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  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

The 23 Greatest Scenes Of 2008

Features
By Total Film published 9 December 2008

Blood. Sex. Milkshakes. This year had it all.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

"I drink your MILKShAKE!"

"I drink your MILKShAKE!"

There Will Be Blood . "There it is, that’s a straw, you see? You watching?” Oh yes, Daniel, we are.

Page 1 of 23
Page 1 of 23
A hole in my heart

A hole in my heart

Iron Man . Pepper plays Operation with Tony’s arc-reactor. Funny, touching and not to be tried at home.

Page 2 of 23
Page 2 of 23
Fight of the year

Fight of the year

Chocolate . JeeJa kicks arse high up on the window ledges of an apartment block. Ouch.

Page 3 of 23
Page 3 of 23
Losing your head

Losing your head

Cloverfield . The most daring image in Hollywood since Independence Day blew up the White House.

Page 4 of 23
Page 4 of 23
There will be blood

There will be blood

Rambo . Lots and lots and lots of blood.

Page 5 of 23
Page 5 of 23
So hot right now

So hot right now

Lust, Caution . Were they? Weren’t they? They had to be. Ang Lee takes passion to the edge.

Page 6 of 23
Page 6 of 23
Breakdown

Breakdown

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead . Even Sidney Lumet was left in awe by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s emotional dam-buster.

Page 7 of 23
Page 7 of 23
Playa! Playaa Big dick playa!

Playa! Playaa Big dick playa!

Tropic Thunder . He swears! He dances! He’s Tom Cruise! The comedy performance of 2008.

Page 8 of 23
Page 8 of 23
The top score

The top score

The King Of Kong . No-hoper Steve Wiebe busting the Donkey Kong record score. Most thrilling thing we saw all year.

Page 9 of 23
Page 9 of 23
Walking The Dog

Walking The Dog

No Country For Old Men . A truly weird, wonderful chase sequence that could only have come from Coen country.

Page 10 of 23
Page 10 of 23
You humiliated me!

You humiliated me!

Sex And The City . Carrie sticks it to Big... And Charlotte explodes!

Page 11 of 23
Page 11 of 23
Hes behind you...

Hes behind you...

The Strangers . Film-school types would say, “Effective mise-en-scène.” We’d say, “Clean trousers please!”

Page 12 of 23
Page 12 of 23
Missing the train

Missing the train

Wanted . If The General had been directed by Bekmambetov.

Page 13 of 23
Page 13 of 23
Lid-Locked

Lid-Locked

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly . Our helpless protagonist’s eye is stitched up.

Page 14 of 23
Page 14 of 23
Turning Japanese

Turning Japanese

Horton Hears A Who! A jolt of bizarro genius from the Ice Age makers, as Horton lurches into an eye-popping anime fantasy.

Page 15 of 23
Page 15 of 23
Scaffolding scrap

Scaffolding scrap

Quantum Of Solace . Best of the Solace set-pieces: shattering glass, swinging ropes and clattering scaffolding.

Page 16 of 23
Page 16 of 23
Sweded in one shot

Sweded in one shot

Be Kind, Rewind . Glorious one-shot homage to home-movie love.

Page 17 of 23
Page 17 of 23
This is the end

This is the end

The Mist . Se7en times four. Even author Stephen King was staggered by Frank Darabont’s gut-punch finale.

Page 18 of 23
Page 18 of 23
Jaw dropper

Jaw dropper

The Orphanage. Best shock-shot of the year, as roadkill old lady gets her face about the place. Mmm.

Page 19 of 23
Page 19 of 23
En-rah-hah!

En-rah-hah!

Happy-Go-Lucky . Eddie Marsan’s powder-keg driving instructor makes his Hancock villain look like a softie.

Page 20 of 23
Page 20 of 23
What is that?

What is that?

[rec] . Waiting in the darkness at the end of this terrifying shocker is… Well, we’re not even going to show you.

Page 21 of 23
Page 21 of 23
Chopped down to size

Chopped down to size

In Bruges . Colin Farrell karate-chops a midget...

Page 22 of 23
Page 22 of 23
The conversation

The conversation

Hunger . Two men, 18 minutes of riveting chat and one astonishing unbroken shot..

For a full review of the year, check out the 150 issue of Total Film ( subscribe here )

Page 23 of 23
Page 23 of 23
Total Film

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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