SIDE SALAD - Everything crunchy is good.

'NATHAN NEEDS SOME HUGGIES'

Lawren over at Martinis, Persistence, and A Smile writes about the American Film Institute's new survey of the top 100 movies quotes of all time.
This was quite the topic of discussion at work Friday, especially since we got a voting ballot.
I'm sure our critic will make great selections. But the rest of the thing just seems aimed directly for mediocrity. Consider this paragraph in the CNN.com story about the survey:

Other contending quotes include Clark Gable's "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" from "Gone With the Wind," Mae West's "Why don't you come up and see me?" from "She Done Him Wrong," Tom Hanks' "Houston, we have a problem" from "Apollo 13," Cuba Gooding Jr.'s "Show me the money" from "Jerry Maguire" and the "Star Wars" gang's "May the Force be with you."

Okay, I don't have a problem with those. Except the "Apollo 13" one. That's was said by someone in real life. It's not a movie quote if it came from real life. Sorry. And "Show me the money." That one clearly was written by someone in search of a movie trailer line. It's hardly an organic choice.
Anyway, we were all trying to come up with lines at work on Friday to see if they were in the nominating book. An alarming number of them weren't (although you are allowed to write in your own).
What this did was unleash a torrent of quotes that I had backed up in my head. Hell, the triumvrate of "Raising Arizona," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "The Godfather," "Caddyshack," "Vacation" and "Groundhog Day" alone kept me busy for the better part of an afternoon.
So as a form of therapy, I thought I'd list a bunch that are constantly coursing through my head at any one time. They aren't the best ever - nor are they the best of the past 20 years. They're just the ones that strike me:

"You got a table and chairs, you got a dinette set. You got a table and no chairs, you got dick." - Nathan Arizona, "Raising Arizona"
"All right now, I'm comin' out. Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife. All his friends. Burn his damn house down." - Bill Munny, "Unforgiven"
"If you cook like you walk, baby... I'm gonna lick your plate." - Cesar Castillo, "The Mambo Kings"
"Oh man shut your anorexic malnutrition tapeworm-having overdose on Dick Gregory Bohemian diet-drinking ass up. Leave me alone!" - Sidney Deane, "White Men Can't Jump"
"Want a beer? (burp) Don't cost nothin'." - John "Bluto" Blutarsky, "Animal House"
"Amazing tradition. They throw a great party for you on the one day they know you can't come." - Michael, "The Big Chill"
"He'll keep calling me, he'll keep calling me until I come over. He'll make me feel guilty. This is uh... This is ridiculous, ok I'll go, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go. What - I'LL GO. Shit." - Cameron Frye, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
"I'm gonna keep the soda and the fries but I'm gonna send this back. If you bring me another hamburger with mayonnaise on it, I will chop off your legs, set fire to your house, and watch as you drag your bloody stumps out the door." - Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski, "The Whole Nine Yards"
"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that." - Lloyd Dobler, "Say Anything"
"Archie was the bitch and Jughead was the butch. That's why he was always going around wearing that crown-looking hat... he was the king of queen Archie's world." - Hooper, "Chasing Amy"
"I'm a god. I'm not the God... I don't think." - Phil Connors, "Groundhog Day"
"Well suck me sideways!" - Lloyd Christmas, "Dumb & Dumber"
"I... don't... bargain." - Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard, "The Fugitive"
"Here are just a few of the key ingredients: dynamite, pole vaulting, laughing gas, choppers - can you see how incredible this is going to be? - hang gliding, come on!" - Dignan, "Bottle Rocket"
"Excellent breakfast flakes, Mrs. McDonnough." - Evelle, "Raising Arizona"
" I don't know why they call this stuff hamburger helper. It does just fine by itself, huh? I like it better than tuna helper myself, don't you, Clark?" - Cousin Eddie, "National Lampoon's Vacation"

Got one that you would add to the list?

Posted by Jeff at November 20, 2004 07:58 AM | TrackBack