Hollywood loves a good elevator scene. Whether it’s fighting, loving, or keeping it all bottled up inside, the enclosed space and forced intimacy is the perfect platform to bring out the best and the worst in people. Some attempts have been made, in fact, to film an entire movie inside the pressure cooker of an elevator. The soothing ding of the elevator, the often incongruous hum of placid music, and the plain interior (usually wood or brushed metal, sometimes there’s a mirror) all provide the perfect blank slate for whatever kind of scene you want to set. And don’t forget what can happen outside the comfort of the elevator car. All those cables, grinding gears, and heavy-metal parts did provide an almost irresistible temptation to the bombastic action directors of the 90s. But the deceptively calm interior and the dangerous exterior are nothing compared to the elevator’s most cinematic feature: those sliding doors. Outside of an antiquated wipe transition, it’s cinema’s best answer to the stage curtain.

So watch that curtain open and close on the following scenes: the 23 best film and television moments in an elevator.Related: James Wolcott—Behind Closing DoorsFull ScreenPhotos:1/Mad Men (2013)The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)The Apartment (1960)Four Rooms (1995)The Departed (2006)The Shining (1980)Drive (2011) Nice Girls" demonstration in 1980. Photo by Jerry Kearns, from the collection of Joan Braderman) This section is full of opinions. It borrows its title from the column I do for the Advocate but it opens it up wide: this is a chat room for issues concerning feminism and film. This is a place for discourse about current films and issues, ideas about popular culture, festival news, industry gossip or in-production reports, all contributed by you -- whether you're a film fan, a publicist, filmmaker, academic, student, or rocket scientist. I also chime in whenever an issue grabs me or I want to hear what you think. But you get to carry on this dialogue without me, as well, and to shape its direction.

your message, you will be returned to the message area. If for some strange reason you do not see what you wrote, please press RELOAD on your Wed Feb 24 18:30:42 1999Hi, is anyone out there? Does anyone read this web page? I want to hear from you! Write me back-Jessica Leo Mon Feb 22 01:02:49 1999Hi, Im a cinema studant at SFSU and I'm currently taking cine404 or, Women in film. I'm writing this message to tell you about a really enjoyable movie called Sliding Doors. Sliding Doors stars Gweneth Paltrow. Paltrow's character is seen in the movie going through two different paths of life. This movie takes you through the trials and tribulations of a woman in the 90's as no other has. As a young woman in the 90's, I've often wondered what would have happened if I had made this choice or that choice, even minute timing. This movie shows Paltrow as a woman in a career who gets fired one morning and so she's walking to the subway to go home and she misses the train and thescene continues.

Then you see her reverse back to when she's walking to the train and this time she barely makes it into the train. The movie continues in this manner throughout. cedar garage doors ontarioIt's great, you see what happen's to Paltrow's character in both realms. sliding glass doors houston txHer life turns out very different all depending on whether she caught the train that morning, or whether she missed it. electric garage door middlesbroughIt is very clever and beautifully acted and directed. new front door stockportThe writing is great because it depicting this woman character in a very honest way as to show the what women in the 90's go through.

Relationships with men, to having careers, to maintaining independence and integrity. These are all traits of the modern women that are depicted in this movie. I like to see women depicted as smart, strong people, as depicted in this great film. Also the film has a good ending that leaves you satisfied and uplifted. Women have alot of choices to make in their lives. Sometimes there good choices and sometimes there not, but sometimes it's all fate. Tue Feb 9 21:36:21 1999Im a student in Cinema 404 at SFSU. We were discussing the film Klute today in class after it's screening but we didnt have much time, however, the time we did have was very interesting. People in my class seemed to be in conflict over the ending of the movie when Jane Fonda left with Donald Sutherland. Alot of people saw it to be a cop out and they thought that she should'nt have gone with him, or, that he should'nt have gone with her. I think the opposite. I think there's nothing like having a good time with someone of the opposite sex.

And when I say a good time, I don't mean that in any sort of sexual way. I mean spending time with someone you've become interested in is very fullfillling and it does cure lonliness, which is one of the problems Jane Fonda's character had. I don't think there's anything wrong with depending on the opposite sex for friendship, companionship, or even sex if that's what one chooses, as long as it makes that woman a better, healthier, and stronger person, rather than a weaker person. I think it was a good ending. Although, at times in my life, I have been called a sucker for good endings, and sometimes I will get very irritated when two people in a movie don't go off together into the sunset, happily ever after. So, I hope to hear from more of you out there!-Jessica Leo Tue Feb 9 20:39:16 1999i'm in the cine404, women in film class at sfsu. we just saw "klute" with jane fonda. we had a quick (time ran out) discussion on the film. it was really interesting, esp. the disagreements of whether the ending was a cop out when she went off with donald sutherland's klute.

i say it wasn't a cop out. the voice over and the visual on the screen contrasted each other. yes, she left with him, but like she said, she might be back to see her shrink the next week. leaving me to believe that if she wasn't completely satisfied with klute, she'd return to ny with a better idea of who she was. gotta go to work. i hope i get some responses out there. Fri Feb 5 03:25:55 1999 In response to the posting on "November Moon," don't know how to advise on locating that film, but do want to mention that "Aimee und Jaguar," a new film about lesbian lovers in Nazi Germany, is opening the Berlin Film Festival. p.s., splendiferous site, brr. Thu Feb 4 16:51:37 1999Hey, everyone out there: Did you see the pair of articles in last Sunday's New York Times Arts and Leisure (ooops, isn't Arts and Ideas now) section regarding the place--or lack thereof--for women in the independent film world? Let's hear some responses to that, please. I'd like to know your thinking on it.

Also, The Feminine Eye festival of women directors in NYC has been getting SRO crowds. Is anyone paying attention to that? Tue Feb 2 22:00:39 1999Women in Film, Cinema 404, began today at SF State. I encourage students (all 75 of you!) to continue & expand on our discussions in this forum as the semester continues, to ask others for feedback on your video essay projects, and to continue our critical dialogue on the films we see in class -- especially in light of the articles we read by Ruby! Let's have a provocative, enlightening semester! Mon Jan 25 14:51:25 1999Does any one know of the film about 2 women ( one Jewish & one Gentile) at the beginning of WW II in Paris , fall in love and the Gentile becomes a collaborationist to save her lover. I think it is called in English "November Moon". I need to find the title, director and distributor of this film. Mon Jan 11 13:03:43 1999 Wrote...hey girls, happy new year. My name is spelled wrong on this page under photo credit.