Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Movie Quotes

Adam's Rib (1949): "Lawyers should never marry other lawyers. This is called inbreeding, from which comes idiot children and more lawyers."

"What is marriage? Tell me that. It's a contract. It's the law. Are you going to outsmart that, the way you've outsmarted other laws?" (Spencer Tracy to Katherine Hepburn)

"Assault lies dormant within us all. It requires only circumstance to set it in violent motion." (Hepburn's closing argument)

All About My Mother (1999): "Success has got no taste or smell.  And when you get used to it, it’s like it didn’t exist." 

The Art of the Steal (2009): "One man's conspiracy is another man's political consensus."

Australia (2008), Faraway Downs (2023): "Most people like to own things. You know, land luggage, other people. Makes them feel secure. But all that can be taken away, and in the end, the only thing you really own is your story."

The Bookshop (2017): "Writers go anywhere there a free drink. I'm not so sure about thinkers." 

Cape Fear (1962): "You can't arrest a man for what he might do. And thank heaven for that."

[Bonus: "There is no such crime as a crime of thought; there are only crimes of action." -- Clarence Darrow]

Citizen Kane: (1941): Woman: "I don't know many people." Kane: "I know too many people. I guess we're both lonely."

Dial M for Murder (1954): "[P]eople don't commit murder on credit."

Eat Man Drink Woman (1994): "Eat, drink, man, woman. Basic human desires. Can't avoid them. All my life, every day, that's all I've ever done. It pisses me off. Is that all there is to life?"

Equinox Flower (1958) (not a good movie, but I liked these lines): "Then everyone's inconsistent. Everyone but God. Life is absurd. We're not all perfect. As a scholar said, 'The sum total of inconsistencies is life.'"

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022): “In another life, I could have been perfectly happy doing laundry and taxes with you.” 

The Field (1990):
McCabe: "There's a law stronger than the common law."
Priest: "What's that?"
McCabe: "The law of the land."

Funny Girl (1968): 
Omar Sharif: "I like to feel free." 
Barbra Streisand: "You can get lonesome being that free."
Omar Sharif: "You can get lonesome being that busy."
Barbra Streisand, singing: "We travel single, oh / Maybe we're lucky, but I don't know."

Gilmore Girls (2001): Luke, on marriage: "It's a bureaucratic civil ceremony and a pretty pointless one... It's not biologically natural for people to mate for life. Animals don't mate for life. Well, ducks do, but who the hell cares what ducks do? I mean, people grow and evolve their whole lives. The chances that you'll grow and evolve at the same rate as someone else are too slim to take. The minute you say, 'I do,' you're sticking yourself in a tiny little box for the rest of your life. But hey, at least you had a party first, right?" (Season 2, "Red Light on Wedding Night")

Rory Gilmore, on goals: "Travel, see the world up close, report on what's really going on, be a part of something big... I just want to be sure that I see... something."

Gloomy Sunday (1999):
Schnefke: "But we must be careful not to stray too far outside the law."
Hans: "Of course.  But the beauty and vibrancy of the law lies in its flexible boundaries."
[Two Nazis in Hungary around 1939 discussing their future, indirectly demonstrating that the law, regardless of its substance or intent, usually favors those in power.]

Henry Fool (1997): "An honest man is always in trouble, Simon.  Remember that."

The Jane Austen Book Club (2007): "He looks at me like he's the spoon, and I'm the dish of ice cream."

Juno (2007), from the protagonist, a pregnant high school student: "Oh, I'm a legend. The tale of the cautionary whale, you know?"

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) (a very fun dark comedy): "I must admit, he exhibits the most extraordinary capacity I've ever encountered for middle age in a young man of 24."

The Last Kiss (2006) (not a great movie, except for these lines): "Stop talking about love. Every a**hole in the world says he loves somebody. It means nothing. What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you say you love--that's what matters. [Indeed] It's the only thing that counts."

Lilies of the Field (1963): "To me, it [the chapel] is insurance. To me, life is here on this Earth. I cannot see further, so I cannot believe further. But if they are right about the hereafter, I have my insurance, seƱor."

The Lion in Winter (1968) (a must-see film): "He came from the North to Paris with a mind like Aristotle's and a form like mortal sin. We shattered the Commandments on the spot."

A Man for All Seasons (1966):
Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

Mario's Story (2007): "[E]ventually good triumphs, but before it triumphs, a lot of people have to suffer."

Miller's Crossing (1990): "All in all, not a bad guy...if looks, brains, and personality don't count."

My Favorite Year (1982): ‎"Comedy? You can't write comedy in California. It's not depressing enough!"

Nashville (1975): "Congress is run by lawyers. A lawyer is trained for two things, and two things only: to clarify and to confuse. He does whichever is to his client's advantage."

Night of the Hunter (1955): "Open the door, you spawn of the devil's own strumpet!"

One Day (2011): "She lit up with you... She made you decent. And then in return, you made her so happy."

The Opposite of Sex (1998): "What if sex isn’t about procreation...what if it’s about concentration?  I only ask for one thing: when you’re in a crowded room, look for me first."

Past Life (2016): Two Israelis in 1977 discussing Europe and shedding light on democratic values: "Germany is no longer dangerous. It is a democracy. In Poland, you could disappear and no one would know." 

Public Enemy (1931): "You're a spoiled boy, Tommy.  You want things, and you're not content until you get them.  Well, maybe I'm spoiled, too."

Quai des Orfevres (1947): "Maurice is my flame. He may not burn bright, but he lights my way."

Revolutionary Road (2008): "No one forgets the truth, Frank. They just get better at lying."

Rocky Balboa (2006): "You know, I think if you live someplace long enough, you are that place." 

Sabrina (1954):
Linus Larrabee: What’s money got to do with it? If making money were all there were to business, it'd hardly be worthwhile going to the office. Money is a by-product.
David: What’s the main objective? Power?
Linus: Agh! That’s become a dirty word.
David: Well then, what’s the urge? You’re going into plastics now. What will that prove?
Linus: Prove? Nothing much. A new product has been found, something of use to the world. So, a new industry moves into an undeveloped area. Factories go up, machines are brought in, a harbor is dug and you’re in business. It’s purely coincidental of course that people who've never seen a dime before suddenly have a dollar. And barefooted kids wear shoes and have their teeth fixed and their faces washed. What’s wrong with a kind of an urge that gives people libraries, hospitals, baseball diamonds and movies on a Saturday night?

The Shop Around the Corner (1940):
Pirovitch: I'm sure she'll be beautiful.
Alfred Kralik: Well, not too beautiful.  What chance does a fellow like me--
Pirovitch: What do you want?  A homely girl?
Alfred Kralik: No, no.  You knock on wood for me.  Just a lovely, average girl.  That's--that's all I want.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): "Money and women: the reasons to make most mistakes in life."

Starting Out in the Evening (2007): "I find very few men of my age interesting. They're like chewing gum--ten minutes of flavor followed by bland repetition."

10,000 Black Men Named George (2002): "Nobody got anything in this country unless they took it.  Hell, I admire the white man.  He wanted Manhattan Island, gave the Indians a bottle of whiskey, and he took it.  White folks died, suffered, sacrificed.  Took a country and built it up.  Yeah, they brought us here in chains, we know that.  We're still in chains--they're a tad lighter, but they're still chains. And the only way those chains are gonna get broke is if we break 'em.  Ain't nobody else gonna do it for us...We're the same, you and me... I just like money and p*ssy more than you do." -- Milton P. Webster, black Republican (1887-1965), to union organizer and Democratic civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph

To Catch a Thief (1955):
Francie: Money handles most people.
John: Do you honestly believe that?
Francie: I've proved it.
John: You're a singular girl.
Francie: Is that good or bad?
John: Oh, it's good, it's quite good. You know what you want. You go out after it and nothing stops you from getting it.
Francie: You make it sound corny.
John:
Oh no, you're a jackpot of admirable character traits.
Francie: I already knew that.
John: Yes, I will say you do things with dispatch. No wasted preliminaries. Not only did I enjoy that kiss last night, I was awed by the efficiency behind it.
Francie: Well, I'm a great believer of getting down to essentials.


Venus (2006):
"For most men, a woman's body is the most beautiful thing they will ever see."
"What about for women?"
"Her first child."

Wall Street (2010): "Most people, they lose, they whine and quit. Don't run when you lose, don't whine when it hurts. It's like the first grade... Nobody likes a crybaby."

X-Men 2 (2003): 
Storm: Sometimes anger can help you survive.
Nightcrawler: So can faith.

You Can't Take It With You (1938): Lincoln said, "With malice towards none; with charity to all." Nowadays they say, "Think the way I do, or I'll bomb the daylights out of you."

[Bonus: "Nature never intended for Southern California to breed realists." -- William C. Hodapp (Autumn 1936, The Folio)] 

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Movie Recommendation: Finishing the Game

If you haven't seen Finishing the Game (2007), you are missing a hilarious film. 4/5 stars. It's about a group of filmmakers who discover an unfinished Bruce Lee movie. They try to do a remake with a new actor. The search for the new actor includes a white guy who thinks he's half-Chinese; a guy named Breeze Lee; and a Korean and Colombian couple from Alabama.

Bonus: if you want to watch an excellent thriller, check out Shutter Island (2010).

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Best Horror Movies (and Comedy Movies, Too)

Turn off those lights if you dare...

1. Wait Until Dark (1967)
2. The Other (1972)
3. Carrie (1976)
4. Stir of Echoes (1999)
5. Night of the Hunter (1955)
6. Psycho (1960); Dial M for Murder (1954); Strangers on a Train (1951)
7. Pan's Labyrinth (2006), The Devil's Backbone (2001)
8. Cape Fear (1991) and (1962)
9. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
10. Thirst (2009, Korean)
11. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
12. The Village (2004) [I am in the minority on this one--most people disliked this film.]
13. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
14. The Eye (Hong Kong) (2002)
15.  Black Mirror (2011-2016, series)
16.  Suspiria (1977)
17. The Mermaid: Lake of the Dead (2018) (Russia) [Imagine The Shape of Water (2017) but starring an evil alien and crossed with Homer's The Odyssey ("They sit beside the ocean, combing their long golden hair")]
18. Under the Shadow (2016, Persian)
19. Requiem for a Dream (2000) [More psychological thriller than horror film, but still the most traumatizing movie experience I've ever had.]
20. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) (horror/mystery)
21. The Cabin in the Woods (2011) (horror/comedy) 
22. His House (2020) 

Bonus: below is a list of excellent comedy movies and series, in no particular order:

1. A Man Called Ove (2015)
2. Clerks (1994)
3. Chasing Amy (1997)
4. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
5. Wedding Crashers (2005)
6. The IT Crowd (British series) (2006)
7. Derry Girls (series) (2018)
8. Fleabag (series) (2016), starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge 
9. Get Duked! (2019) 
10. Black Books (British series, 2000-2004)
11. All My Friends Are Dead (Wszyscy moi przyjaciele nie zyja) (2020)

Bonus II: my favorite romantic scenes are below, in no particular order: 

1. First Love (2018, Philippines), Bea Alonzo, Aga Muhlach in bookstore singing a duet.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Homeland Security Coming to a Screen Near You?

The Department of Homeland Security is now pursuing people who download illegal movies. Why? Because they consider illegal downloads part of the war on terror. Yes, they are being serious. Civil-liberties-be-damned and mission-creep serious. More HERE.

“The reason the Department of Homeland Security is protecting Shrek is because we are all about protecting the homeland. We’re all about protecting American interests,” says John Morton, assistant secretary of DHS...“If you don’t think undermining Hollywood’s ability to produce a “Shrek,” undermining the creativity that goes into creating a “Shrek,” undermines the United States,” Morton says, “you are sadly mistaken.”

Who the heck pays these people? Oh, wait, we do. Sigh.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Film Rec: Putting Things in Perspective

If you want to watch an incredible, but tragic film, check out 2005's Beyond the Gates. It's an amazing re-creation of the Rwandan genocide.

If you wish to donate to a humanitarian association that assists refugees, you may want to consider https://www.rescue.org/ 

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Another Hitchcock Film Recommendation

From the great Hitchcock film, Dial M for Murder: "[P]eople don't commit murder on credit."

If you haven't seen it, I recommend you watch it. Woody Allen's 2005 film, Match Point, seems to have drawn some inspiration from this Hitchcock film. I usually like Woody Allen, but for some reason, I didn't like Match Point. Most of my friends, however, did, so don't let me stop you from seeing it.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Movie Recommendation

I highly recommend 2008's American Teen. It's one of the most poignant documentaries I've ever seen. Some people have called it a real-life version of the Breakfast Club.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Movie Map?

Some movie fans might enjoy this graph. It reminds me of a D.C. Metro map. [Update: link no longer works, and I cannot find "bestmoviemaps." Main site is here: https://vodkaster.telerama.fr/moviequiz] 

Bonus: HERE is a hilarious article about Christmas from David Sedaris. 

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Weekend Movies Recap

1. I just saw Milk, about Harvey Milk. Absolutely a must-see, especially if you live in California. I also enjoyed George Clooney in Michael Clayton.

2. I am pleased to introduce my readers to The I.T. Crowd, a British television series that began in 2006. It's not often I see anything on DVD that makes me laugh out loud, and if you enjoy comedy, you must not miss The I.T. Crowd. I give Season One my highest recommendation and look forward to seeing more.

3. I finally saw Lust, Caution. I do not recommend it. It is a two-and-a-half hour film that should have been no more than an hour. Ang Lee can't decide if he wants to make a sexually explicit film or a plot-focused one; as a result, the audience suffers through symbolic but superfluous sexual escapades. While Ang Lee has made a great period piece of 1940's China/HK, he has also sucked the life out of it by adding too many extraneous, slow diversions. Just my two cents.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Best Non-Famous Movies

I love movies. Anyone who knows me knows I do three things with my free time: watch movies, play basketball, and read. Here is a list of incredible films--in no particular order--you've probably never heard of:

1. Elling (2001, Norway)
2. La Haine (1995, French)
3. A Peck on the Cheek (2002, Indian)
4. Street Fight (2005, American)
5. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974, German)
6. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989, Japanese)
7. Farewell My Concubine (1993, Chinese)
8. Swimming to Cambodia (1987)
9. The Orphanage (2007, Spanish)
10. Shower (1999, Chinese)
11. The Lives of Others (2006, German)
12. Pelle the Conqueror (1987, Danish)
13. Sweet Land (2005)
14. Gallipoli (1981, Australian)
15. Children of Heaven (Persian)
16. Color of Paradise (Persian)
17. Misfits (1961, American)
18. Two for the Road (1967, American)
19. The Message (1976)
20. Muhammad Ali - The Whole Story (1996)
21. Night of the Hunter (1955)
22. No Man's Land (2001)
23. Coraline (2009)
24. A Taxing Woman (1987, Japan)
25. American Teen (2008)
26. Lilies of the Field (1963)
27. The Lion in Winter (1968)
28. Battle of Algiers (1966)
29. Winter Light (1963)
30. Jim Thorpe, All American (1961) [In memory of Westmont High School Wrestling Coach Patrick "Terry" Vierra]
31. Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) [This documentary is not for the squeamish. Also, I recommend watching The Oath (2010), before watching Taxi to the Dark Side.]
32. Through Deaf Eyes (PBS 2007)
33. Gideon's Trumpet (starring Henry Fonda)
34. McCarthy Years (hosted by Walter Cronkite) (1991) [not scintillating, but included because of its high American historical significance]
35. The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008, Korea)
36. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
37. The Wrestler (2008)
38. Splendor in the Grass (1961)
39. Persepolis (2007) [dedicated to my grandmother, Mamani]
40. The Garden (2008) (documentary)
41.  Deliver Us from Evil (2006) [difficult documentary to watch, but included, because one rarely sees the banality and cluelessness of evil so vividly]
42.  Source Code (2011).  One of the best modern movies I've ever seen. Jake Gyllenhaal is part of a new military program designed to prevent future attacks. Is he merely part of a simulation or something more?  Similar to Spielberg's Minority Report, but with two love stories--one romantic, one familial--as its foundation.
43.  A Separation (2011) (Persian)
44.  City Lights (1934) (Charlie Chaplin film)
45.  The Edge of Heaven (Auf der anderen Seite) (2007)
46.  Ken Burns' Unforgivable Blackness: Jack Johnson (2005).  Jack Johnson, a boxer in the early 1900s, was Muhammad Ali before Muhammad Ali.
47.  White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (2007)
48.  Somewhere Between (2011)
49. About Time (2013), a love story.
50.  Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
51. La La Land (2016) (this movie absolutely broke my heart, which leads me to my next suggestion...) 
52.  Southside with You (2016) (excellent dialogue from the beginning of a love story for the ages) 
53.  The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009)
54.  My Son the Fanatic (1999)
55. The Time that Remains (2009)
56. A Man Called Ove (2015, Sweden)
57. Shoplifters (2018, Japanese äø‡å¼•ćå®¶ę—)
58. Aftershock (2010) (唐山大地震, Chinese)
59. The Fifth Element (1997) [perhaps the least defensible choice on this list, but I loved everything about it.]
60. Cities of Last Things (2018) by Wi Ding Ho (featuring the songs Drone (Omnibus) and Omnibus One)
61. Harold and Maude (1971) [this is a famous movie, but I decided to include it when I realized non-Western audiences may not have heard of it.]
62. Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2013)
63. Star Trek: Insurrection (1994)  
64. Once Upon a Time in China (1991) (Hong Kong)
65. Queen's Gambit (Netflix, 2020) 
66. Past Life (2016, Israel, החטאים) 
67. Star Trek: Prodigy (2021, American series) 
68. Undone (2019, Amazon series) 
69. Zana (2019, Kosovo) 
70. Slumberland (2022)
71. Russian Doll (2019), Season One only
72. Maniac (2018)
73. The Magician's Elephant (2023), excellent for children 
74. Australia (2008), Faraway Downs (2023)
75. Heat (1995)

Bonus I: HERE is a list of my favorite books.

Bonus II: HERE is a list of excellent horror films.

Bonus III: a list of great movie quotes is HERE.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Weekend Recap: Book and Film Rec

Last weekend, I saw a great movie and read a good book.

1. The movie, Sin Nombre, is about two immigrants. One is trying to cross the border to get to New Jersey, while the other is trying to escape being killed by his own gang members. The story is about redemption, loss, and perseverance. Catch this one if you can. A review is here.

2. Mohsin Hamid's book, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, is about an immigrant named Changez ("Changez" is Urdu for "Genghis" Khan, the Mongol invader who attacked the Muslim world). Although this story is about a legal immigrant, one wonders if Changez's troubles aren't as woe-inspiring as the two characters in Sin Nombre.

Changez, a Pakistani immigrant, attends Princeton and falls in love with a woman, who, at first glance, appears to be a beautiful "lioness." After 9/11, she changes, trying to burrow herself in the past, which prevents the relationship from moving forward. By this time, she has become an unexcisable part of Changez. In fact, he has willingly given up part of himself to ensure her happiness and acceptance. Despite gaining the trappings of wealth and prestige (and an American Express expense account), Changez eventually returns to his homeland, a fact we are told upfront.

The story begins with Changez telling his story to an American in a cafe in Lahore, Pakistan. Both men are tense and wary of each other, and while Changez tries to reassure his visitor, it is clear the visitor is on guard. Changez is also on guard, something we see as he provides clues about his visitor. For example, he wonders out loud whether a bulge in the visitor's pocket is a gun or a hidden fanny pack commonly used by theft-wary tourists. We do not know who the American is, but the story builds tension bit by bit and leaves us with an ending that will be interpreted by each reader differently. The Reluctant Fundamentalist can be called a foreign policy Rorschach test. Depending on how you interpret the ending, you will know your view of America, the world, and how they interact.

An interview with the author is here.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Battle of the Sexes

Classic line, from Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd (1957): 

You cold-fish respectable girls...inside, you crave the same thing as the rest of 'em. 

The single most regressive piece of American culture is our attitude towards sex. Because we can't address it in an adult fashion, Americans only seem to accept sex when it's watered or dumbed down. Even in Hollywood--hardly a bedrock of decency or morality--Paris Hilton gets attacked by comedians for being sexually promiscuous. Meanwhile, to paraphrase anthropologist Helen Fisher, "If you think men are more promiscuous than women, who do think the men are sleeping with?" (Another one of her gems is, "We were built for reproduction, not happiness.") 

 I am not sure where I was going with this, except to say that gender stereotypes are as alive as ever. We've progressed from burning witches at the stake, but until women fully harness their sexual power by becoming comfortable with their bodies, it seems they will never attain full power in America. That's a shame. At the end of the day, although men and women are surely different, it makes no sense to use a naturally connecting activity to drive them apart. 

A memorable exchange from Kazan's film: 

 -For a mild man, you sound vicious. 

 -Didn't you know? All mild men are vicious. They hate themselves for being mild and hate the extroverts whose violence seems to have an attraction for nice girls who should know better.