10 Moments That Ruined Amazing Movie Scenes

Cliffhanger doesn't get enough credit for how absolutely harrowing its opening sequence is, where mountain rescue ranger Gabe Walker (Sylvester Stallone) attempts to save his friend Hal's (Michael Rooker) girlfriend Sarah (Michelle Joyner), only for her to fall to her death.

It's a brilliantly directed scene and actress Michelle Joyner does a fantastic job of selling Sarah's abject fear as her climbing harness begins to break, but all this fine work is ultimately undone by the utterly bizarre facial expressions of rescue pilot Frank (Ralph Waite).

Every so often throughout the sequence, director Renny Harlin cuts back to Hal and Frank as they try to hold the safety line steady, but it's almost impossible not to be distracted by Frank, who seems to be cackling like a maniac about the whole sorry situation.

Frank bares his teeth and appears to be amused by Sarah's horrifying predicament, as an increasing number of viewers have noticed in recent years.

Now to be totally fair here, there's not too much of a visual difference between laughter and grimacing, as Frank is obviously exerting himself to try and hold the line steady, but even with that context, Frank's expressions look positively unhinged.

Clearly Harlin should've given Ralph Waite some notes during shooting to dial the facial gymnastics back a little bit, because it takes away from what's otherwise a palm-soakingly intense scene.