Quotable Cinema

"You are a young man dressed as a clown about to be murdered." (Andrew Wyke) Sleuth is a gripping psychological thriller from 1972 based on Anthony Shaffer's play, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The film stars Laurence Olivier as Andrew Wyke, a wealthy mystery novelist, and Michael Caine as Milo Tindle, a young hairdresser, who become locked in a deadly game of cat and mouse.  Set almost entire...

"I'm gonna give you a little somethin' you can't take off." (Lt. Aldo Raine) Inglourious Basterds is a gripping war drama from 2009 directed by Quentin Tarantino, blending history and fiction into a tense, darkly comedic revenge story.  The movie stars Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, leading a group of Jewish-American soldiers on a Nazi-hunting rampage, and Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus, a Fren...

"Get ready to fly, bitch!" Death Proof is a high-octane thriller directed by Quentin Tarantino, originally part of the double feature Grindhousealongside Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. Starring Kurt Russell as the sinister and psychotic stuntman Mike, the film pits a group of women against this deranged stalker as he uses his "death-proof" car to terrorize them. The movie showcases Tarantino's...

"I got an alibi just in case you think I did it. Tighter than a crab's ass, and that is airtight." The Black Dahlia is a 2006 neo-noir crime thriller directed by Brian De Palma, based on the novel by James Ellroy. It stars Josh Hartnett as Bucky Bleichert and Aaron Eckhart as Lee Blanchard, two detectives entangled in the mystery of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short's gruesome murder, played by Mia...

"A brilliant man would find a way not to fight a war." Pearl Harbor (2001) is a romantic war drama directed by Michael Bay. It stars Ben Affleck as Rafe McCawley, Josh Hartnett as Danny Walker, and Kate Beckinsale as Evelyn Johnson in a tale of love and friendship against the backdrop of the devastating 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The film blends sweeping romance with intense wartime action, brin...

"We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!" Ghostbusters (from 1984), directed by Ivan Reitman, is a comedic supernatural adventure that became an instant classic. It stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, three eccentric scientists who start a ghost catching business in New York City.  Sigourney Weaver shines as Dana Barrett, a musician haunted...

"You know, it's a miracle you're not laying up at Emory Hospital. Or decked out at the funeral parlor!" (Boolie Werthan) Driving Miss Daisy (1989), directed by Bruce Beresford and based on Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, is a poignant story of friendship and change set in the American South.  Jessica Tandy stars as Daisy Werthan, an elderly Jewish widow whose stubbornness softens over t...

"Boy, a guy goes to jail for a couple of days and the whole town goes to hell!" Nobody’s Fool (1994), directed by Robert Benton and based on Richard Russo’s novel, is a heartfelt story of redemption and relationships in a snowy upstate New York town. Paul Newman shines as Sully, a sharp-witted, aging never do well, alongside Jessica Tandy as his wise and endearing landlady. The stellar cast also i...

"Money won is twice as sweet as money earned." The Color of Money is a 1986 drama directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the novel by Walter Tevis.  The film stars Paul Newman as "Fast Eddie" Felson, a former pool hustler mentoring Tom Cruise’s ambitious Vincent Lauria in the world of competitive billiards. With gripping performances and intense dynamics, it explores themes of ambition, mentorship,...

"We each owe a death - there are no exceptions - but, oh God, sometimes the Green Mile seems so long." The Green Mile is a 1999 drama film directed by Frank Darabont, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. Set in a 1930s Louisiana prison, the story follows death row officer Paul Edgecomb (played by Tom Hanks) as he forms a life-changing bond with John Coffey (played by Michael Clarke Dunc...

"He's not crazy, he's not retarded but he's here." Rain Man is a poignant drama directed by Barry Levinson, based on an original screenplay rather than a book. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt, a savant with autism, and Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt, his self-centered brother who discovers Raymond after their father’s death. Together, they embark on a transformative road trip that change...

"I'm impressed. You're a killer." (Ratso Rizzo) Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 drama directed by John Schlesinger and based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy. The story follows Joe Buck (played by Jon Voight), a naive Texan who moves to New York City to become a hustler, and his unlikely friendship with a sickly con man named Ratso Rizzo (played by Dustin Hoffman). The film explores themes of lonelines...

"There is no justice. The rich win, the poor are powerless." The Verdict from 1982 is a gripping courtroom drama directed by Sidney Lumet, based on Barry Reed's novel of the same name. The film stars Paul Newman as Frank Galvin, a down-and-out lawyer seeking redemption by taking on a medical malpractice case against a powerful hospital, with Charlotte Rampling as his enigmatic love interest Laura...

"Let's go out dancing! You put on your black dress, and I'll go shave my tongue." Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid is a 1982 comedy-mystery directed by Carl Reiner. Starring Steve Martin as private investigator Rigby Reardon, the film hilariously weaves its original plot with scenes from classic noir films, using clever editing to place Martin alongside stars like Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Rach...

"There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?" Mr. McGuire (played by Walter Brooke) delivers this memorable line in The Graduate which encapsulates the era’s societal expectations, adding to the film's cultural resonance. The Graduate , directed by Mike Nichols in 1967, and based on the novel by Charles Webb, follows Benjamin Braddock (played by Dustin Hoffman), a...

"Memories are meant to fade. They're designed that way for a reason." (Mace) Strange Days is a gripping 1995 sci-fi thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks. Set in a dystopian 1999, it follows Lenny Nero (played by Ralph Fiennes), a sleazy ex-cop turned peddler of illegal virtual reality playback clips, as he uncovers a dangerous conspiracy with the help of...

"Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make." The 1931 film Dracula , directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi, is a cinematic adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic 1897 novel. Bela Lugosi delivers an iconic performance as Count Dracula, the enigmatic and sinister vampire who travels to England to spread his curse. Supporting roles by Helen Chandler as Mina Seward and Edwar...

"The people who hire me, they don't have to be convinced to save their own lives." The Bodyguard , directed by Mick Jackson, is a romantic thriller from 1992 about a former Secret Service agent, Frank Farmer (played by Kevin Costner), who becomes the personal bodyguard for pop star Rachel Marron (portrayed by Whitney Houston) amidst escalating threats to her life.  Adapted from an original screenp...

"I remember the Secret Service being tougher." RED – Retired Extremely Dangerous is a 2010 action-comedy based on the DC Comics limited series by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. Directed by Robert Schwentke, the film stars Bruce Willis as Frank Moses, a retired CIA operative, who reunites with his former team to uncover a deadly conspiracy targeting them. The all-star cast includes Helen Mirren as...

"I see dead people. They don't know they're dead." The Sixth Sense , directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a psychological thriller about a troubled boy who can see and communicate with spirits, and the child psychologist trying to help him.  Bruce Willis stars as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a therapist grappling with his own personal demons, while Haley Joel Osment delivers an unforgettable performance as Co...

"I'm not supposed to be here." (Joe Pendleton) Heaven Can Wait , directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry, is a charming 1978 romantic comedy fantasy based on Harry Segall's play of the same name.  Starring Warren Beatty as Joe Pendleton, a football player mistakenly taken to heaven before his time, the film follows his quest to return to Earth in another body and fulfill his dreams. With memorabl...

"John... I'm running out of questions... and you're running out of lies." Jennifer Eight is a tense psychological thriller directed by Bruce Robinson, following Detective John Berlin (Andy Garcia), a troubled cop who dives into a series of murders involving blind women. Berlin's investigation intensifies when he meets Helena (Uma Thurman), a young blind woman who may hold the key to catching the k...

"Can I have his shoes when he's dead?" Empire of the Sun is a coming-of-age war drama directed by Steven Spielberg, based on J.G. Ballard's semi-autobiographical novel. The film follows Jim Graham (Christian Bale in an early breakout role), a privileged British boy whose life is upended when he is separated from his family during Japan’s occupation of Shanghai in World War II. Co-starring John Mal...

"Life isn't a '40s movie. You can't just get on a God damn plane and make the whole world come out right!" The Killing Fields (1984) is a harrowing war drama directed by Roland Joffé, adapted from Sydney Schanberg's real-life story in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. It stars Sam Waterston as journalist Sydney Schanberg and Haing S. Ngor in an Oscar-winning performance as Dith Pran, Schanbe...

"I always like sinners a lot better than saints. She was real easy to look at, but I'm glad I never saw her again." Last Man Standing (from 1996), directed by Walter Hill, stars Bruce Willis as John Smith, a drifter who stumbles into a small Texas town during Prohibition and gets entangled in a brutal feud between two rival gangs. Loosely inspired by the Japanese film Yojimbo by Akira Kurosawa, th...