So last year the AFI (American Film Institute) released the top 100 movie quotes of all time ever. I disagree with more than a few of their choices.
Why? Consider this: Who's ever heard of some of these movies (Yankee Doodle Dandee, Moonstruck, Auntie Mame), never mind the quotes? Sure, there is representation in the top 10 from a number of well-loved "classics" that everyone of my generation could quote from without having even seen the movie (#1, 2, 5, and 6). But what about the movies that we (and other people both older and younger) can quote and be understood? Perhaps movies that aren't so much "classic" in an art film sense, but classic as in "everybody likes that movie" kind of way. Rather than list absent quotes from absent movies here, I ask you, my readers, to submit your favorite movie quote of all time in my comments. (If you are having trouble, look up the movie on IMDB, and then on the left you will see a link for "memorable quotes." They are usually fairly accurate.)
I will start with some of my favorite quotes, from some of my favorite movies (listed by genre, and I can't expect anyone to know the 2nd or 3rd, but you darn well better know the 1st):
Comedy:
Winston Zeddemore: "Ray, when someone asks if you're a god you say, 'Yes!'"
-Ghostbusters
Western:
William Munny: "I ain't like that no more."
-Unforgiven
Kung Fu:
Thunderlegs: "I'm going to break every bone in your body and send you to Hell."
-Drunken Master
Of course, I left out the most-quoted movie of my generation. I leave it to you to decide what that is. However it should be obvious from the slate of comments I (hopefully) will receive...
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21 comments:
Golobulus of Cobra LA:"The Last thing you will hear is the cracking of your vertebrae one BY ONE!"
G.I. Joe: The Movie
I actually first saw this movie at the insistence of Vimal when I was about 21 years old. It struck me as very odd that a movie for children (and from 1987) would have such a violent quote. In any event, I was like "damn, did he really just say that?!" Then I laughed.
see what i mean? that is top 100 material. i immediately knew what you were referencing.
heck, i use that quote all the time.
Weeee are the knights who say... nee!
We are no longer the knights who say nee. We are now the knights who say... eki eki eki p'tang zoop boingwlwlelelwlwlw.
Roger the Shrubber: Are you saying Ni to that old woman?
King Arthur: Um, yes.
Roger the Shrubber: Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Ni at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history.
King Arthur: Did you say shrubberies?
Roger the Shrubber: Yes, shrubberies are my trade. I am a shrubber. My name is Roger the Shrubber. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies.
Speaking of G.I. Joe...remember those Public Service Announcements they had at the end? Well, Kevin and I had plenty of good laughs watching these: www.ebaumsworld.com/gijoe.html
There are definitely some obvious ones missing: "You're my boy, Blue!" and " Al-righty, then" to name a couple. I've heard those way more than Mister Tibbs and "Plastics." I've seen The Graduate, but "Plastics" didn't stick with me. Unless I scanned the list too fast and missed a couple. Unless it's quality of a quote, not frequency you've heard it. What is the criteria for being a "Top 100 Movie quote"?
This list needs some tweakin.
They put in "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'" when that's not the quote everyone knows. Everyone knows "Play it again, Sam", but I think he never even says it in the movie.
But this made me laugh: "Soylent Green is people!"
"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
"You kee on husing that hword. I do not think it means what you think it means."
"Aaah, but I also know something you don't know. I too am not left handed!"
"ROUSes? Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't believe in those."
"But Love! True Love!? Nothing beats it, nothing, except a nice MLT: mutton lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomatos are just so perky. I love it!"
(I think I kinda half made up these quotes. But you get the point.)
I didn't know 17 out of the 100 films (granted some were repeated).
One of my personal favorite lines, the dialogue between Butch and Marsellus right after Butch saves him from the unmentionable.
One of my favorite movie speeches:
"I too once had a family, Danny. Many years ago I lived in Japan, a pet of my master Yoshi. Mimicking his movements from my cage and learning the mysterious art of Ninjitsu, for Yoshi was one of Japan's finest shadow warriors. His only rival was a man named Oroko Saki and they competed in all things but nothing more fiercely than the love for a woman, Thang Shin. Shin's love was only for my master and rather than see him fight Saki for her hand, she persuaded Yoshi to flee with me to America. But Saki vowed vengeance, I remember it well. As my master returned home to find his beloved Shin, lying on the floor, and then he saw her killer. Saki wasted no words, and during the struggle, my cage was broken. I leapt to Saki's face, biting and clawing, but he threw me to the floor and took one swipe with his Katana, slicing my ear. Then he was gone, and I was alone. "
That would be Splinter from the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. For some reason, we used to watch that movie in college on the bus to track meets all the time.
Father to Conan: "For nothing in this world can you trust: not man, not woman, not beast. This you can trust."
[in reference to steel/sword]
~~~~~
Warlord: "Conan, what is best in life?"
Conan: "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."
Warlord: "That is correct."
~~~~~
Subatoi: "He is Cimmerian, he does not cry. So, I cry for him."
~~~~~
Kate (spoken with fear): "Not on purpose, but he started hurting him worse, making him tell stuff. First Ned wouldn't say nothing, and then Little Bill hurt him so bad and he said who you was. He said how you was really William Munny out of Missouri and Little Bill said "The same William Munny that dynamited the Rock Island and Pacific in '69 killing women and children and all" and Ned said you done worse than that. Said you was more cold blooded than William Bonney and how, if he hurt Ned again, you was going to come kill him like you killed a U.S. Marshall in '70."
~~~~~
Vincent: "You want to know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in gold mines, oil wells, shipping, or real estate."
- Citizen Kane
haha! excellent quotes people. hyunmi, that speech is a good one.
butch: so what now?
marsellus wallace: what now? i'll tell you what now. first, i'm gonna call up a couple of...
you know the rest. ;)
katie, you crack me up. what a random movie to watch on the way to a track meet.
dan, you got it. i was hoping/expecting "the princess bride". that is a movie worthy of the top 100 for sure.
jay, thanks for reminding me of conan. those quotes are classic. and kate's speech in "unforgiven" is great, but what is better is clint eastwood's reaction to it. :)
luke: "but they're gonna kill her!"
han: "better her than me."
---
butch: "I can't swim!"
sundance: "Well the fall'll probably kill ya!"
---
(this is long)
American President Merkin Muffley calls the Soviet Premier...
Hello? Hello, Dimitri? Listen, I can't hear too well, do you suppose you could turn the music down just a little? Oh, that's much better. Yes. Fine, I can hear you now, Dimitri. Clear and plain and coming through fine. I'm coming through fine too, eh? Good, then. Well then as you say we're both coming through fine. Good. Well it's good that you're fine and I'm fine. I agree with you. It's great to be fine. Now then Dimitri. You know how we've always talked about the possibility of something going wrong with the bomb. The bomb, Dimitri. The hydrogen bomb. Well now what happened is, one of our base commanders, he had a sort of, well he went a little funny in the head. You know. Just a little... funny. And uh, he went and did a silly thing. Well, I'll tell you what he did, he ordered his planes... to attack your country. Well let me finish, Dimitri. Let me finish, Dimitri. Well, listen, how do you think I feel about it? Can you imagine how I feel about it, Dimitri? Why do you think I'm calling you? Just to say hello?
Of course I like to speak to you. Of course I like to say hello. Not now, but any time, Dimitri. I'm just calling up to tell you something terrible has happened.
It's a friendly call. Of course it's a friendly call. Listen, if it wasn't friendly, ... you probably wouldn't have even got it. They will not reach their targets for at least another hour.
I am... I am positive, Dimitri. Listen, I've been all over this with your ambassador. It is not a trick. Well I'll tell you. We'd like to give your air staff a complete run down on the targets, the flight plans, and the defensive systems of the planes.
Yes! I mean, if we're unable to recall the planes, then I'd say that, uh, well, we're just going to have to help you destroy them, Dimitri. I know they're our boys.
Alright, well, listen... who should we call? Who should we call, Dimitri? The people...? Sorry, you faded away there. The People's Central Air Defense Headquarters. Where is that, Dimitri? In Omsk. Right. Yes. Oh, you'll call them first, will you? Uh huh. Listen, do you happen to have the phone number on you, Dimitri? What? I see, just ask for Omsk Information. I'm sorry too, Dimitri. I'm very sorry. Alright! You're sorrier than I am! But I am sorry as well. I am as sorry as you are, Dimitri. Don't say that you are more sorry than I am, because I am capable of being just as sorry as you are. So we're both sorry, alright?
dan, this would be my favorite quote from that movie (excised from my favorite dialogue):
General Jack D. Ripper: Women sense my power and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Mandrake. But I do deny them my essence.
Elsa: What's this one?
Indy: The Ark of the Covenant.
Elsa: Are you sure?
Indy (perfect knowing nod of head): Pretty sure.
there are too many to contribute to this list. and yes, some should be stricken from the list.
I have a few that may be worthy...
Chief Penguin: Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave
-Madagascar
---------------------------
Roger Murdock: We have clearance Clarence.
Captain Oveur: Roger, Roger. What's our vector Victor?
Tower voice: Tower's radio clearance, over!
Captain Oveur: That's Clarence Oveur! over.
Tower voice: Roger.
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Tower voice: Roger, over.
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Captain Oveur: Huh?
-Airplane
----------------------------
Tony Montana: Say hello to my little friend!
-Scarface
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Dutch: If it bleeds, we can kill it.
-Predator
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Darth Vader: Luke, I am your father
-The Empire Strikes Back
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Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
Dr. Rumack: I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.
-Airplane
No one with a good spaceballs quote!?
What's a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a rustic setting like this?
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