violence up until now has been playfighting. Imagination. Comedy. Not real violence at all. They do this only to stress the severity of the climax's child abuse. Cartoon Network ended a show by announcing one of the protagonist is a victim of child abuse, then proposing a happy solution. Fucking balls, Cartoon Network. You have fucking balls. I respect that.

Next up, there's "Welcome home, Cobb," at the conclusion of Inception. This movie surprised me in more ways than is even imaginable. First of all, it was the first movie I saw by sneaking into a theater (thanks to my dad, no less). Second, I had amazingly never heard any hype for it whatsoever (so I was not prematurely biased against it). Third, it had a plot that wasn't insanely basic for once (though I seem to be one of the only people in the world who didn't find the plot confusing at all). Fourth, the climax was a good third of the movie. I love that. The climax, the important job the team had to do to, lasted around a full hour. And I fucking loved it. It kept me on my toes for every minute. I could really feel the danger. Then, at the end, when Cobb gets to the customs in the airport, there's a moment of silence with the police officer that just lasts forever. I was so tense. ....then BAM. Stamp. "Welcome home, Cobb." That was the moment the entire fucking film was building up to, you know. And it made me cry to hear those words. TwT

...wow, I got bored and distracted of that easily. I might continue this entry later in a second part.

Oh, what the hell. A couple other scenes that made me cry, whether for good reasons or bad:

In A Clockwork Orange, when ol' whatsisface gets his head held underwater by his former best friends.

Toy Story 3. Period.

Cars, when ol' whatsisface is knocked off the track by Chick.

Four Christmases, at pretty much the first two families. God, I hate them. ._.