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Film characters lighting matches / cigarettes in creative ways:
Kirk Douglas in Billy Wilder’s ACE IN THE HOLE: striking a match with a typewriter
William Holden in Billy Wilder’s STALAG 17: striking a match on a man’s beard
Paul Henreid in Irving Rapper’s NOW, VOYAGER: lighting two cigarettes at once then handing one of them to Bette Davis. A classic.
Of course, Lee Van Cleef wouldn’t light a match like a normal person! https://twitter.com/thisisweber/status/1342168992937635842
Chow Yun-Fat in John Woo’s A BETTER TOMORROW: lighting a cigarette with a dollar bill that’s on fire https://twitter.com/szacharek/status/1342170445366390785
Elliott Gould in Robert Altman’s THE LONG GOODBYE: striking matches on any and all surfaces at hand https://twitter.com/washedcat/status/1342170392576872448
Winona Ryder in Michael Lehmann’s HEATHERS: her cigarette lights up when Christian Slater explodes https://twitter.com/antbit/status/1342173496349237248
Laurie Zimmer in John Carpenter’s ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13: striking a match and lighting a cigarette with disdain https://twitter.com/levrock2/status/1342196131871260674
The fire of the law. https://twitter.com/swen_ryan/status/1342205890808733696
George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh’s OUT OF SIGHT: flicking his lighter by clicking his fingers. Respect. https://twitter.com/danschindel/status/1342206802633650186
Heath Ledger in Gil Junger’s 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU: lighting a cigarette using the gas tap in the school lab. Very reckless, very cool. https://twitter.com/paulcinephile/status/1342206946145923074
Carlos Gallardo in Robert Rodriguez’ DESPERADO: striking a match on a very patient man’s jaw. https://twitter.com/guznightout/status/1342207874097967105
Janet Leigh in John Frankenheimer’s THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE: striking a match on a wall in the train to light up a cig for Sinatra. https://twitter.com/aaron_m_hunter/status/1342210811100606469
Simon Yam in Ringo Lam’s FULL CONTACT: creating a flame in his hand simply by clicking his fingers. Unclear on the science behind this one. (H/t @trillmoregirls)
Judd Nelson in John Hughes’ THE BREAKFAST CLUB: setting his sole on fire, then bringing the flame to the cigarette in his mouth. Some people might find this technique needlessly complicated; other people are just cool. https://twitter.com/editlondon/status/1342216061689749505
Robert Davi in William Lustig’s MANIAC COP 3: BADGE OF SILENCE: using a cut-off human arm that‘s on fire to lit up his cigarette. Showing us how it’s done. https://twitter.com/speederaserhead/status/1342212390541262848
Franco Nero in Sergio Corbucci’s THE MERCENARY: striking matches on a man’s ear, a woman’s boobs, a hanging man’s boot, a man’s hat, a man’s bullet belt, a sleeping man’s foot, a man’s teeth. https://twitter.com/speederaserhead/status/1342211439415717888
Joan Crawford in William Castle’s STRAIT-JACKET: striking a match on a rotating record. Almost too badass for words. https://twitter.com/hollywoodhepcat/status/1342222940172115975
Dick Powell in Edward Dmytryk’s MURDER, MY SWEET: striking a match on a cherub’s bum. Naughty. https://twitter.com/mildperil/status/1342224922668634115
Barbara Stanwyck in Howard Hawks’ BALL OF FIRE: leading a sing song that involves a man drumming on a matchbox, then setting his drumsticks (two matchsticks) on fire. Easier to watch than to write about. https://twitter.com/quickreboot/status/1342232290777296898
Evelyn Keyes in Phil Karlson’s 99 RIVER STREET: lighting her cigarette, which is in her mouth, by putting it against the lit cigarette of a man. Hot. (H/t @IkebeRyo)
Tim Roth in Giuseppe Tornatore’s THE LEGEND OF 1900: lighting a cigarette by placing it against the strings of a piano after playing it really really fast. There must be a better way! https://twitter.com/igorsaika/status/1342253472427732993
Yûki Kudô in Jim Jarmush’s MYSTERY TRAIN: flicking a lighter open with her toes, then carrying it to Masatoshi Nagase’s cigarette, again with her toes. https://twitter.com/stefdamic0/status/1342253894844502023
In Rowland Brown’s QUICK MILLIONS: striking a match on an officer’s badge https://twitter.com/edward2046/status/1342316035328905216
Very wasteful behaviour. https://twitter.com/lepservice/status/1342294988810555393
Hanna Schygulla in Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN: lighting her cigarette with a stove (h/t @DorotaMischka)
John Dall in Joseph H. Lewis’ GUN CRAZY: lighting up matches stuck on a crown on Peggy Cummins’ head by shooting at them with a gun. One of the most elaborate, most dangerous and sexiest ways to do it.
Dustin Hoffman in John Schlesinger’s MIDNIGHT COWBOY: striking a match he stole on the departing cab of the man he just stole his matches from. Nicely done. (h/t @ManiLazic)
Nicolas Cage in Panos Cosmatos’ MANDY: lighting a cigarette he’s found on the ground (?) by bringing it towards the flaming decapitated head of a man/creature he just killed. A well deserved smoke break for Nic.
(*he’s just killed)
Johnny Depp in John Waters’ CRY BABY: striking a match on the roof of his mouth / on the back of his front teeth. It looks incredibly painful. https://twitter.com/sami_samsam/status/1343015985440284672
Ana de Armas in Denis Villeneuve’s BLADE RUNNER 2049: lighting a cigarette in Ryan Gosling’s mouth by pointing at it. https://twitter.com/jack_luddy/status/1342356391135219712
