Looking for examples of stylish freeze-frames in movies

December 22, 2006 9:48 AM

I’m looking for films or movie trailers the feature a specific style: I guess you’d call them “freeze-frame action stalls.”

You know, the style that stops a character in mid-action, outlines him or her with a line, possibly adds some colour and animation. I generally associate it with spy movies, and maybe the 1970s.

The style that begins at the 4-minute mark of this film, the pilot for a show called Break a Leg (except more professional).

The style that ends up looking like the kids (and roll-over animation) on this Muskoka Woods website.

If you can think of any trailers, films or shorts that include this style, I’d love to see some links. I’m leaning towards this style for a project I’m working on, but need a little inspiration.

posted by Milkman Dan to media & arts (8 comments total)

Election (script) has very good use of freeze frame then narration.
posted by cillit bang at 10:05 AM on December 22, 2006

In Ang Lee's HULK, one of the baddies dies a ridiculous and (unintentionally?) hilarious death in this manner, complete with the outline and animated colourful background.
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:11 AM on December 22, 2006

They did something like this at least once in almost every episode of Home Improvement, the US television show. It was usually just before a commercial break. Whatever the last scene was that was on the screen would freeze, and bits and pieces of it would move around and rearrange themselves. Sometimes it was really clever.
posted by iconomy at 10:37 AM on December 22, 2006

My favorite is the cast sequence from the Snatch trailer. I could have sworn there was one for Knockaround Guys, but I can't seem to find it.
posted by Mercaptan at 11:38 AM on December 22, 2006

I can't remember anything exactly matching that, but kind of similar...
Maybe check out Domino. Snatch and anything else directed by Guy Ritchie. A TV show called "Eyes" I think does a freeze-frame split-screen thing whenever it introduces characters, unless I'm confusing it with "Hustle."
posted by RobotHero at 12:42 PM on December 22, 2006

I can't remember anything exactly matching that, but kind of similar...
Maybe check out Domino. Snatch and anything else directed by Guy Ritchie. A TV show called "Eyes" I think does a freeze-frame split-screen thing whenever it introduces characters, unless I'm confusing it with "Hustle."

And you could find out who these guys were imitating, if anyone in particular.
posted by RobotHero at 12:51 PM on December 22, 2006

The movie "Three Kings" does something similar when introducing its characters.
posted by stammer at 2:54 AM on December 23, 2006

Some Guys Have all the Luck
posted by LoriFLA at 9:48 AM on December 24, 2006