Quotable Cinema

"Trust in me..." (Kaa) The Jungle Book (1967) is a classic Disney animated film based on Rudyard Kipling's book, directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The story follows Mowgli (voiced by Bruce Reitherman), a boy raised by wolves, as he embarks on a journey to the Man Village, guided by the wise panther Bagheera (Sebastian Cabot) and the fun-loving bear Baloo (Phil Harris). Along the way, he encounters...

"Sawyer, you're going out a youngster but you've got to come back a star!" 42nd Street is a classic backstage musical directed by Lloyd Bacon in 1933, based on the novel 42nd Street by Bradford Ropes. Starring Warner Baxter as Broadway director Julian Marsh, Ruby Keeler as aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer, and Dick Powell as youthful leed Billy Lawler, the film follows the intense drama and excit...

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Forrest Gump , directed by Robert Zemeckis in 1994 and based on Winston Groom's novel, follows the life of Forrest (played by Tom Hanks), a kind-hearted man with a low IQ but an extraordinary destiny. As he unwittingly influences major historical events, his lifelong love for Jenny (played by Robin Wright) remains his drivin...

"Oh no, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast." King Kong is a classic monster adventure film directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack in 1933. The story follows filmmaker Carl Denham (played by Robert Armstrong), actress Ann Darrow (played by Fay Wray), and sailor Jack Driscoll (played by Bruce Cabot) as they journey to Skull Island, where they encounter the legenda...

"Hello, gorgeous!" Funny Girl (1968) is a vibrant musical biopic based on the life of Broadway star Fanny Brice, adapted from the stage production of the same name. Directed by William Wyler, the film stars Barbra Streisand in her Oscar-winning role as Fanny, alongside Omar Sharif as her charming yet troubled love interest, Nick Arnstein. The movie follows Fanny’s rise to fame, her struggle to bal...

"The world is a college of corporations, inexorably determined by the immutable bylaws of business. The world is a business, Mr. Beale. It has been since man crawled out of the slime." (Arthur Jensen) Network (1976) is a sharp satire directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefsky, exploring the dark side of television and corporate power. The film features Peter Finch as Howard Beale, the...

"They use blood in their rituals, and the blood with the most power is baby's blood!" Rosemary’s Baby , directed by Roman Polanski in 1968 and based on Ira Levin's novel, is a chilling psychological horror story about a young couple, Rosemary (played by Mia Farrow) and Guy Woodhouse (played by John Cassavetes), who move into a mysterious New York City apartment building. When Rosemary becomes preg...

"Love means never having to say you're sorry." Love Story is a romantic drama directed by Arthur Hiller in 1970, based on the novel of the same name by Erich Segal. The film stars Ryan O'Neal as Oliver Barrett the Fourth, a wealthy Harvard student, and Ali MacGraw as Jennifer Cavilleri, a witty and passionate music student, who fall deeply in love despite their contrasting backgrounds. Their love...

"There's no place like home." The Wizard of Oz , based on L. Frank Baum's classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is a timeless fantasy adventure directed by Victor Fleming in 1939. Judy Garland stars as Dorothy Gale, a young girl swept away to the magical Land of Oz, where she embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard (played by Frank Morgan), alongside her newfound friends: the Scarecrow, the Ti...

"Shane. Shane! Come back! Bye, Shane..." Shane is a classic Western film directed by George Stevens in 1953 and based on the novel by Jack Schaefer. The movie stars Alan Ladd as Shane, a mysterious gunslinger who befriends a homesteading family and protects them from a ruthless cattle baron, played by Emile Meyer, while Jean Arthur plays Marian Starrett, the family's matriarch. The film's stunning...

"It's alive! It's alive!" Frankenstein, directed by James Whale in 1931 and based on Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, tells the haunting story of Dr. Henry Frankenstein (played by Colin Clive), a scientist who creates life by reanimating a corpse. Boris Karloff gives a legendary performance as the Monster, a tragic creature misunderstood and feared by society. The movi...

"I feel the need... the need for speed!" Top Gun (1986), directed by Tony Scott, is an adrenaline-fueled action-drama about U.S. Navy fighter pilots at the prestigious TOPGUN Naval Fighter Weapons School. Starring Tom Cruise as the cocky and talented Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, and Kelly McGillis as astrophysics instructor Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood, the film explores competition, camaraderie, an...

"There are two things that are infinite: femininity and means to take advantage of it." La Femme Nikita (1990) is a gripping French action-thriller directed by Luc Besson, centered on a young criminal, Nikita (Anne Parillaud), who is transformed into a deadly assassin for a secret government organization. The film delves into her struggles to reconcile her violent new life with her yearning for fr...

"Is it safe?" Marathon Man is a gripping 1976 thriller directed by John Schlesinger, based on the novel by William Goldman. The story follows a history graduate student and avid runner, Thomas "Babe" Levy (Dustin Hoffman), who becomes entangled in a dangerous conspiracy involving an exiled Nazi war criminal, Dr. Christian Szell (Laurence Olivier), and Babe's secretive brother Doc (Roy Scheider). T...

"Here was a girl lying to her mother. Naturally that girl interested me at once." Heaven Can Wait (1943) is a romantic comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, based on the play Birthday by Leslie Bush-Fekete. The film stars Don Ameche as Henry Van Cleve, a charming man who recounts his life of romance and mischief to the Devil, played by Laird Cregar, to determine if he belongs in hell. Gene Tierney sh...

"In guerrilla warfare, you try to use your weaknesses as strengths." Enemy of the State is a high-octane political thriller directed by Tony Scott. Starring Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean, a lawyer unknowingly entangled in a government conspiracy, and Gene Hackman as Edward "Brill" Lyle, a reclusive surveillance expert who helps him navigate the chaos. The film explores themes of privacy and su...

"Well that's you, Marlowe. You'll never learn, you're a born loser." The Long Goodbye is a 1973 neo-noir crime drama directed by Robert Altman, based on Raymond Chandler's novel of the same name. The film stars Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe, a laid-back private detective drawn into a complex case involving a friend's murder and a missing woman. Altman’s loose, modern take on Chandler's classic s...

"Everyone has a sadistic streak, and nothing brings it out better than the knowledge you've got someone at your mercy." Bitter Moon, directed by Roman Polanski in 1992, is a gripping story of lust, love, and manipulation. Based on the novel by Pascal Bruckner, the film follows Nigel (played by Hugh Grant) and Fiona (portrayed by Kristin Scott Thomas), a prim and proper British couple whose lives a...

"Why don't you kids go play on the freeway?" The Fortune_Cookie (1966), directed by Billy Wilder, is a classic comedy about a cameraman, Harry Hinkle (played by Jack Lemmon), who gets injured during a football game and is persuaded by his scheming brother-in-law, "Whiplash" Willie Gingrich (played by Walter Matthau), to fake a more severe injury for a big insurance payout.  This film is known for...

"Nobody but fairies goes into advertising." The Front Page, directed by Billy Wilder in 1974 and based on the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, is a sharp and witty comedy-drama set in a bustling newsroom. Jack Lemmon stars as Hildy Johnson, a reporter trying to leave his chaotic job for a more stable life, while Walter Matthau delivers a stellar performance as his manipulative editor, Walt...

"You've never ridden on a train, have you? They're fantastic! Everybody stands up, close together, and there are no seats!" (Guido to his son , as they are taken to a concentration camp.) Life Is Beautiful is a 1997 Italian film directed by Roberto Benigni, who also stars as Guido Orefice, a charismatic and optimistic man. The story, set during World War 2 follows Guido as he uses humor and imagin...

"Shut up and deal." The Apartment , directed by Billy Wilder, is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama about C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), an ambitious office worker who lends his apartment to company executives for their extramarital trysts. Things take a turn when Baxter falls for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), an elevator operator, who happens to be involved with his boss, Jeff Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray)...

"I am constantly surprised that women's hats do not provoke more murders." Witness for the Prosecution (1957) is a riveting courtroom drama directed by Billy Wilder, based on the short story and play by Agatha Christie. It stars Charles Laughton as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, a cunning defense barrister, Marlene Dietrich as Christine Vole, the enigmatic wife, and Tyrone Power as Leonard Vole, a man accus...

"Don't worship me until I've earned it." Terms of Endearment (1983), directed by James L. Brooks and based on Larry McMurtry's novel, is a heartwarming and poignant story about the complex relationship between a mother and daughter over three decades. Shirley MacLaine shines as Aurora Greenway, a fiercely independent yet protective mother, while Debra Winger plays Emma, her spirited daughter. Jack...

"Other people's dreams are so dull." The Sheltering Sky, based on Paul Bowles' novel of the same name, was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1990. Starring Debra Winger as Kit Moresby and John Malkovich as Port Moresby, the film explores the existential journey of an American couple traveling through North Africa after World War II. Their quest to rekindle their relationship leads them into an in...