I watched a bit of AFI's Top 100 greatest movie quotes tonight -- if you're interested, the list is here. The list of the Top 400 nominees can be found here. [PDF format]
The list is really mixed. Some of the lines are really good -- very quotable and memorable. Others ... well, it's just the most memorable line from a great movie -- not necessarily a great line in and of itself. For example, No. 17 is from the film "Citizen Kane": "Rosebud."
Yep, "Rosebud". That's the whole quote.
"Bond. James Bond." made the list at No. 22. It's a signature line for a slew of movies -- but it's so cliched that I'm not sure it belongs in the list. The same thing for "Star Wars' " "May the force be with you," which came in at No. 8. Probably the best line from movie is actually Obi-Wan Kenobi's: "Mos Eisley spaceport: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."
They could've done worse, certainly. A look at the Top 400 nominees reveals some that make you wonder what the nominators were smoking. Jim Carrey's "All-righty, then!" from "Ace Ventura"? Sigourney Weaver's "Get away from her, you bitch!" from "Alien"? Mike Myers' "Yeah, baby!" from Austin Powers?
And those are just the "A"s.
For the record: My favorite lines in the Top 100:
95
Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary. DEAD POETS SOCIETY
198994 I feel the need - the need for speed! TOP GUN 1986
92
Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!
CADDYSHACK
198079 Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
Rumack: I am serious…and don't call me Shirley.
AIRPLANE!
198077
Soylent Green is people!
SOYLENT GREEN
197364
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!
DR. STRANGELOVE
196453
One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know.
ANIMAL CRACKERS
193051
You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?
DIRTY HARRY
197136
Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!
THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
194835
You're gonna need a bigger boat.
JAWS
197529
You can't handle the truth!
A FEW GOOD MEN
199219
I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!
NETWORK
197612
I love the smell of napalm in the morning.
APOCALYPSE NOW
197911
What we've got here is failure to communicate.
COOL HAND LUKE
1967
The biggest snub goes to "The Princess Bride."
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!"
That's good writing. Of course, it came from a book.
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