# Pitting the American Film Institute **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 1, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605 "2005-01-01T23:58:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/21 "2005-01-03T14:19:04Z")
Hmmm. I’ll give them a middle-grade on this… just started looking through the list. They got _three_ from Airplane!, so kudos are due. Excellent choice form Animal Crackers, and Back to the Future… but they picked the wrong quote from Aliens. That line’s not distinctive at all. You really want more of a “Game over, man, Game over!” - or if you prefer a little subtle terror, perhaps a “They mostly come at night… mostly.” ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/22 "2005-01-03T14:33:11Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > No “My friends…You bow to no one”? I can think of a couple of others from LOTR as well… “Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks!” “‘Don’t you leave him, Samwise Gamgee.’ I don’t mean to. I don’t mean to.” "Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world’s ending! Death! Death! Death! “Well, I’m back.” ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/23 "2005-01-03T14:36:22Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > **Nothing** from **Holy Grail**? The Python boys ain’t American. > [@](#): > > LOS ANGELES, November 17, 2004-The American Film Institute (AFI) today announced that AFI’s 100 Years . . . 100 Movie Quotes will be the theme for AFI’s eighth annual celebration of 100 years of American movies. > … > will count down America’s 100 greatest lines of dialogue spoken in the movies > … > “When you consider that any phrase from American film is eligible, you realize this is our most subjective topic to date. We expect nothing less than a war of words as we re-ignite interest in classic American movies.” > … > Due to the extensive number of memorable movie lines in American film, jurors may also write in votes for up to five quotes that may not already appear on the ballot. And most importantly, > [@](#): > > \*AFI defines an American film as an English language motion picture with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States. In this manner, _Lawrence of Arabia_ counts as an American film despite the British director, cast, and crew, because it was primarily financed by an American company. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/24 "2005-01-03T14:58:41Z")
Hm… and how many funny/clever/emotional one-liners are there to choose from? This is an impossible list to make. Man, am I going to be ‘the guy’ who comes into a thread like this and says, ‘these ‘Top 10 list’-esque lists are completely bogus’? I guess I am. 🙂 Seriously, the top 100 Movie quotes? If you list them, people will talk. I guess that’s what it’s all about, but I think this is one of the more ridiculous lists I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/25 "2005-01-03T15:32:23Z")
How in the hell can they only come up with “What is your major malfunction?” from Full Metal Jacket? How about Gunny Hartman’s heartwarming statement about no racial bigotry? "God has a hard on for Marines, because we kill everything we see. He plays His games, we play ours. To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls. God was here before the Marine Corps, so you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the corps. If you ladies leave my island, if you survive recruit training, you will be a weapon. You will be a minister of death praying for war. But until that day you are pukes. You are the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even human, fucking beings. You are nothing but unorganized grabastic pieces of amphibian shit. Because I am hard you will not like me. But the more you hate me the more you will learn. I am hard but I am fair. There is no racial bigotry here. I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers. Here you are all equally worthless. And my orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved Corps. Do you maggots understand that? " ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/26 "2005-01-03T15:36:19Z")
I don’t know why people are complaining about some movies getting multiple nominations, or other movies getting just one. I would imagine that, with very few exceptions, the winning quotes are going to be one per movie, and be the most memorable from them. Some movies there’s a bit of a debate (Star Wars) - some there’s not a debate at all (Lord of the Rings). But yeah, I’m not a fan, but you’d think at least one Star Trek quote could be slipped in over one of movies that got multiple listings. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/27 "2005-01-03T17:38:53Z")
> [@lno](#): > > The Python boys ain’t American. :smack: :smack: :smack: My bad. **Diogenes** : And don’t forget: > [@](#): > > “No man can kill me. Die now.” > > “I am no man.” But hell, if you get us started on LOTR quotes, we could fill an entire page. Mr. Rilch suggested “But I was going over to Toschi Station to pick up some _power converters!_” But I think that’s a geek quote; Joe Baggadonuts wouldn’t recognize it. Similiarly, I’m not surprised that “I’m not even supposed to BE here today!” isn’t included. **Eonwe** , I think you’re right. “Definitive” lists usually end up being very bland, because the majority has to agree. And **clothahump** , there just aren’t any long speeches like that. This is about sound bites. I’m surprised the “tears in the rain” speech from **Blade Runner** snuck in there. And **Munch** , what do you mean “there’s a bit of a debate” about **Star Wars**? ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/28 "2005-01-03T18:29:21Z")
One measly quote from _Blazing Saddles_? And “Excuse me while I whip this out?” is the one?? To judge from a thread here on _BS_ a while back, that movie alone is good for 400 quotes. Methinks the American Film Institute is, in the words of Rev. Johnson, “just jerking off.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/29 "2005-01-03T18:57:57Z")
I can’t believe they omitted “I know I’m pretty, but I ain’t as pretty as a couple of titties.” In case you’re from another planet, that’s from Drexel the pimp in _True Romance_. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/30 "2005-01-04T08:30:00Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I can think of a couple of others from LOTR as well… > > “Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks!” > > “‘Don’t you leave him, Samwise Gamgee.’ I don’t mean to. I don’t mean to.” > > "Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world’s ending! Death! Death! Death! > > “Well, I’m back.” Ooh, I thought of another one: “YOU…SHALL NOT…PASS!” ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/31 "2005-01-04T13:59:15Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > And **Munch** , what do you mean “there’s a bit of a debate” about **Star Wars**? I think that “May the force be with you” and “Luke, I am your father” are both very memorable, and both neatly capsulize their respective movies. It’ll be interesting to see if they go with both, one or none. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/32 "2005-01-04T19:40:15Z")
Oh, okay. I thought you were debating whether SW itself was worthy of conclusion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/33 "2005-01-04T19:40:34Z")
Oh, okay. I thought you were debating whether SW itself was worthy of inclusion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/34 "2005-01-04T20:49:50Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Oh, okay. I thought you were debating whether SW itself was worthy of conclusion. 🙂 If it is so is Star Trek. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605/35 "2005-01-04T20:57:19Z")
IMHO, the movie quotes should be great _out of context_. If you have to know the scene in order to appreciate the quote, then I think there is no point in making it about the quotes. Make a list of the “Greatest Scenes” instead. It’s obvious the AFI is just wanking. To be constructive, I offer an example of a great quote that works just as well out of context as in it: “Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-american-film-institute/282605.md?page=1)