Moment in a film that made you gasp

[God Magnus]

Seeing the Brachiosaurus in Jurassic Park.

Seconded on this one. Being a kid who LOOOVED dinosaurs, when I saw that scene I gasped, but I think my heart literally stopped for a second. When the dino THUDS down onto the ground and everything shook I felt chills. Absolutely powerful scene.

One that had a similar effect on me was the first transformation scene in "Transformers" (Blackout attacking the military base). I saw that scene at a preview event months before the film opened, so no footage or commercials had come out yet of actual transformations on screen. The seamless conversion from helicopter to robot was jaw dropping to say the least.

 

[DonIago]

Oh yes, the Brachiosaurus was damned impressive for its time, especially on the big screen. Was there any dinosaur-loving child who wasn't blown away by that the first time?

Sadly Transformers didn't really do it for me. Though when Unicron transformed in the animated film it was pretty impressive. Liked him more as a planet though.

 

[Rii]

I gasped in disbelief during Brokeback Mountain, when Jack's father-in-law turned the television (in Jack's home) back on after Jack - backing up his wife re: her response to their son's behaviour - turned it off.

I then proceeded to tell Jack to "throw that shit down, son." Fortunately I was watching the film alone.

 

[Timby]

I also concur with Samuel L. Jackson's death in Deep Blue Sea.

That's not a gasp. That's fucking hilarious, and if you don't see it that way, you're watching the movie wrong.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I also concur with Samuel L. Jackson's death in Deep Blue Sea.

That's not a gasp. That's fucking hilarious, and if you don't see it that way, you're watching the movie wrong.

Well, you need to gasp first to laugh properly.

 

[caisson2delta]

The ending to the original Planet of the Apes.
"I am your father".
Can't believe it hasn't been mentioned, but Spock's death in TWOK.

 

[DonIago]

I was too busy tearing up during Spock's death to gasp.

 

[Kira's Mom]

In 'Master & Commander,' when the Sailing Master, Mr. Allen, is suddenly shot in the head when the French sailors come out of hiding to try and repel the boarding party.

'

And it was right after he announced, "Looks like the job is done, sir." (yes, I know that movie by heart. Sue me!)

Also in M&C, during Nagle's flogging, I jumped at the first crack. Ouch!

"I am your father" has been mentioned, but yeah, that made me gasp, too.

The melting Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark. *shudder* It didn't help that I was watching in the front row...

 

[DonIago]

How about the infamous head explosion in...er...Scanners 2? You know the one...

Shows how infamous it is that I'm not even sure exactly what the name of the film is but I -definitely- remember the sequence.

 

[Harvey]

The head explodes in the original Scanners (hell, it explodes in the trailer).

I haven't seen any of the sequels, of which there are many.

 

[Aragorn]

Monster's Ball -- the resolution of the Heath Ledger character.

 

[Vanyel]

Dr. Kimble just getting away from the runaway train, in The Fugitive; and his doing a "Peter Pan".

 

[firehawk12]

Not sure if this was mentioned yet, but Segal's death in Executive Decision was genuinely surprising. I do like how some people have turned it into a verb when it comes to killing off a main character/big star.

 

[Aragorn]

^ You didn't find it suspicious that his name never appeared during the opening credits? Plus his very last line and action were in the commercials.

 

[firehawk12]

Honestly, the first time I watched it was when I rented it out of boredom a few years after it came out. Thankfully there was no internet to spoil me.

 

[Lonemagpie]

BANG! "Rollo Tomasi."

 

[captcalhoun]

tim messenger's death in Hot Fuzz.

 

[DonIago]

BANG! "Rollo Tomasi."

Glad someone else liked that one.

I have to admit I tend to avert my eyes during things like that...but this time I didn't even see it coming!

 

[Gil T.Azell]

That first death in the car in The Descent.

Yep, that did it for me, too.

And the ending of CARRIE left me shaking all the way out to the parking lot . . ..

Was that the 'head on"?
I just You Tubed it, that was nasty.

 

[Kirby]

I probably would've reacted like Stephen Rea in The Crying Game if I didn't already know it was coming.

Good one. I didn't know what was coming, and that freaked the shit out of me.

I also gasped in ST II: TWOK when McCoy was on the Regulus station and turned around into the upside-down dead guy's arms.