The famous cockatoo jump scare from Citizen Kane. I watched this movie again recently, and it slapped me in the face just like before, but in all different places. It is truly astonishing and can't really be analyzed. But it's a cautionary tale. To peak at age 26 is a sad thing, particularly in light of Welles' later performances in commercials: frozen peas, fish sticks, beef burgers, California plonk, board games, cameras, photocopiers, Japanese whisky. . . and the list goes on and on. Most memorable were the Paul Masson drunken outtakes. I would feel sorry for Welles, except that I don't, because everything I have ever heard about him would indicate he was a big overgrown baby (later, a bearded baby) who treated everyone around him like shit. And never let anyone forget that he was a genius. Well, Citizen Kane WAS genius, but I am not so sure about Welles.
