Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
Before the ’80s, it was essentially impossible to pause movies. However, with the advent of home VCRs, all of a sudden, fans could watch, pause, and rewind their favorite moments. Of course, after its release on home video, the 1982 classic Fast Times At Ridgemont High became one of the biggest sellers of the era. Meanwhile, a particular pool scene became one of the first most paused moments in movie history!
During the dream scene in question, ’80s icon Phoebe Cates steps out of the pool and shares quite a lot with the boy dreamer in question. As you might imagine, there were quite a few young men who could not help but watch the scene over and over again…
Total Recall (1990)
One of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most iconic films, Total Recall, is a futuristic sci-fi movie about a man who cannot trust his own memories. The mysterious chase takes him on an exciting investigation, eventually leading him on a shuttle to Mars. While on the Red Planet, Schwarzenegger’s character meets an alien who would go onto become one of the most famous side characters in film history.
While on Mars, Schwarzenegger’s character meets tons of strange aliens. However, perhaps none more strange – or pause-inducing – than the alien-human hybrid with extra body parts. And she has no problem showing them to Schwarzenegger, or the audience.
Cabin In The Woods (2012)
For those that don’t remember, 2012’s Cabin In The Woods tells the story of, you guessed it, things going very poorly for a group of college students at a cabin. While the film failed to chart at the box office, it’s done quite well on DVD and BluRay, becoming a cult classic. And there’s one scene in particular that fans like to pause…
At one point during the film, a whiteboard flashes on the screen for just a moment. Eagle-eyed viewers realized that the board lists various mythical horror creatures that could potentially attack the teens who had taken refuge in the cabin. Now, viewers can’t help but pause the film and read the exciting entries, including unicorns, vampires, and even a merman!
Fight Club (1999)
Even today, more than two decades after its release, fans are still finding little clues hidden in director David Fincher’s Fight Club. Known for its brutal fight scenes, quotable line, and Easter Eggs, fans still rewatch Fight Club regularly. As a result, it has many of the most paused moments in movie history.
One of our favorites is that viewers see character Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, a few times before he’s properly introduced. You see, Fincher put small shots of Pitt in for just a frame, less than 20th of a second! The director did so to hint at the movie’s explosive surprise ending – which we won’t spoil here!
Boogie Nights (1997)
Of course, Boogie Nights ended up having some of the most paused moments in movie history. After all, it’s a rated-R comedy-drama set in the 1970s. Upon its release, critics raved about the movie, especially Whalberg’s performance. Up until that point, most only knew him as the rapper, Marky Mark!
Meanwhile, on the streets, audiences could only talk about one scene, where Whalberg showed audiences much more than actors usually do. However, years later, the actor came clear: that was not the real Marky Mark. That’s right. Whalberg used body double and prosthetics for the more intimate scenes. Can you blame him?