CNN/TIME Quotable Movie Fail
CNN.com recently ran a TIME magazine piece on The Top Ten Quotable Movies. After flipping through their article, I was reminded, yet again, that TIME, CNN, Newsweek, etc. are beyond out of touch with their film-loving readers. Anything beyond marriages, divorces, or sex scandals is completely out of their wheelhouse. So, I thought I’d share my own thoughts on the “Top Ten” quotable movies. Don’t get me wrong – these are all fine movies, but a good movie doesn’t always mean a quotable movie. First, their list:
10. Napolean Dynamite
9. Clueless
8. Glengarry Glen Ross
7. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
6. Wizard of Oz
5. Top Gun
4. The Godfather
3. Casablanca
2. Anchorman
1. The Big Lebowski
My List:
10. Wizard of Oz
9. Scarface
8. Casablanca
7. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
6. The Godfather
5. Blazing Saddles
4. Office Space
3. Anchorman
2. Wedding Crashers
1. Caddyshack
I mean – Glengarry Glen Ross?? Top Gun? Both great films, (Glengarry Glen Ross a much better play,) but quotable? How many people do you see walking around crying out for Goose? The only quote I can even remember is “Take me to bed or lose me forever”. How often does THAT one come up in conversation? The only thing similar to a repeatable quote from Glengarry Glen Ross would be “Coffee is for closers, only.” Again, not something most people go around saying. The same goes for Lebowski, other than randomly calling yourself “The Dude”, people don’t usually go around quoting this one. An excellent movie, worthy of all the praise (well, maybe not all,) but it’s a quotable movie like Star Trek is quotable: the fans know everything about it, and quote it all the time – but the rest of us? Nothing.
On the other hand, who DOESN’T quote Caddyshack several times per week? “So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.” What about Wedding Crashers? “What is she doing back there? I never know what she’s doing.” “Crabcakes and football, that’s what Maryland does.” Scarface? “Say hello to my little friend?” Heck, I don’t even like that movie that much, but leaving it off a quotable list in favor of a Top Gun? Yikes.
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This here related to the fact that you left off Raising Arizona: “There’s what’s right and there’s what’s right and never the twain shall meet. “
Shoot forgot that one – although, like Blues Brothers – probably isn’t known as widespread as the others.
It’s twain? All this time I thought it was ‘tween! As in between.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/255800.html
You learn something new every day.
Anybody forgetting Airplane?
Not forgotten, just not one my group quotes as often, but yes, definitely worthy of any quotable list mention. It could certainly beat out most on the TIME list! I love lists like this, though, because there are so many good ones that readers remind me of. Any others that you would add? Which of mine would you replace, and with what?
Daniel, the day has come where I actually think you have lost your mind… You left the one movie off that we watched multiple times a week during our high school days. Any guesses, and why did you leave it off?
I know, I know, Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore could both be added, but they just don’t have the quotable….impact as much now as they once did! And remember…its only a Top Ten! I can’t add them all!
Also, I agree with Sparky. Should Raising Arizona be on the list? “Does the Pope wear a funny hat? Well, yeah…”
I can more or less agree with your revised list, with a couple of exceptions. You felt that “The Big Lebowski” should be left off because it was really only a good source of quotes for its real fans. OK, but then you rattled off a couple of lines from “Wedding Crashers” that I’ve never once heard anyone quote.
Also, “Casablanca” is probably most quoted for a line that isn’t even in the actual movie (‘Play it again, Sam’).
Kudos for adding Monty Python, “Office Space”, Caddyshack” and “Blazing Saddles”. I’d also include “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”, which was a quote bonanza of a movie.