Entertainment Weekly's 25 New Classic Death Scenes [1983-2008]

Entertainment: Movies Awards: EW

/// Specially prepared for Entertainment Weekly's 999-1000 issue (June 27, 2008) /// *** Steve Buscemi + a woodchipper + the pure white snow of 1996's Fargo = arguably the most hilarious ooky death on film. *** The T-1000 pulls a Wicked Witch of the West (via a vat of molten metal) at the end of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). *** Bill Murray throws a toaster in the tub, steps in front of a moving truck, and swan dives off a bell tower in Groundhog Day (1993). And he still won't die. *** The heroines of 1991's Thelma and Louise drive over the edge of the Grand Canyon. *** Mel Gibson, sans intestines, bellows 'Freeeeedommmmmm!' in Braveheart (1995). *** Al Pacino's Scarface (1983) introduces seemingly half of Miami to his 'leetle friend' before getting a bullet in the back of the brain. *** Samuel L. Jackson is speechifying to the rest of the cast of 1999's Deep Blue Sea about survival when a super-shark leaps out of the water and — CHOMP! — no more Samuel L. Jackson. *** Bruce Davison gently coaxes his AIDS-stricken lover to 'let go' in Longtime Companion (1990). *** Chris Sarandon uses The Machine to suck 50 years of Cary Elwes' life away in 1987's The Princess Bride. *** Gollum follows the Ring of Power right into the scorching depths of Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). *** Warring exes Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner fall to their doom on a chandelier in 1989's The War of the Roses. *** A human sacrifice watches his own heart get ripped from his chest in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). *** Darth Vader, after defying the Emperor and saving Luke Skywalker's life, decides he wants to see his son's face with his own eyes at the climactic end of Return of the Jedi (1983). *** Scar (Jeremy Irons) tosses Mufasa (James Earl Jones) into a wildebeest stampede in his quest to become The Lion King (1994). *** Jennifer Jason Leigh is quite literally pulled apart by two semi-trucks at the end of 1986's The Hitcher. *** With his dying breath in L.A. Confidential (1997), Kevin Spacey speaks two words to his killer — 'Rolo Tomasi.' *** Will Ferrell crosses Dr. Evil, gets very badly burned, shot, and then shot again — all off camera — in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997). *** Jack telling Rose not to say her goodbyes before freezing to death in Titanic (1997). *** First, Emil (Paul McCrane), is doused with a horrifically disfiguring batch of toxic waste. Then he's literally liquidated by his boss's car in 1997's RoboCop. Bad day. *** Lucy Liu losing her head to Uma Thurman's blade in Kill Bill Vol. One (2003). *** The Bride killing Bill at the end of Kill Bill Vol. Two (2004). *** Martin Sheen going splat! after getting tossed off a roof in The Departed (2006). *** Cedric Diggory dying by Voldemort's wand in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). *** Dan Hedaya stubbornly refuses to die in Blood Simple (1984). *** An underwear clad Paige (Paris Hilton) is chased through a factory warehouse and eventually killed by a wooden spear thrown through her forehead in 2005's House of Wax. -------- Missing: -------- * Cedric Diggory * Gollum