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The Most Paused Scenes In Movie History
Movies have brought us plenty of amazing moments over the years. There have been iconic moments in film that we have re-lived over and again, and other moments that have gone by in the blink of an eye. When we watch something in a movie theater we sometimes miss things, or see something and can believe our eyes.
These movies all had iconic moments that people couldn’t help but hit pause at just the right time to feast their eyes on what filmmakers put into their productions. Film fans with keen eyes have made these the most paused movie moments of all time.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High – Swimming Pool Scene
Teen comedy ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ is one of the most iconic movies of the 1980s. It helped launch the careers of iconic actors like Sean Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh, but it is Phoebe Cates’ scene that is most-paused. In the scene, Cates comes out of the swimming pool and unfastens her bikini to reveal everything underneath.
There’s Something About Mary – Zipper Mishap
When Ben Stiller’s character, Ted, arrives at Mary’s house to take her to prom, he accidentally pulls his zipper up too quickly, trapping some vital body parts in the actual zip. It’s a humiliating experience for Ted, but one that is paused a lot because the injury is actually pretty graphic.
American Pie – Webcam Scene
The 1999 comedy ‘American Pie’ is filled with plenty of questionable moments, but the scene focusing on foreign exchange student, Nadia, as she gets comfortable in Jim’s bedroom, is easily remembered. Nadia undresses, but doesn’t realize most of Jim’s friends are watching her online via a webcam. It’s pretty creepy, but it was definitely a moment where people hit pause.
Wild Things – Pool Kissing
The 1998 steamy cult classic ‘Wild Things’ gave many movie fans exactly what they wanted when Denise Richards and Neve Cambell teamed up on screen. It’s when they are in a swimming pool making out, and it may be one of the only memorable scenes of the film.
Total Recall – Alien Woman
Arnold Schwarzenegger was just hitting his prime when he starred in the 1990 sci-fi action movie ‘Total Recall’ as Douglas Quaid. One of the most memorable scenes occurs in a bar when Quaid meets a woman with a very full chest. The alien opens her shirt to reveal not one, not two, but three intimate body parts.
The Graduate – Seduction
‘The Graduate’ is one of Dustin Hoffman’s best-known movies, and it’s because of a few unforgettable scenes. The most-paused moment of the film comes when Mrs. Robinson ends up actually seducing Benjamin, even though the original question is also a famous quote.. When Mrs. Robinson undresses, many viewers hit the pause button to make that moment last.
Boogie Nights – Diggler’s Money-Maker
The 1997 story told viewers of the life of adult entertainer Dirk Diggler, and his rather famous body part. While Diggler’s money-maker has been teased throughout the movie, it isn’t until the when Dirk removes his underpants to reveal what’s underneath – a very large prosthetic member.
Basic Instinct – Legs Crossing
One scene in particular will never be forgotten. Sharon Stone’s character has a room full of men on the edge of their seats and then decides to switch her crossed legs over. People paused this scene to get a good look, while Stone reportedly slapped the director when she saw the finished scene for the first time.
Cruel Intentions – Kissing Scene
In the 1999 romance drama ‘Cruel Intentions,’ a scene that gripped viewers was shared between Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair. The actresses shared a kiss, and it quickly became one of the most talked-about scenes of the year. In the scene, Gellar’s character, Kathryn, is actually teaching Cecile, played by Blair, how to kiss a boy who is interested in her.
The Seven Year Itch – Flowing Dress
One of the most famous scenes ever came in the 1955 romantic comedy ‘The Seven Year Itch,’ when Marilyn Monroe’s dress is blown up by a subway grate. Not only has it become one of the most paused moments in movie history, but it’s also one of the most enduring. It’s Monroe in her famous white dress, which is still iconic today.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – Jessica Rabbit
Jessica Rabbit is one of the most iconic movie characters, and you might be thinking of her famous cabaret song, but the most-paused scene is actually when she’s in a car crash. Jessica Rabbit is sent flying through the air in the collision, and as her dress billows in the wind, you can see she isn’t wearing any underwear for a split second.
The Wolf of Wall Street – Nursery Scene
Margot Robbie earned herself a whole load of fans when she starred in the 2013 crime drama ‘The Wolf of Wall Street.’ Her character, Naomi, is Jordan Belfort’s wife, and decides to tantalize her husband, then spreading her legs. What Naomi doesn’t realize is that he has cameras all over the house. Movie fans hit pause to see what flashed on their screens for a split second.
Titanic – French Girls
The love story kept us gripped to our screens during the movie, and one of the most iconic scenes is when Rose asks Jack to draw her like one of his French girls. That led to Rose wearing nothing but a necklace, and many viewers scrambling for the remote control.
Spider-Man – Upside-Down Kiss
The upside-down kiss in the 2002 comic book adventure ‘Spider-Man’ will be remembered for a long time. This scene was the moment Spidey and Mary Jane kissed for the first time, and it was a tricky scene for Tobey Macguire to shoot. The actor was upside down while water poured all over him and Kirsten Dunst, and it kept filling up his nostrils.
Star Wars: A New Hope – Tall Stormtrooper
There is one scene from ‘A New Hope’ that has remained iconic because of a hilarious mistake. As a group of Stormtroopers makes their way through their ship’s corridor, the tallest hits their head on a beam. It happens in the background, so movie fans had to hit pause to make sure they caught it.
Jaws – You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat
The 1975 monster thriller ‘Jaws’ made people afraid of going into the water. In the moment when we got the famous line, “You’re going to need a bigger boat,” the heroes realized the shark was much bigger than expected. Just before this, we get a glimpse of the terrifying shark.
The Matrix – Stopping Bullets
We begin to believe that Neo is “The One” throughout the film, but its one of the final scenes that truly confirms it. Neo is shot at by an agent, and he manages to stop the bullets in mid-air, making for a very pausable moment.
Signs – Alien Catwalk
M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 science fiction mystery ‘Signs’ had people engrossed as a bunch of aliens had begun wreaking havoc on Earth. The first sighting was from some news footage, with an alien doing a little catwalk, not dissimilar to famous bigfoot footage. Because the alien only appeared briefly, people paused for a better look.
127 Hours – Arm Scene
The 2010 adventure biopic ‘127 Hours’ brought the compelling story of Aron Ralston. Ralston had gotten himself trapped under a boulder while canyoneering, and he was all alone. His arm was trapped, and eventually, he realizes the only way he’s going to survive is to cut it off. The movie doesn’t hold anything back when James Franco is hacking into his skin.
Psycho – Skull Transformation
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960s thriller ‘Psycho’ focuses on Norman Bates and his mother as they run the Bates Motel. In the closing scene, Hitchcock tried his best to scare moviegoers out of the theater, panning out from Norman Bates’ face and for a split second, overlaying a skull on his face.
Jurassic World – Jimmy Buffet
Jimmy Buffett appears in this movie during the pterodactyl attack scene, as guests in the park are running for cover. The entertainer is only on the screen for a split second, but manages to successfully avoid getting eaten without spilling a drop of his drinks. People who couldn’t really tell if it was Jimmy Buffett in Jurassic World had to pause the movie to double check.
The Exorcist – Demon Face
As we follow the story of Regan, a young girl possessed by the demon Pazuzu, audiences may not have realized they actually got a glimpse of the demon, but only for a split second. Pazuzu’s face is projected onto our screens momentarily, and if you pause the movie at just the right time, you get this terrifying image.
Fight Club – Tyler Durden Flashes
In the psychological drama, Tyler Durden enjoys cutting images into movies that only appear for a split second. There are several instances when Tyler Durden flashes onto our screen for half a second, and your brain might not have even registered it. That’s when fans of the movie reached for the pause button to catch those flashes.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Cap’s Catch Up List
In ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ you can pause the movie at the perfect time to see the things he intends to discover now he’s in the modern-day. Cap is writing out a list of some of the most famous people, artists, and movies that he didn’t have the chance to see while frozen solid in Greenland.
The Cabin in the Woods – White Board
The 2012 horror comedy ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ was memorable in cinema, as viewers were completely blind-sided by the film’s twist. The movie’s most paused moment is just a guy standing in front of a whiteboard, but it’s what’s on that whiteboard that led to people hitting pause. It was a list of all the monsters the characters could be attacked by as staff made bets.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace – ET Scene
While the film itself might not be so memorable for its plot, there was an Easter egg that had fans reaching for the pause button. During the senate scene, one pod of aliens looked very familiar. They were Asogians, otherwise known as the alien race from the much-loved adventure movie ‘E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.’
Deadpool 2 – Surprise Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt wasn’t slated to appear in the dark action comedy ‘Deadpool 2,’ but he makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. The film introduced The Vanisher as a character, but because he’s invisible, we never see his face until his final moment. That’s when Pitt flashes onto our screens as The Vanisher as he gets blown into some power lines while parachuting.
Raiders of the Lost Ark – Eating a Fly
When Jones is confronting Belloq in the desert, audiences had to hit pause to check what they were witnessing. As Belloq is on screen, a fly lands on his face and then suddenly disappears into his mouth, never to be seen again.
Iron Man 2 – Nick Fury
Fans didn’t realize at the time, but the interaction between Tony Stark and Nick Fury in ‘Iron Man 2’ revealed a lot of Easter eggs. The digital board behind the characters pinpointed various locations that were hotspots where various Avengers could be found. It highlighted Captain America’s frozen body in Greenland, a place in Africa that was presumably Wakanda, and even Thor’s hammer in New Mexico.
Back to the Future – Twin Pines Mall
In the first movie, Marty and Doc meet up at the Twin Pines Mall parking lot before they go off on their wild adventure through time. When Marty finally makes his way back to 1985, Twin Pines Mall has become Lone Pine Mall, but you’ll need to be quick to catch this detail.
Aladdin – Sebastian’s Cameo
In the 1992 animated adventure ‘Aladdin,’ there is a little Easter egg for fans of ‘The Little Mermaid.’ As the genie is looking for a recipe to make a princely persona out of someone, he finds a little crab that attaches itself to his finger. That crab is none other than Sebastian, but he only appears on the screen for a brief second.
The Departed – Elevator Shot
Billy, an undercover cop infiltrating an Irish crime mob in Boston, and Colin, an undercover gangster infiltrating the police, are each racing against the other to uncover their identities. They both end up in an elevator, but just as we think Colin is being brought to justice, he is shot as the elevator doors open. In a split second Billy is shot and also hits the ground.
The Wizard of Oz – Munchkins
One scene that caused viewers some concern was when the gang was skipping along the yellow brick road. In the background there appears to be a floating objec, and some theorized that this was one of the Munchkins that had hanged themselves, but when the footage was cleaned up in later years, this theory was debunked. It was actually just a large bird.
The Godfather – Horse’s Head
Marlon Brando stars as the iconic head of the Corleone family in the 1972 crime drama ‘The Godfather.’ One of the most famous scenes in the classic movie involves a horse’s head being left in someone’s bed. The scene was quite shocking to audiences back in 1972, and when the movie came out on home video, people wanted to pause and get a closer look.
Tron – Pac-Man
Sci-fi movie ‘Tron’ was a cult hit for many years as it somehow managed to bring the video game arcade to life. In one scene, gamers got to see one of their favorites in ‘Tron,’ but only for a brief moment. When Ed Dillinger is checking out this screen, movie fans hit pause to see their favorite video game hero, Pac-Man, doing his thing.
Burn After Reading – Closet Shooting
One of the most memorable scenes of the 2008 Coen brothers dark comedy ‘Burn After Reading’ is when Brad Pitt’s character gets shot in a closet. The audience is led to believe Pitt might be able to charm his way out of hiding in George Clooney’s character’s closet, but he doesn’t. People like to pause the moment of impact to see Pitt’s demise.
Scanners – Head Explosion
Some movie fans aren’t shy when it comes to the gory details, and one of the most memorably gross scenes in film history came in 1981’s sci-fi horror ‘Scanners.’ In the movie, the guy on the right starts to show a lot of discomfort, but fans have no idea what’s coming. Just a few seconds after this shot, the guy’s head balloons up and explodes into a million pieces.
The Lion King – Floating Dust
When Simba flops on a rock in one scene, he kicks up a dust cloud, which very briefly spells a word in the night sky. Disney’s animators have claimed the word is meant to spell ‘SFX,’ although the ‘F’ looks a lot like an ‘E.’ Anyone who heard the rumor of the naughty word made sure to pause their video copy of ‘The Lion King’ to make up their own mind.
Man of Steel – Space Fight
When ‘Man of Steel’ came out, there was an Easter egg that pointed toward Superman and Batman teaming up in the future. As Superman fights with General Zod in space, they crash into a satellite with the ‘Wayne Enterprise’ logo on the side. It was a sign of things to come as Bruce Wayne is, of course, Batman’s alter ego.
Ready Player One – Battle Scene
The 2018 sci-fi adventure ‘Ready Player One’ is filled to the brim with hidden details for fans of pop culture to discover. There are many famous characters hidden throughout this movie, but one of the most paused moments comes in the battle scene toward the end, where you can see fighters including ‘He-Man,’ ‘Overwatch,’ ‘Halo,’ ‘Gremlins,’ and ‘Battletoads.’
Grease – Sandy’s Transformation
‘Grease’ focused on the squeaky-clean Sandy, who falls in love with tough guy Danny following some summer lovin’. For the majority of the movie, Sandy is pretty conservative in how she dresses, but as we reach the end, Sandy dons a skin-tight costume, and people had to pause the movie because they couldn’t believe the transformation.
Teen Wolf – Crowd Shenanigans
Michael J. Fox starred in ‘Teen Wolf’ in 1985 as a high school basketball star who just happens to be a werewolf. As the movie ends, he helps win the big basketball game for his school, and the crowd goes wild. In the celebrations, one of the movie’s extras decided to pull down their pants, and as it wasn’t spotted by the director, the scene made it into the final edit.
Peter Pan – Peter’s Shadow
When Peter is reunited with his shadow in the 1953 Disney animation ‘Peter Pan,’ audiences saw more than they expected. While there was no home video back in the 1950s, when the movie came to VHS many years later, fans discovered something strange. Pan dances with his re-attached shadow, which has an extra body part between his legs.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Disney Cameos
Iin the 1996 adventure ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ we saw some familiar faces. In a scene where Quasimodo is singing above the city, down on the street are some of Disney’s most famous characters. Belle from Beauty and the Beast is walking around reading a book, while you can also see the Carpet from ‘Aladdin’ and Pumbaa from ‘The Lion King.’
Toy Story 3 – Sid’s New Job
Sid was the villain who was a danger to any toy, as he liked to experiment on them.That was until ‘Toy Story 3,’ when Sid makes a brief appearance as a garbage man. He’s only in the movie for a brief moment, but if you pause it, you can see he is wearing the same shirt he wore in the first film.
Bohemian Rhapsody – Adam Lambert Cameo
In a very brief scene, we get to see a real-life member of Queen actually appear in the movie. Adam Lambert, the current frontman of the group, plays a trucker who gives Freddy Mercury a reason to question which gender he is attracted to. The reason why it’s paused so often is that Lambert is so well disguised that people need to look very closely to make sure it’s him.
Three Men and a Baby – The Ghost
There was no cause to be scared while watching ‘Three Men and a Baby,’ until one sinister scene. For years people thought there was a ghost in this scene, although it was later revealed to be a cardboard cutout of Ted Danson. People were curious to try and solve the mystery of the ‘Three Men and a Baby’ ghost, but because their VHS tapes were so grainy, they couldn’t.
Beauty and the Beast – Look Into Gaston’s Eyes
The 1991 animation ‘Beauty and the Beast’ had viewers reaching for the pause button just before the villain Gaston’s demise. When he’s on the castle’s turrets, we get an idea that he’s not going to survive the film. For a brief second we get a close-up of Gaston’s face, and in his eyes are two skulls. This is some foreshadowing for the fatal fall Gaston is about to suffer.
Zootopia – Judy’s iPod
The 2016 animated adventure ‘Zootopia’ reimagines the world as though the animals were the leading species, and primates never existed. One of the most paused moments from the film is pretty minor, but shows great attention to detail by filmmakers. We get a close-up of Judy’s iPod to discover that many of the tracks are actually animal puns of real-world songs.
Jaws – Goodbye Quint
Quint is the tough-talking fisherman who heroically vows to catch the shark that has been terrorizing the waters. It felt as though the main characters would all somehow survive, but Quint doesn’t make it, and he goes out in the most brutal way. As his boat is capsizing his body slides into the jaws of the great white shark.
