I just watched "Live Free or Die Hard." Prior to it, the most incredible stunt I had seen - where no one was injured - was Yakima Canutt's falling from stagecoach horses and being over run by the stagecoach in "Stagecoach" (1939) during the Indian attack. "Live Free or Die Hard" has it beaten. Near the end, in Woodlawn NSA-Social Security building, Willis is apprehended by villain Russo. They fight and Willis forces Russo into an office swivel chair, then pushes Russo-and-chair down a flight of metal stairs. This stunt is incredible because Willis does, in fact, push Russo's stunt double down that flight of metal stairs. The stuntman's only protection beyond Willis pushing him "properly" is padding affixed to his back.

Incredible.

I'll have to watch that one again.

I think I would nominate flying (and unfortunately crashing) the airplane in 'Flight of the Phoenix'.

Chariot race in Ben Hur has to be right up there. Actually someone killed filming that. Supposedly, if you watch closely, one of the drivers is wearing a wrist watch.

"The film comes to a climax at the Battle of Balaclava, subject of Lord Tennyson's poem The Charge of the Light Brigade. The lancers charge into the valley and brave the Russian cannons, and many are killed. Text from Tennyson's poem is superimposed on the screen, coupled with Max Steiner's musical score. Director Michael Curtiz, who did not have an excellent command of English, shouted "Bring on the empty horses", meaning "riderless horses". David Niven used this as the title of his book about the Golden Age of Hollywood.

The battlefield set was lined with trip wires to trip the cavalry horses. For the filming of the climactic charge, 125 horses were trip-wired. Of those, 25 were killed outright or had to be put down afterward. Errol Flynn, an accomplished horseman, was so outraged by the number of horses injured and killed during the charge, and by director Michael Curtiz's seeming indifference to the carnage, that at one point as he was arguing with Curtiz about it, he couldn't contain himself and physically attacked Curtiz. They were pulled apart before any serious damage was done. The Charge sequence of the film itself forced the U.S. Congress to ensure the safety of animals in motion pictures. The ASPCA banned trip wires from films in its guidelines as well. Unlike the rest of Flynn's blockbuster films, because of the use of trip wires and the number of horses killed, it was never re-released by Warner Brothers."

I also remember reading that one of the stunt riders was killed in a freak accident when he landed on a broken sword blade sticking out of the ground.

Here is a silent clip of the movie that was made for home viewing on the family projector.

WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT



.

Check the Bear Scene in "The Revenant".

quote:

Originally posted by larrys01:
Check the Bear Scene in "The Revenant".

Animated.....and not very good either

quote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6iksKTURlA

There is a big jump at the end of this clip from Hooper. But I think the falling chimney is the best stunt.

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:

quote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6iksKTURlA

There is a big jump at the end of this clip from Hooper. But I think the falling chimney is the best stunt.

What car was in the air? Odd angle, but it looked like a funny car body with its extremely long nose.

007

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh0VF6s-UYU

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:

quote:

Originally posted by larrys01:
Check the Bear Scene in "The Revenant".

Animated.....and not very good either

Anyone who has ever seen a Grizzly would have to agree with you.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:

quote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6iksKTURlA

There is a big jump at the end of this clip from Hooper. But I think the falling chimney is the best stunt.

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q0Y3A-zib-Q?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="640"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

sure a lot of neat old cars screwed up in that mess!!

Most incredible thing I think I have seen was the scene in Man From Snowy River riding down the face of that hill. I am more of an animal guy than a car stunt type guy. I have a pretty good understanding the pucker power a ride like that has.

quote:

Originally posted by rbrbrb6:
Most incredible thing I think I have seen was the scene in Man From Snowy River riding down the face of that hill. I am more of an animal guy than a car stunt type guy. I have a pretty good understanding the pucker power a ride like that has.

Lord! That was very impressive! Had it on Tivo and rewound a couple times just watch it again.

007 The stunt , IIRC, was considered so dangerous that they all refused to try to repeat it .

nt

dammit

Actually the man from snowy river stunt has been performed by cowboys, vaqueros, etc. in the course of a days work many times. A horse can go anywhere a man can go short of the man having to use both hands..I was raised a cowboy on a big West Texas ranch of some 100,000 acres of rimrocks and high peaks, there are horsemen and those that claim to be horsemen because they can ride a horse, bit difference.