Originally Posted in 2008
Featured Writers: Nick Nunziata, Devin Faraci
Everyone pays attention to the stuff going on in front of the camera, and for a good reason since that’s where shit happens. With that in mind, the connective tissue between scenes is often dismissed, ignored, or forgotten in the mix. Many times, filmmakers want transitions (wipes, cuts, dissolves, etc.) to be transparent so as to aid in the storytelling. Sometimes… they choose a method that leaves a mark on our psyche. What follows is a handful of our favorite, whether they be inventive, hilarious, dumb, or just plain unbelievable.
Behold, CHUD.com’s favorite transitions!
Day One – Deep Cover (Click to read!)
Nick Says: “A transition where a troubled Fishburne mourns the shooting death of a partner segues to Golblum and Fishburne waiting for… something. How did Mr. Duke and his crackerjack editing team handle taking us from this moment of grueling anger to the calm and collected later moment? By wiping with a homeless man walking across the screen. Folks, fuck Orson Welles right in his puckered funhole. This is Deep Cover and it has a homeless wipe. YOU. ARE. WELCOME.”
Nick Says: “The man is exploded in the cutest way imaginable. He then joins the flames that engulf him in a manner one can only construe as proof that while God most likely doesn’t exist, an Asian with a budget sure does. It is among the best Josh Lucas explosions of all time and a reminder that this creaky old medium still has some tricks up its sleeve. Enjoy!”
Devin Says: “There are so many exciting things about this match cut. It’s gorgeous and exciting visually, cutting from a tight shot to one so wide you almost believe you can see the curvature of the Earth. Lawrence had earlier been putting out matches with his fingers, saying that the trick was to not mind that it hurts, but now, at this pivotal moment in his life, he blows one out. And the cut epitomizes the way that editing can tell a story, bridge locations, and bring out emotion all at once.”
Nick Says: “I’ve chosen a simple moment as a former cop tells a story about a dispute between Cooper’s dad (played with sexy menace by Matthew McConaughey) and his boss (played by Kris Kristofferson, a man comprised of rawhide, oil, and call sheets from Millenium) and the scene moves from a bar during the afternoon in modern day and as we follow the man’s arm it segues to forty years prior as the same table is the setting for a decades old moment in the late hours of the day. Beautiful stuff, and not gimmicky in the least.”
Day Five – Brotherhood of the Wolf
Nick Says: “For all its terrific action, big ideas, and gorgeous naked moments, nothing comes close in Christophe Gans mini-classic to the best film transition of all time… when the camera moves up the naked form of Monica Bellucci (playing a Whore/Vatican Assassin… of course) which dissolves to the next scene in the snowy mountains as the trek to find the vicious beast at the film’s center plotline. Ass curves become foothills and breasts become delicious peaks and my love for geography goes through the roof.”
And for a sneak peek at next week’s rebirth: