Quotable Cinema

Who wants to be a stray dog? You got to belong to someone, even if he kicks you once in a while. Irma La Douce, directed by Billy Wilder in 1963, is a charming romantic comedy based on the French musical of the same name by Alexandre Breffort. The film stars Shirley MacLaine as Irma, a vivacious Parisian streetwalker, and Jack Lemmon as Nestor, a former police officer who becomes her unlikely prot...

"Life is a cabaret ol' chum so come to the Cabaret..." Cabaret (1972), directed by Bob Fosse, is a dazzling musical-drama adaptation of the Broadway show based on Christopher Isherwood's novel Goodbye to Berlin. Set in 1931 Berlin during the rise of the Nazi Party, it stars Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles, a flamboyant and free-spirited cabaret performer, and Michael York as Brian Roberts, a reserve...

„You've got about as much style as a bowl of turnips." Cotton Club (1984) is a stylish crime-drama-musical directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Set in the 1920s and 1930s Harlem, the film follows the intertwining lives of jazz musician Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere), nightclub singer Vera Cicero (Diane Lane), and mobster Dutch Schultz (James Remar) against the backdrop of the legendary Cotton Club. The m...

“I think we both know that she's not my niece.” Pretty Woman, directed by Garry Marshall, is a romantic comedy about an unlikely love story between a wealthy businessman, Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), and a spirited Hollywood Boulevard sex worker, Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts). As Edward hires Vivian to accompany him for a week of business and social engagements, their arrangement evolves into a hear...

"Every man... every man has to go through hell to reach paradise." Cape Fear (1991), directed by Martin Scorsese, is a psychological thriller based on the 1957 novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. The film stars Robert De Niro as Max Cady, a vengeful ex-convict terrorizing the family of lawyer Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte), with Jessica Lange as Bowden's wife and Juliette Lewis as their teenage...

"We ain't brothers, we ain't partners, and we aint' friends." 48 Hrs. is a 1982 action-comedy directed by Walter Hill. It stars Eddie Murphy as Reggie Hammond, a convict temporarily released to help grizzled cop Jack Cates, played by Nick Nolte, track down a pair of ruthless criminals. The film balances intense action with sharp humor, marking Murphy's breakout role and establishing a buddy-cop fo...

"Warm up the choppers. We're moving in." (Bob Hauk) Escape from New York , directed by John Carpenter, is a dystopian action thriller set in a future where Manhattan has been turned into a massive prison. Kurt Russell stars as Snake Plissken, a grizzled anti-hero tasked with rescuing the President (played by Donald Pleasence) after Air Force One crashes into the city.  The film also features Lee V...

"Don't worry, buddy. I won't kill her unless you approve." Tequila Sunrise is a stylish crime thriller directed by Robert Towne, intertwining romance and danger through the lives of an ex-drug dealer, his best friend-turned-cop, and a woman who tests their loyalties. Mel Gibson stars as Mac McKussic, Kurt Russell as Nick Frescia, Michelle Pfeiffer as Jo Ann, and Raúl Juliá delivers a memorable per...

"We're here as peace keepers, not peace makers." (Colonel Oliver) Hotel Rwanda is a powerful historical drama directed by Terry George, set during the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Don Cheadle delivers a stunning performance as Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who risks his life to shelter over 1,200 refugees, with Sophie Okonedo as his devoted wife, Tatiana. Nick Nolte portrays Colonel Oliver, a UN...

"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."  (William Munny) Unforgiven is a 1992 Western masterpiece directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars as William Munny, a retired gunslinger taking one last job to avenge a wronged woman.  Written by David Webb Peoples, the film features Gene Hackman as the brutal sheriff Little Bill Daggett and Morgan...

"If you dance with the devil, the devil don't change. The devil changes you." (Max California) 8mm is a 1999 neo-noir psychological thriller directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. Nicolas Cage stars as Tom Welles, a private investigator hired to uncover the truth behind an alleged snuff film discovered in a wealthy widow’s safe, leading him into a dark underworld-  The fil...

"I’m a politician, which means I’m a cheat and a liar, and when I’m not kissing babies, I’m stealing their lollipops." (Jeffrey Pelt) The Hunt for Red October , based on Tom Clancy's best-selling novel, is a gripping Cold War thriller directed by John McTiernan in 1990. It stars Sean Connery as Captain Marko Ramius, a Soviet submarine commander attempting to defect to the United States, Alec Baldw...

"Glasnost gives everyone the right to complain and accuse, but it doesn't make shoes." The Russia House is a 1990 Cold War drama based on John le Carré's novel, directed by Fred Schepisi. The film stars Sean Connery as Barley Blair, a publisher recruited by British intelligence, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Katya, a Russian woman who delivers a manuscript containing state secrets. This gripping tale o...

"For a diplomat you're not a very good liar." The Constant Gardener is a compelling political thriller directed by Fernando Meirelles in 2005, based on John le Carré's novel of the same name. The film stars Ralph Fiennes as Justin Quayle, a British diplomat investigating his wife's (played by Rachel Weisz) murder, uncovering a pharmaceutical conspiracy in Kenya. This emotionally charged narrative...

"Even madness has its own logic. Here, there's none." The Limehouse Golem is a dark, gothic murder mystery directed by Juan Carlos Medina, based on Peter Ackroyd’s novel Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem. Set in Victorian London, the film stars Bill Nighy as Inspector John Kildare, investigating a series of brutal murders tied to a mysterious manuscript, with Olivia Cooke portraying Lizzie Cree, a...

"We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home." Good Night, and Good Luck is a compelling historical drama directed by George Clooney, chronicling the battle between journalist Edward R. Murrow (played by David Strathairn) and Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s Red Scare. The film, named after Murrow’s iconic sign-off phrase, also stars George Clooney as Fred Friendly and Robert D...

"I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes, Christmas is all around me, And so the feeling grows." (Billy Mack) Love Actually is a romantic comedy from 2003 directed by Richard Curtis that interweaves nine love stories in London during the holiday season.  The star-studded cast features Hugh Grant as the charming Prime Minister, Emma Thompson as a devoted wife facing betrayal, and Bill Nighy a...

"Every night I cut out my heart. But in the morning it was full again." The English Patient is a sweeping romantic drama directed by Anthony Minghella in 1996, based on Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize-winning novel.  It stars Ralph Fiennes as the enigmatic Count Laszlo de Almásy, Juliette Binoche as the compassionate nurse Hana, and Christine Scott Thomas as Katharine Clifton, whose love affair wi...

“ Rita Hayworth used to say, "They go to bed with Gilda; they wake up with me." Notting Hill is a charming romantic comedy directed by Roger Michell and written by Richard Curtis. It stars Hugh Grant as William Thacker, a shy London bookseller, and Julia Roberts as Anna Scott, a world-famous actress, whose lives collide in a delightful tale of love and fame.  Set in the picturesque Notting Hill ne...

"It's just a jump to the left..." The Rocky Horror Picture Show, directed by Jim Sharman, is a cult-classic musical comedy horror based on the stage play The Rocky Horror Show by Richard O'Brien. The film stars Tim Curry as the eccentric Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss, and Barry Bostwick as Brad Majors, a couple whose car trouble leads them to a bizarre castle. The movie blends...

"Excuses are like assholes, everybody got one." Platoon (1986) is a gritty war drama written and directed by Oliver Stone, drawing from his own experiences in Vietnam. The film stars Charlie Sheen as Chris Taylor, a young soldier torn between the moral compasses of two sergeants, portrayed by Tom Berenger (the ruthless Sgt. Barnes) and Willem Dafoe (the compassionate Sgt. Elias). The movie delves...

"It's a weird case from the start. A case with a hole in the center. A doughnut." Knives Out , directed by Rian Johnson in 2019, is a modern whodunit that combines sharp wit with classic mystery. The story revolves around the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) and the investigation led by the eccentric Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). The star-studded cast includes...

"I've got a new theory about marriage. Two people are in love, they live together, and then suddenly one day, they run out of conversation." Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 romantic comedy directed by Mike Newell and written by Richard Curtis. It stars Hugh Grant as Charles, a charming but awkward Englishman navigating love, friendships, and the unpredictability of life across a series of we...

"You are not my husband!" Sommersby is a romantic 1993 drama directed by Jon Amiel, starring Richard Gear as Jack Sommersby and Jodie Foster as Laurel Sommersby.   Set in the post-Civil War South, the film follows Jack's mysterious return to his family after years away, leading to questions about his identity and rekindling love with Laurel. Inspired by the French film The Return of Martin Guerre,...

"Just thinking about the lusts of men makes me want to heave." Frenzy (1972), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is a gripping thriller set in London about a series of brutal murders attributed to a serial killer known as the "Necktie Strangler." The story focuses on Richard Blaney (Jon Finch), a man wrongfully accused of the crimes, as he struggles to clear his name while the real killer, Bob Rusk (Ba...