Another movie thread--"most quoted"

ReneeV · April 10, 2007, 7:03am

I’m a high school teacher and have often thought that many teens don’t even have real conversations anymore–they simply quote movie lines at each other, and if it happens to be a more obscure one, they go off on “What’s that from?”
They other day a group of boys was “Borat-ing” each other and I commented that ten years or so ago, the boys were all quoting Forrest Gump. Much to my surprise, that set them off spouting Forrest lines!

That got me to wondering what are the most quoted movies or movie lines? I guess I frequently repeat Marty McFly’s mom’s line, “Remember, make good choices,” and I even catch myself using her tone of voice.

mathmom · April 10, 2007, 8:15am

“Make my day” had to be the most quoted line for a while there.

hawkette · April 10, 2007, 8:21am

“I’ll have what she’s having.” When Harry Met Sally.

UMDAD · April 10, 2007, 8:55am

“Leave the gun. Take the cannolis.”

Peter Clemenza in The Godfather.

Chedva · April 10, 2007, 9:22am

“Round up the usual suspects” or just “the usual suspects” from Casablanca.

ldmom06 · April 10, 2007, 9:31am

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

(Sorry…ldgirl just had us sit through the loooong version of Apocalypse Now so she could see what all the fuss was about.)

tanyanubin · April 10, 2007, 9:36am

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”, “Like a doll’s eyes”, “You yell shark, we’ve got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July.” from Jaws. “You talking to me?” from Taxi Driver. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” from Gone with the Wind. “It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.” Silence of the Lambs

berurah · April 10, 2007, 9:44am

lol This is the one I use most often –

From Jack Nicholson to Shirley MacLaine in the airport scene at the end of Terms of Endearment: “I was this close to a clean getaway”

ldmom06 · April 10, 2007, 9:46am

lol!!..'it rubs the lotion on its skin…"

ldgirl, with her crazy sense of humor, always quotes this line to friends who disagree with her.

tanya…you gave me the best giggle of the day so far.

dudedad · April 10, 2007, 10:09am

I’ll be back.

Show me the $.

JustaMom · April 10, 2007, 10:11am

“I’ll be back” (complete with Ahnald Schwarzenegger’s accent) The Terminator.

cross posted with dudedad

JHS · April 10, 2007, 10:29am

Putting aside any version of Romeo and Juliet, or Hamlet, Casablanca has to be the movie with the thickest distribution of quotable lines. There is hardly a scene in it that hasn’t launched a thousand cliches, and it remains a constant cultural reference point.

People in my generation used to quote Woody Allen movies all the time, but that has faded with his popularity. Also Mel Brooks. My son and his friends quote Mel Brooks movies all the time, still. (Their favorites are Blazing Saddles and Spaceballs.)

Chedva · April 10, 2007, 10:37am

lol, JHS - one line I hear often, from Blazing Saddles: “Candygram for Mongo.”

jazzymom · April 10, 2007, 10:37am

“Sweet!”

There’s more from Napoleon Dynamite but I can’t think of any right now.

Irishmomof2 · April 10, 2007, 10:42am

“What was that middle thing again?” and “I’m disapPOINTed!” - A Fish Called Wanda
“That’s…unbelievable” - What’s Up, Doc?
“Okay, then” - Raising Arizona. Also from Raising Arizona, if someone in our house does something particularly boneheaded, we say “That Buford there’s a sly one”
“Why did it have to be snakes.” - Indiana Jones
“Open the pod bay doors, Hal” and “Yes, Dave” from 2001: A Space Odyssey

dstark · April 10, 2007, 11:08am

Duck Soup and Casablanca have tons of movie quotes. Here are a few from Duck Soup.

Rufus T. Firefly: I got a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it.

Rufus T. Firefly: Awfully decent of you to drop in today. Do you realize our army is facing disastrous defeat? What do you intend to do about it?
Chicolini: I’ve done it already.
Rufus T. Firefly: You’ve done what?
Chicolini: I’ve changed to the other side.
Rufus T. Firefly: So you’re on the other side, eh? Well, what are you doing over here?
Chicolini: Well, the food is better over here.

Rufus T. Firefly: Lieutenant, why weren’t the original indictment papers placed in my portfolio?
Bob Roland: Why, uh, I didn’t think those papers were important at this time, your excellency.
Rufus T. Firefly: You didn’t think they were important? Do you realize I had my dessert wrapped in those papers?

Bob Roland: We’ve got to get rid of that man at once. Now I’ve got a plan. You say something to make him mad, and he’ll strike you… and we’ll force him to leave the country.
Rufus T. Firefly: That’s a swell plan… why couldn’t you arrange for me to strike him?
Bob Roland: Ambassador Trentino is a very sensitive man. Perhaps if you insult him. He’s very easy to insult. Why, I said something to Vera Marcal in his presence once, and he slapped my face.
Rufus T. Firefly: Why didn’t Vera slap your face?
Bob Roland: She did.
Rufus T. Firefly: What’d you say to her?
[Roland whispers it in his ear. Firefly slaps his face]
Rufus T. Firefly: You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Where’d you hear that story?
Bob Roland: Why, you told it to me.
Rufus T. Firefly: Oh yes, I remember. I should have slapped Mrs. Teasdale’s face when she told it to me.

Rufus T. Firefly: Oh, uh, I suppose you would think me a sentimental old fluff, but, uh, would you mind giving me lock of your hair?
Mrs. Teasdale: A lock of my hair? Wh-why, I had no idea.
Rufus T. Firefly: I’m letting you off easy: I was going to ask for the whole wig.

Rufus T. Firefly: I’ll see you at the opera tonight. I’ll hold your seat till you get there. After you get there you’re on your own.

Rufus T. Firefly: How would you like a job in the mint?
Chicolini: Mint? No, no, I no like a mint. Uh - what other flavor you got?

Rufus T. Firefly: You’re a brave man. Go and break through the lines. And remember, while you’re out there risking your life and limb through shot and shell, we’ll be in be in here thinking what a sucker you are.

Rufus T. Firefly: Dig trenches, with our men being killed off like flies? There isn’t time to dig trenches. We’ll have to buy them ready made. Here, run out and get some trenches. Wait a minute, get them this high
[gestures to his chin]
Rufus T. Firefly: and our soldiers won’t need any pants. Wait a minute, get them this high
[gestures over his head]
Rufus T. Firefly: and we won’t need any soldiers.

Rufus T. Firefly: Married. I can see you right now in the kitchen, bending over a hot stove. But I can’t see the stove.

Ambassador Trentino: I am willing to do anything to prevent this war.
Rufus T. Firefly: It’s too late. I’ve already paid a month’s rent on the battlefield.

Rufus T. Firefly: Not that I care, but where is your husband?
Mrs. Teasdale: Why, he’s dead.
Rufus T. Firefly: I bet he’s just using that as an excuse.
Mrs. Teasdale: I was with him to the very end.
Rufus T. Firefly: No wonder he passed away.
Mrs. Teasdale: I held him in my arms and kissed him.
Rufus T. Firefly: Oh, I see, then it was murder. Will you marry me? Did he leave you any money? Answer the second question first.

Rufus T. Firefly: Remember, you’re fighting for this woman’s honour, which is probably more than she ever did.
[answering the phone in Firefly’s office]
Chicolini: Hello? No, not yet. All right, I tell him. Good-a-bye.
[He hangs up]
Chicolini: That was for you again.
Rufus T. Firefly: I wonder whatever became of me? I should have been back here a long time ago.

Rufus T. Firefly: Maybe you can suggest something. As a matter of fact, you do suggest something. To me you suggest a baboon.
Ambassador Trentino: What?
Rufus T. Firefly: I, uh, I’m sorry I said that; it isn’t fair to the rest of the baboons.

Rufus T. Firefly: Oh, I’m sick of messages from the front. Don’t we ever get a message from the side? - What is it?
Bob Roland: General Smith reports a gas attack. He wants to know what to do.
Rufus T. Firefly: Tell him to take a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda and a half a glass of water.

Rufus T. Firefly: Well, that covers a lot of ground. Say, you cover a lot of ground yourself. You better beat it - I hear they’re going to tear you down and put up an office building where you’re standing. You can leave in a taxi. If you can’t get a taxi, you can leave in a huff. If that’s too soon, you can leave in a minute and a huff. You know, you haven’t stopped talking since I came here? You must have been vaccinated with a phonograph needle.

Minister of Finance: Here is the Treasury Department’s report, sir. I hope you’ll find it clear.
Rufus T. Firefly: Clear? Huh. Why a four-year-old child could understand this report.
[to Bob Roland]
Rufus T. Firefly: Run out and find me a four-year-old child, I can’t make head or tail of it.

Rufus T. Firefly: [to Chicolini] I wanted to get a writ of habeas corpus, but I should have gotten a-rid of you instead.
Prosecutor: Chicolini, you are charged with high treason, and if found guilty, you will be shot.
Chicolini: I object.
Prosecutor: You object? On what grounds?
Chicolini: I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Rufus T. Firefly: Objection sustained.
Prosecutor: Your majesty, you sustain the objection?
Rufus T. Firefly: Sure, I couldn’t think of anything else to say either. Why don’t you object?

Rufus T. Firefly: I’ll see my lawyer about this as soon as he graduates from law school.

Rufus T. Firefly: And now, members of the cabinet…
[pounds gavel]
Rufus T. Firefly: we’ll take up old business.
Cabinet Member: I wish to discuss the tariff.
Rufus T. Firefly: Sit down, that’s new business. No old business? Very well…
[pounds gavel]
Rufus T. Firefly: we’ll take up new business.
Cabinet Member: Now, about that tariff…
Rufus T. Firefly: Too late, that’s old business already. Sit down.
Cabinet Member: The Department of Labor wishes to note that the workers of Freedonia are demanding shorter hours.
Rufus T. Firefly: Very well, we’ll give them shorter hours. We’ll start by cutting their lunch hour to 20 minutes.

Mrs. Teasdale: Notables from every country are gathered here in your honor. This is a gala day for you.
Rufus T. Firefly: Well, a gal a day is enough for me. I don’t think I could handle any more.
Mrs. Teasdale: As chairman of the reception committee, I welcome you with open arms.
Rufus T. Firefly: Is that so? How late do you stay open?

Chicolini: Here, have a cigar.
[it’s only a stub]
Chicolini: That’s a good quarter cigar. I smoke the other 3/4 myself.

Mrs. Teasdale: Your excellency, the ambassador’s here on a friendly visit. He’s had a change of heart.
Rufus T. Firefly: A lot of good that’ll do him: he’s still got the same face.
Ambassador Trentino: I’m sorry we lost our tempers; I’m willing to forgot if you are.
Rufus T. Firefly: Forget? You ask me to forget? A Firefly never forgets. Why, my ancestors would rise from their graves, and I’d only have to bury them again. Nothing doing. I’m going back and clean the crackers out of my bed; I’m expecting company.

Rufus T. Firefly: Don’t look now, but there’s one man too many in this room, and I think it’s you.

Rufus T. Firefly: I could dance with you until the cows come home. On second thought, I’d rather dance with the cows till you come home.

Rufus T. Firefly: There goes my gun. Run out and get that like a good girl.

Rufus T. Firefly: [into radio] This is Rufus T. Firefly coming to you through the courtesy of the enemy. We’re in a mess folks, we’re in a mess. Rush to Freedonia! Three men and one woman are trapped in a building! Send help at once! If you can’t send help, send two more women!
[Pinky enters and raises three fingers]
Rufus T. Firefly: Make that three more women!

Rufus T. Firefly: Where’s my Stradivarius?
Officer: Here, sir.
Rufus T. Firefly: I’ll show 'em they can’t fiddle around with old Firefly!
[he pulls a tommygun out of his violin case and opens fire]
Rufus T. Firefly: Look at 'em run! Now they know they’ve been in a war!
Bob Roland: Your Excellency!
Rufus T. Firefly: Hahahahahaha, they’re fleeing like rats!
Bob Roland: But sir, I’ve got to tell you…
Rufus T. Firefly: Remind me to give myself the Firefly Medal for this!
[he fires again]
Bob Roland: Your Excellency, you’re shooting your own men!
[Firefly fires again]
Rufus T. Firefly: What?
Bob Roland: You’re shooting your own men!
Rufus T. Firefly: Here’s $5, keep it under your hat.
[holds out his hat to take the $5 back]
Rufus T. Firefly: Never mind, I’ll keep it under my hat.

Rufus T. Firefly: [singing] If any form of pleasure is exhibited, report to me and it will be prohibited! I’ll put my foot down, so shall it be… this is the land of the free! The last man nearly ruined this place he didn’t know what to do with it. If you think this country’s bad off now, just wait till I get through with it! The country’s taxes must be fixed, and I know what to do with it. If you think you’re paying too much now, just wait till I get through with it!
[reporting on shadowing Firefly]

Chicolini: Monday we watch-a Firefly’s house, but he no come he wasn’t home. Tuesday we go to the ball game, but he fool us: he no show up. Wednesday HE go to the ball game, but we fool HIM, WE no show up. Thursday it was a double-header nobody show up. Friday it rained all day, there was no ball game, so we stayed home, we listen to it over the radio.

Ambassador Trentino: Have you been trailing Firefly?
Chicolini: Have we been trailing Firefly? Why, my partner, he’s got a nose just like a bloodhound.
Ambassador Trentino: Oh really?
Chicolini: Yeah, and the rest of his face don’t look so good either.

Chicolini: Well, you remember you gave us a picture of this man and said, ‘Follow him?’
Ambassador Trentino: Oh, yes.
Chicolini: Well, we get on-a the job right away and in the one hour - even-a less than one hour…
Ambassador Trentino: Yes?
Chicolini: We lose-a the picture. That’s-a pretty quick work, eh?

Ambassador Trentino: Now will you tell me what happened on Saturday?
Chicolini: I’m glad you ask me. We follow this man down to a roadhouse, and at this roadhouse he meet a married lady.
Ambassador Trentino: A married lady?
Chicolini: Yeah, I think it was his wife.
Ambassador Trentino: Firefly has no wife!
Chicolini: No?
Ambassador Trentino: No!
Chicolini: Then you know what I think, boss?
Ambassador Trentino: What?
Chicolini: I think-a we follow the wrong man.

Mrs. Teasdale: As chairwoman of the reception committee, I extend the wishes of every man, woman, and child of Freedonia.
Rufus T. Firefly: Never mind that stuff.
[He takes out a deck of cards]
Rufus T. Firefly: Take a card.
Mrs. Teasdale: [as she takes one] Card? What will I do with the card?
Rufus T. Firefly: You can keep it. I’ve got fifty-one left. Now what were you saying?

Rufus T. Firefly: [to Trentino] Now, how about lending this country twenty million dollars, you old skinflint?
Ambassador Trentino: Twenty million dollars is a lot of money. I’d have to take that up with my Minister of Finance.
Rufus T. Firefly: Well, in the meantime, could you let me have twelve dollars until payday?
Ambassador Trentino: Twelve dollars?
Rufus T. Firefly: Don’t be scared, you’ll get it back. I’ll give you my personal note for ninety days. If it isn’t paid by then, you can… keep the note.

Ambassador Trentino: You didn’t shadow Firefly?
Chicolini: Oh, sure we shadow Firefly - we shadow him all day.
Ambassador Trentino: But what day was that?
Chicolini: Shadowday!
[laughs loudly]
Chicolini: That’s-a some joke, eh, boss?
[Trentino buries his face in his hands]

Rufus T. Firefly: Go, and never darken my towels again!

Chicolini: Mister you no understand. Look, he’s a spy and I’m a spy, he work-a for me. I want him to find out-a something, but he no find out what I wanna find out. Now how am I gonna find out what I wanna find out if he no find out what I gotta find out?

Lemonade Vendor: I’ll teach you to kick me!
Chicolini: You don’t have to teach me, I know how!

Rufus T. Firefly: [to Chicolini] Come on up here, I wanna scare the cabinet.
Rufus T. Firefly: Now that you’re Secretary of War, what kind of an army do you think we ought to have?
Chicolini: Well, I tell you what I think, I think we should have a standing army.
Rufus T. Firefly: Why should we have a standing army?
Chicolini: Because then we save money on chairs.

Bob Roland: This letter’s the work of Trentino. The man is trying to undermine you. Now what are you going to do about it?
Rufus T. Firefly: I’ve got a good mind to ring his doorbell and run.

Rufus T. Firefly: [locked in a bathroom] Let me out of here! Hey, let me out of here or throw me a magazine!

Prosecutor: Chicolini, when were you born?
Chicolini: I don’t-a remember. I was just a little baby.

[Firefly and Mrs. Teasdale hear music coming from downstairs]
Mrs. Teasdale: What’s that?
Rufus T. Firefly: Sounds to me like mice.
Mrs. Teasdale: Mice? Mice don’t play music
Rufus T. Firefly: No? How about the old maestro?

Mrs. Teasdale: Your Excellency, I thought you’d left!
Chicolini: Oh no, I no leave.
Mrs. Teasdale: But I saw you with my own eyes!
Chicolini: Well, who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?

Vera Marcal: If you’re found, you’re lost!
Chicolini: Oh, you crazy. How can I be lost if I’m found?

Rufus T. Firefly: Here are the plans of war. They’re as valuable as your life. And that’s putting them pretty cheap. Watch them like a cat watched her kittens. Have you ever had kittens? No, of course not, you’re too busy running around playing bridge. Can’t you see what I’m trying to tell you, I love you.

Rufus T. Firefly: Take a letter.
Bob Roland: Who to?
Rufus T. Firefly: To my dentist.
[Roland writes out the following]
Rufus T. Firefly: Uh… Dear dentist, enclosed find check for $500, yours very truly. Send that off immediately.
Bob Roland: I’ll, um, I’ll have to enclose a check first.
Rufus T. Firefly: You do and I’ll fire you.

Ambassador Trentino: Have we met each other before, sir?
Rufus T. Firefly: I don’t think so. In fact, I’m not sure I’m seeing you now; it must be something I ate.

Cabinet Member: We need to take up the tax.
Rufus T. Firefly: I’d like to take up the carpet.
Cabinet Member: I still insist we take up the tax.
Rufus T. Firefly: He’s right - you’ve gotta take up the tacks before you can take up the carpet.

ldmom06 · April 10, 2007, 11:16am

Not sure if these have been mentioned…

“Attica! Attica!” Dog Day Afternoon

“YOU’RE out of order!” And Justice for All

“Plastics.” The Graduate

“Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” Dirty Dancing (lol…a personal favorite…)

mathmom · April 10, 2007, 11:27am

“You know how to whistle don’t you?” from To Have and Have Not and of course also this great bit of dialog (Bogart and Bacall):

[Slim kisses Steve]
Steve: What did you do that for?
Slim: I’ve been wondering if I’d like it.
Steve: What’s the decision?
Slim: I don’t know yet.
[They kiss again]
Slim: It’s even better when you help.

shortlist · April 10, 2007, 11:41am

“You can’t HANDLE the truth.” A Few Good Men .

dstark · April 10, 2007, 11:49am

Mathmom, I love that scene.

Another movie thread--"most quoted"

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