“Teen Wolf” was targeted as a family-friendly flick, but millions of viewers may disagree, and believe it or not, the scene in question happens minutes before the credits roll. During the movie’s opening, an extra is seen with his pants and underwear around his ankles – a pause-worthy, gasp-inducing moment.
The exact moment happens when Michael J. Fox’s character, Scott Howard, wins the basketball match when the camera catches a glimpse of the crowd cheering from the bleachers. Oops! Wonder how they forgot to edit that out. The movie was released in perfect timing and embraced the 1980s with open arms. This was soon followed by a 2011 TV series adaptation that didn’t bring the same hype to the audience.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
We love movie series where the story never ends, and we keep returning for more. In the first of the three Star Wars prequels, director George Lucas, decided to place a small and hard-to-notice Easter egg in the film. This shocking moment has many grabbing their remotes and hitting pause.
In the scene in which senators and other politicians meet to talk, a glance at a specific platform will show a family of alien friends that may remind you of another movie...What movie, you may be asking? E.T! Keep your remote close next time you're binging Star Wars.
The Graduate (1967)
The Oscar-winning film "The Graduate" starring Dustin Hoffman in his breakthrough performance. It is based on a novel of the same name and is considered one of the most influential movies of the past century. It tells the story of a young man who moves back in with his parents after college.
Hoffman's character, Benjamin Braddock, struggles to find direction in life and is seduced by a woman twice his age, Mrs. Robinson. The film's progressive plot may have caused chaos with its release in 1967, but it also blessed us with one of the most paused scenes in history - the one in which Mrs. Robinson locks Ben in a room and strips naked.
The Matrix (1999)
The first "Matrix" movie is often regarded as one of the best films of all time. It is described as a science fiction action film and significantly impacted the viewers that one movie wasn't enough. There is one scene in the Academy-award-winning installment that is both a fan favorite and, well, you guessed it - pause-worthy.
In this scene, there is a shot reflected off a doorknob. Usually, a shot would show a reflection of a camera, but the director decided to do something worthy of a double-take. They dressed the camera up to look like Morpheus. Dedication level - 100!
American Beauty (1999)
Perhaps one of the most film-defining moments in modern history - if you've ever seen "American Beauty," this scene won't be hard to recall. The film's protagonist, Lester, is sitting in a crowded basketball gym - when he becomes obsessed with the lead cheerleader, his daughter's best friend, played by Mena Suvari.
As he becomes fixated on the young woman, the spotlight shines on her, and all else fades to black. This scene has been paused so many times; it is embedded in our minds for good. The movie presents a different angle of the American middle-class society, shedding light on ita value of happiness, honesty, and success.