Just for the hell of it, what do you consider the best “close-ups” in cinema? Yeah, I know, it is a really dorky question but we are here now. Let it happen.
Video follows, of course.
Top 5 best close-ups in movies (according to me, that is):
5. Bruce Willis in Die Hard With A Vengeance (Director: John McTiernan; Cinematographer: Peter Menzies Jr.)
A personal favorite, for sure. You can dispute the validity of having Die Hard With A Vengeance on such a list but that up close, spinning realization that comes across Bruce Willis’ face is pretty epic.
4. Janet Leigh in Psycho (Director: Alfred Hitcock; Cinematographer: John L. Russel)
Always striving for the most effective shot, Alfred Hitcock asked Janet Leigh to stare into the face of death and, literally, not blink.
3. Any of the iconic shots of Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (Director: Steven Spielberg; Cinematographer: Douglas Slocombe)
Spielberg loves to make actors run into his close-ups but nobody did it better than Harrison Ford.
2. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (Director: Billy Wilder; Cinematographer: John F. Seitz)
An absolute classic that cuts away from being an honest to God close-up. Still, Swanson’s wish is our command.
1. Jack Nicholson in The Shining (Director: Stanley Kubrick; Cinematographer: John Alcott)
“Hereeeeee’s Johnny.” Seriously, is there a more well-known visage on screen?
Troy-Jeffrey Allen writes about action/adventure for Action A Go Go. He is a comic book writer whose works include Bamn, The Magic Bullet, Dr. Dremo’s Taphouse of Tall Tales, and the Harvey Award nominated District Comics. In addition, Allen has been a contributing writer for ComicBookBin.com, OfNote Magazine, and ForcesOfGeek.com. His work has been featured in the City Paper, The Baltimore Sun, Bethesda Magazine, The Examiner, and The Washington Post.