The Most Paused Movie Moments Of All Time

By Nick Hadji 1 year ago

1. Basic Instinct (1992)

Image source Dazeddigital.com
This scene must makes it into every list of most paused moments in movie history!  Sharon's character Catherine Tramell  uncrossed her legs several times without wearing her undies during a police investigation.  Apparently, Sharon Stone was uneasy about the scene as her lady parts were actually caught on camera before the final cut.Originally sourced from Femanin.

2. Total Recall (1990)

Image source Dailymotion.com
Ok, so it's quite common to expect the unexpected in movies and that can be half the excitement.  However. it doesn't get much weirder than this - a woman with three boobs.  The more you look at it (if you must) the more it looks authentic although, obviously, it's camera trickery  isn't it?

3. Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Image source Dazeddigital.com
Ok, so own up and tell us how many times you've paused this Ridgemont High scene? The clip is continually ranked as number one for the best bikini movie scene! Actress Linda Barrett who took the part of Phoebe Cates looks very hot by the pool in her classic 80's red bikini.

4. She's The Man (2006)

Image source Dazeddigital.com
To prove she was a girl (there must be more innocent ways!) a young Amanda Bynes, playing Viola Johnson, flashes the whole soccer team during the tournament.  It's no wonder this paused scene is listed as being in the top 5 freeze clips of the noughties.

5. Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Image source Dazed.com
Here we see Margot Robbie having a little bit of a 'Sharon Stone' moment of her own.  In 1987, New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort, who founded brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont while still in his early 20s, develops habits of wretched excess and corruption while the SEC and FBI are closing in.

6. Wild Things (1998)

Image source Dailymotion.com
This scene doesn't really need an explanation as to why it's viewed so much.  It follows a high school guidance counsellor who is accused of rape by two female students and a series of subsequent revelations after a police officer begins investigating the alleged crimes.  Here we see Neve Campbell and Denise Richards getting close.

7. Wizard of Oz (1939)

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In one famous scene, there is supposedly a munchkin who has hung himself in the background - sorry!  This musical fantasy film received critical acclaim when it was released and now has the honour of being the most seen film in history.  A young Judy Garland was mesmerising.

8. Iron Man (2008)

Image source Icon.co
Iron man is the story of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor.  He is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon.  He actually builds a suit of armour and manages to escape captivity.  If you look closely in this still you can see a prototype of Captain America’s shield in the background!

 9. The Lion King (1994)

Image source Icon.com
You will have to click on the pause button super quick so you an see the abbreviation 'SFX' spelled out in the dust flying through the air.  Look more closely and it appears to be showing a different word, certainly not one suitable for the age group watching the movie.  Does it spell 'sex'?

10. Cabin In The Woods (2011)

Image source Dailymotion.com
This scene is paused so often because it lists all the monsters and creatures that they have at their disposal - and that is something! So, when you watch the movie and come across this scene don't forget to pause it to see all the possibilities of terror they can cause!

11. The Exorcist (1973)

Image source Dailymotion.com
One of the scariest movies in history.  This freeze frame has to be one of the most terrifying things in the world. It’s called Pazuzu and it is the main antagonist in The Exorcist. It makes an appearance in single frames scattered throughout the film and you have to be really quick to catch it as it disappears in a split second.

12. Boogie Nights (1997)

Image source Dailymotion.com
Everyone wanted a better look at Mark Wahlberg’s (prosthetic) giant ----!  This comedy drama features a well-endowed young man who finds fame and fortune as a star in the disco-era pornography industry.  It's one of those stupid films that you watch over and over again.

13. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

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Probably one of the most widely known moments of cinematic history is Marilyn Monroe’s dress blowing over the grate in the subway.  This paused still from the movie now adorns posters and paintings all over the world.  Marilyn was and still is the ultimate pin-up girl.

14. Jurassic World (2015)

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Jimmy Buffet saving his two margaritas, probably looking for a shaker of salt!  Jurassic World, a fully functional dinosaur park that sees 20,000 visitors a day, is the realisation of owner John Hammond's dreams. The scientists may have gone just a tad too far in creating a hybrid dinosaur which manages to escape to escape and terrorises the park.

15. The Little Mermaid (1989)

Image source Disneydream.com
When Ariel is getting married, the priest appears to be a little over-excited in the trouser department!  It makes us look at the movie in a different light from the fun-loving mermaid, with her best friend, an adorable flounder and a reggae-singing Caribbean crab, saving her father's kingdom from a sneaky sea witch.

16. Man of Steel (2013)

Image source Icon.com
A Batman and Superman mash-up was clearly in the cards, when Superman is seen grabbing a satellite made by 'Wayne Enterprises.'  Though struggling with the ramifications of his extraordinary origin and abilities, a young Clark Kent must become a hero and save those he loves from a dire threat.

17. Scanners (1981)

Image source Daily Mail
When Michael Ironside’s character makes a man’s head explode, it looked too real for comfort.  This was such a scary movie where a lethal conflict arises between two groups and their extraordinary powers include the ability to kill someone by telepathy.

18. Psycho (1960)

Image source Digitalmedia.com
When Bates (Anthony Perkins) is arrested, he stares into the camera and a skull appears to be superimposed over his face, even if very briefly.  This iconic thriller is probably one of Hitchcock's best.  A thieving woman who is on the run, stops at a small cabin motel run by a crazy Norman Bates.  It was 'on the edge of your seat' viewing.

19. Signs (2002)

Image source Digitalmedia.com
When you finally see that bi-pedal alien walk by, I bet you paused the screen, too. A former preacher's discovery of mysterious crop circles on his farmland sets in motion a sequence of the strangest happenings that sees Earth threatened by extra-terrestrials.  Not for the faint-hearted.

20. Teen Wolf (1985)

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In one scene there is a shot of a celebration in the stands and one fan has forgotten to zip up his trousers.  Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard is amazing in this movie.  A high-school student's popularity soars when it is discovered that he is cursed with the mark of the werewolf.

21. The Rescuers (1977)

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Not sure if Disney wanted to shock by showing images of naked women standing in the window.  Loved the two mice, jittery janitor Bernard (Bob Newhart) and his co-agent, the ever so elegant Miss Bianco (Eva Gabor).   Excellent animation (apart from the saucy females in the background).

22. Tron (1982)

Image source Daily Mail
This movie is full of nostalgic Easter eggs, the most popular being a scene where Pac-Man is visible!  I'm sure it was enjoyed by as many adults as it was by kids.  A computer hacker is abducted into the digital world and forced to participate in games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security programme.

23. Fight Club (1999)

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What a great movie!  Brad Pitt would make split second appearances in the vicinity of Edward Norton.  Every one of you who have seen the film will understand why it is so cool.  All the scenes where Brad Pitt’s character shows up in the background before he’s actually introduced are frightening!

24. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)

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You can see E.T. and his family in the bottom left  George Lucas decided to add this in because of the Yoda Easter egg in the movie E.T.  It's such a great scene so no wonder it's paused so much.  That movie takes so many of us back to our childhood and we thought it was the best film we had ever seen.

25. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

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One of the most hilarious moments in the Star Wars film franchise that people can't help rewinding is the scene where a group of stormtroopers can be seen walking through the door.  One of them accidentally hits his head on the top of the door and it actually made it into the final cut.

26. Finding Dory (2016)

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What many fans were surprised to see was that one of the main villains from the original instalment would end up making a surprise cameo, even though it was a quick background shot.  The niece of the scientist, Darla, can be seen in a photograph on the wall during the scene where Dory is quarantined.

27. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Image source Insider
The most intriguing chapter of the story happens in the middle when Bruce Willis’s character Butch is on the run from Marcellus Wallace.  Although this shower scene is a trivial moment in the movie, many viewers paused and rewound because they were sure they saw Willis in all his glory as he stepped out of the shower. We can confirm that what they saw was actually true!

28. Toy Story 3 (2010)

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In the first Toy Story (1995), Buzz and Woody end up on an adventure together that sees them locked up by Sid, the evil kid who dismembers toys.  Die hard fans of the movie series must have done a double-take when Sid showed up in Toy Story 3 working as a garbage man.  Talk about recycling.

29. The Matrix (1999)

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This shot is more of a trick of the trade than anything else but has caused many of you to pause and rewind.  Morpheus says. 'I can only show you to the door,' and Neo reaches for the doorknob to open it.   What a brilliant action movie with Keanu Reeves.

30. Deadpool 2 (2018)

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Our favourite outspoken anti-hero hires a misfit team of superhumans called the ‘X Force’ to help him on his adventures. One of the most skilled members is the Vanisher, an invisible man.  In a dramatic but funny scene, the Vanisher and the others jump off an airplane with parachutes but most of them die before reaching the surface. For a split second, Vanisher’s actual form is revealed as none other than heartthrob Brad Pitt!

31. Ghostbusters

Image Source/ Reddit
Ghostbusters is one of the most well loved films of all times -adults and children alike. And, there is one scene in particular which people just needed a second look at. When the Marshamallo man tears up NYC a crowd gather around. But the person in the crowd fans spottes was Ron Jeremy appearing in a cameo.

32. Fatal Attraction

Image Source/ DGA
I think we all know the moment in Fatal Attraction which caused viewers to pause the TV. The awful moment when Alex meets her end in the tub of water - as she drowns by the hands of Anne Archer. But then the next scene made everyone jump so much and also made everyone pause the TV.

33. Speed

Image Source/ TumblrThe movie Speed had everybody gripped to the TV in fascination. And, everybody panicked when people jumped to the remote to pause the moment of the fatal scene to make sure that it was in fact a dummy, and not the famous Dennis Hopper himself, was beheaded.

34. Men In Black

Image Source/ YouTube
Men In Black...suprisingly it wasn't the aliens making everybody pause there screens it was something a little more obscure. It was in fact the list and the map It was the list and map of known alien species that has everyone pausing the film for a closer look. Perhaps there were some alien hunters out there.

35. There's Something About Mary

Image Source/ Rebel VoiceThere's Something About Mary was an R rated film,. And, the filmmakers did not hold back they showed the whole ordeal in munite detail. People thought their secret was safe but now it has been revealed that the most paused moment was checking how the man stored away his private parts safely.

36. The Ring

Image Source/ Film Fanpage
The Ring...a truly horrfiying film which left many with sleepless nights. And when it was on TV it looked as though Samara was coming right through the screen into your living room infront of you. People wanted to relive this moment as they paused and rewinded the effect.

37. Anchorman

Image Source/ What culture.com
In the Anchorman there was a clever little funny parts which you would only know if a.) you were spanish or b.) you had been told and translated it yourself. The restaurant Escupimos en su Alimento in the film translated to - we spit in your food. Another funny little detail not to miss.

38. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Image Source/ What Culture
In Who Framed Roger Rabbit the scene that stole the show when it came to the most paused was when she is thrown from the vehicle during the car crash and her animated private parts are on show. Lots of people think they have seen something although other's think differently...

39. Jaws

Image Source/ SyFy
Jaws...it has to be one of the most atmospheric films of all time. And this scene in particula. The hunt. The music. The terror. Yelling at the creen and the person swimming had no idea at all that the shark was coming right for her. Of course this scene had to be paused over and over again.

41. The Crying Game

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The Crying Game is iconic, and the reveal is that Dil shows she is transgender. Everybody paused their screens just to double check what they were seeing as they gasped with shock at the screen. This is a film which will continue to go down in history.

42. Beauty And The Beast

Image Source/ WhatCulture.comBeauty And The Beast is of course one of Dinsey's all time favourite movies. And, we all rmemeer the moment as Gaston tumbles to his death. Did you notice the skulls in his eyes? Eagle eyed people spotted it and double checked, others have been told and wanted to check it out for themselves.

43. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Image Source/ World Class Villains
Guardians of the Galaxy. This was one of the most paused movied of all time. And, there are multiple scenes wich peaked people's fascination. For example; Cue up Howard the Duck, the infinity stones, Cosmo the Spacedog, the Sovereign cocoon, a Chitaruri alien, a dark elf...

44. The Godfather

Image Source/ RedditThe Godfather is a film hat has been around way before pausing was even a thing. But, it's still well loved today and considered a great classic. We all know the scene. Everybody wants to pause and have a look at the horses head lying in the bed.

45. Thor: The Dark World

Image Source/ RedditThor: The Dark World is amongst one of the many Marvel films to be included as one of the most paused movies of all time. Afterall there are millions of Marvel lovers out there. And in this movie, it is the chalkboard scene which has everybody stopping for a double glance.

46. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Image Source/ RedditHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - the final piece to end the series. And, the most dramatic of them all. The moment that Harry jumps out of Hagrid's arms is amongst one of the most paused and rewatched scenes...understandably.

47. Boogie Nights

Image Source/ DailyMotion
There is a recurring theme here of the things people like to get a closer look at. You know which scene we mean. When at the end of the movie Wahlberg stands and reached down inside his pants infront of the mirror. It was a prosthectic but people seem to want a closer look all the same.

48. The Graduate

Image Source/ Loud and clear reviews
The Graduate featires Dustin Hoffman playing Benjamin Braddock who seduced by a woman twice his age, Mrs. Robinson who is played by Anne Bancroft. One of the most-paused scenes movie history is when Mrs. Robinson locks Ben in a room and then strips naked even though we only see her for a brief second. 

49. Three Men And A Baby

Image Source/ Metro
Remember the ghost in Three Men And A Baby. Of course, who doesn't? For a very long time, fans have speculated that the ghost scene features a little ghost boy who committed suicide in the house where the film was shot. In reality, the shot was set on a stage and the “ghost” is a cardboard cutout of Ted Danson that someone accidentally left on set.