In 2005, the American Film Institute announced its list of Top 100 Movie Quotes. AFI distributed 400 movie quotes to 1,500 jury candidates made up of film artists. The criteria used is as follows:
MOVIE QUOTE
A statement, phrase or brief exchange of dialogue spoken in an American film.* (Lyrics from songs are not eligible.)
CULTURAL IMPACT
Movie Quotes that viewers use in their own lives and situations; circulating through popular culture, they become part of the national lexicon.
LEGACY
Movie Quotes that viewers use to evoke the memory of a treasured film, thus ensuring and enlivening its historical legacy.
For many of us, that list was quite lacking. Speaking for myself, there are many movies on that list that neither I, nor my more cinemaphile friends have ever seen. Certainly, many of these movie quotes are not what I would call part of our popular culture or national lexicon.
I have never seen “Gone with the Wind,” but I am very familiar with the quote: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” That is, in my opinion much deserving of it’s number one slot. Or take the movie quote (which I haven’t seen) from “Network”: “I’m mad as Hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.” That is another very deserving quote from a movie that I have never seen (number 19 on the AFI list.) But quotes from the movie “Grand Hotel,” “Now Voyager,” or “Little Caesar?” Are these really movies that should make the top 100 list? Thus began our search for what we consider many of the quotes that did not make “the list.”
That lazy sack of feed, Larry, over at Simple Thoughts of a Complex Mind took on the chore of collecting our quotes. He was supposed to do something with them, but I guess his reviews of the television show 24 have taken precedence. Amazing.
By the way, AFI has many lists that we could criticize, but I will start with this one. Maybe another faithful reader will take on the others? Hey, maybe Larry … oh, right. Never mind.
Your job, you big bunch of blogstards, is to send your quotes to me. I will add them to the list and when we finally reach our 100, I will publish them. AFI allowed multiple quotes from one movie. Casablanca had the most, with seven quotes. We could debate that allowance all day, but we will stick with the rule since they allowed it. So send the quotes my way.
Fat Jack’s List of Movie Quotes that AFI Annoyingly Left Off The List:
(These are not in any particular order … yet.)
"You'll shoot your eye out." – A Christmas Story
"I have a bad feeling about this" – Star Wars
"Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light? I always ask that of my prey." – Batman
"Son, you got a panty on your head" – Raising Arizona
“I don’t know nothin’ bout birthin’ no babies” – Gone With The Wind
“Have you ever seen a grown man naked?” – Airplane
“I am Spartacus.” – Spartacus
"I want my two dollars" – Better Off Dead
"Have fun storming the Castle!" – The Princess Bride
"If you gotta go, go with a smile" – Batman
"I am a Mog, half man and half dog. I am my own best friend." – Space Balls
“Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy mother-fuckers.” – Pulp Fiction
"I think you're all fucked in the head. We're ten hours from the fucking fun park, and you wanna bail out! Well, I'll tell you something, this is no longer a vacation . . . it's a quest! It's a quest for fun! I'm gonna have fun, and you're gonna have fun! We're all gonna have so much fucking fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our G**damn smiles! You'll be whistling Zip-a-dee-doo-da out of your assholes! I've got to be crazy! I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose! Praise Marty Moose!" – Clark W. Griswold, National Lampoon's Vacation
"Wax on, Wax off." – The Karate Kid
"Them syreens did this to him. They loved him up and turned him into a horny toad." – O Brother, Where Art Thou?
“I’m your Huckleberry.” – Tombstone
“Only a Sith deals in absolutes.” – Star Wars Episode 3
“A liger … It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic.” – Napoleon Dynamite
“Yeah Baby, yeah.” – Austin Powers
“Did you see the size of that chicken?” – Young Guns
“Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends.” – Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring
"Squeal like a pig" – Deliverance
“I’ll be back.” – Terminator
As an aside, have you noticed that the way we frequently misquote many of these quotes? At least I do. I found it interesting how we bastardize the quotes. Interesting. That would be a funny list too: Quotes We Frequently Misquote.
MOVIE QUOTE
A statement, phrase or brief exchange of dialogue spoken in an American film.* (Lyrics from songs are not eligible.)
CULTURAL IMPACT
Movie Quotes that viewers use in their own lives and situations; circulating through popular culture, they become part of the national lexicon.
LEGACY
Movie Quotes that viewers use to evoke the memory of a treasured film, thus ensuring and enlivening its historical legacy.
For many of us, that list was quite lacking. Speaking for myself, there are many movies on that list that neither I, nor my more cinemaphile friends have ever seen. Certainly, many of these movie quotes are not what I would call part of our popular culture or national lexicon.
I have never seen “Gone with the Wind,” but I am very familiar with the quote: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” That is, in my opinion much deserving of it’s number one slot. Or take the movie quote (which I haven’t seen) from “Network”: “I’m mad as Hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.” That is another very deserving quote from a movie that I have never seen (number 19 on the AFI list.) But quotes from the movie “Grand Hotel,” “Now Voyager,” or “Little Caesar?” Are these really movies that should make the top 100 list? Thus began our search for what we consider many of the quotes that did not make “the list.”
That lazy sack of feed, Larry, over at Simple Thoughts of a Complex Mind took on the chore of collecting our quotes. He was supposed to do something with them, but I guess his reviews of the television show 24 have taken precedence. Amazing.
By the way, AFI has many lists that we could criticize, but I will start with this one. Maybe another faithful reader will take on the others? Hey, maybe Larry … oh, right. Never mind.
Your job, you big bunch of blogstards, is to send your quotes to me. I will add them to the list and when we finally reach our 100, I will publish them. AFI allowed multiple quotes from one movie. Casablanca had the most, with seven quotes. We could debate that allowance all day, but we will stick with the rule since they allowed it. So send the quotes my way.
Fat Jack’s List of Movie Quotes that AFI Annoyingly Left Off The List:
(These are not in any particular order … yet.)
"You'll shoot your eye out." – A Christmas Story
"I have a bad feeling about this" – Star Wars
"Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light? I always ask that of my prey." – Batman
"Son, you got a panty on your head" – Raising Arizona
“I don’t know nothin’ bout birthin’ no babies” – Gone With The Wind
“Have you ever seen a grown man naked?” – Airplane
“I am Spartacus.” – Spartacus
"I want my two dollars" – Better Off Dead
"Have fun storming the Castle!" – The Princess Bride
"If you gotta go, go with a smile" – Batman
"I am a Mog, half man and half dog. I am my own best friend." – Space Balls
“Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy mother-fuckers.” – Pulp Fiction
"I think you're all fucked in the head. We're ten hours from the fucking fun park, and you wanna bail out! Well, I'll tell you something, this is no longer a vacation . . . it's a quest! It's a quest for fun! I'm gonna have fun, and you're gonna have fun! We're all gonna have so much fucking fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our G**damn smiles! You'll be whistling Zip-a-dee-doo-da out of your assholes! I've got to be crazy! I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose! Praise Marty Moose!" – Clark W. Griswold, National Lampoon's Vacation
"Wax on, Wax off." – The Karate Kid
"Them syreens did this to him. They loved him up and turned him into a horny toad." – O Brother, Where Art Thou?
“I’m your Huckleberry.” – Tombstone
“Only a Sith deals in absolutes.” – Star Wars Episode 3
“A liger … It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic.” – Napoleon Dynamite
“Yeah Baby, yeah.” – Austin Powers
“Did you see the size of that chicken?” – Young Guns
“Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends.” – Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring
"Squeal like a pig" – Deliverance
“I’ll be back.” – Terminator
As an aside, have you noticed that the way we frequently misquote many of these quotes? At least I do. I found it interesting how we bastardize the quotes. Interesting. That would be a funny list too: Quotes We Frequently Misquote.
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2 comments:
I knew I could count on you to come up with some great lines from classic comedies. Thanks.
Yes. You are right. I got dis... Hey what is that outside? Where was I?? Oh yeah. To be honest, the list was accidentally deleted in an upgrade but I have started re-compiling it. I will sent it to Fat Jack through e-mail. It was a grand idea that I hope you do better with. Hey was that just a bird outside? Anyway, I will send you what I have.
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