1. Goodfellas (1990)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBMKyNJvNV8 In a career full of legendary films and iconic performances, Scorsese is perhaps best known for the Copacabana shot. This shot, spanning 3 minutes as Henry Hill takes his new girlfriend into a club through the back doors (not a double entendre), has been repeatedly referenced in other films to little or no success. Accomplished in only 8 takes, this shot purportedly arose from a need to find another entrance into the club during shooting, as the filmmakers were not permitted to shoot the entrance. What resulted was the finest moment of steadicam shooting ever captured. The doors swing open for Henry as he is greeted by everyone he encounters, ultimately having a table brought over just for him and his date to sit in the front row. A truly classy moment. I bet everything works out great for those crazy kids. Honorable Mentions: Weekend, Halloween, Contact. Did I miss some? Leave a comment or find out how to reach me in my bio below.