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Kill Bill: Vol. I |
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Gangs of New York (2002)
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On the short list of really bad show biz jobs, “knife thrower’s assistant” ranks just above “Britney Spears’ assistant” for sheer, mind-bending danger. One of two great scenes we looked at regarding this ultimate go-nowhere occupation was a scary, kinky scene from the oddball French romance, “The Girl on the Bridge” – but only one of us has actually seen it. Since he’s the kind of guy who drinks too much coffee and says “existential” a lot, we went the other way and chose this scene of terrifying gamesmanship from Martin Scorsese’s tale of vengeance, corruption and ultra-violent ethnic warfare in 19th century Manhattan. Each knife throw is a nerve-wracking stunner – we know that Daniel Day Lewis’s brutal Bill the Butcher has learned of the affair between Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Jenny (Cameron Diaz), and that he likely has a horrifying ulterior motive in coaxing his ex on stage for some knifey-knifey. But then there’s the element of showmanship – Bill is a killer and a thief, but he’s also a sort of politician. He needs to be both feared and admired, so killing Jenny in front of hundreds might not be good for his image. It’s that tension between the seductive leader and the wild and crazy sociopath that gives the scene a fearsome edge. Will there be blood? Whoopsy daisy.
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 Desperado |
 Kill Bill: Vol. I |