I love memorable lines from the silver screen, especially if they’re from movie favorites that I watch numerous times. A couple years ago I wrote a post titled, “She Wouldn’t Even Harm a Fly”—the great last line from the classic 1960 Hitchcock film, Psycho. Accordingly, I thought it apropos to open this post with another line from that unforgettable thriller. Have a ball!

Norman went a little mad…

“It’s not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven’t you?” – Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) to Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). Can’t argue with that logic, eh?

“Just remember what ol’ Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol’ storm right square in the eye and he says, “Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it.” Kurt Russell’s goofy truck driver character in Big Trouble in Little China has so many great lines that whole websites are devoted to them.

“This sucks! A maniac gets a hold of my gun and runs all over the streets killin’ people with it. So, instead of bein’ where I oughta be, home in bed with my gal givin’ her the high hard one, I’m out here doin’ THIS shit: roamin’ around the streets with an overdressed, charcoal-colored loser like you.” A mismatched cop (Nick Nolte) and convict (Eddie Murphy) still crack viewers up in the comedy/crime flick, 48 Hrs.

“You contemptible pig! I remained celibate for you. I stood at the back of a cathedral, waiting, in celibacy, for you, with three hundred friends and relatives in attendance. My uncle hired the best Romanian caterers in the state. To obtain the seven limousines for the wedding party, my father used up his last favor with Mad Pete Trullo. So for me, for my mother, my grandmother, my father, my uncle, and for the common good, I must now kill you, and your brother.” – Carrie Fisher hunts down Jake and Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) with a rocket launcher in The Blues Brothers, one of the funniest movies of all time.

“Hey, pal. Hey, wake up. Heroes don’t look like me—not in the real world. In the real world they got bad teeth, a bald spot, and a beer gut. I’m just an actor with a gun who’s lost his motivation. Be seeing you.” – Bruce Baxter (Kyle Chandler) giving his reasons for not wanting to take part in hunting down King Kong.

“I was the East Coast distributor of ‘involved.’ I ate it, drank it, and breathed it… Then they killed Martin, Bobby, and they elected Tricky Dick twice, and people like you must think I’m miserable because I’m not involved anymore. Well, I’ve got news for you. I spent all my misery years ago. I have no more pain for anything. I gave at the office.” – Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) to Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) in Field of Dreams. (Any excuse to work in something from my favorite movie ever.)

“I would hope you would support who we are. Not who we are not. These six individuals have made a choice to work, a choice to sacrifice, to put themselves on the line twenty-three nights for the next four months, to represent you, this high school. That kind of commitment and effort deserves and demands your respect. This is your team.” – Coach Norman Dale shames the small-minded townsfolk in Hoosiers, a great, inspirational sports movie.

“It all began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves; immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven, to the Dwarf Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and the will to govern over each race. But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret, a master ring, to control all others. And into this ring he poured all his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. One ring to rule them all.” – I’m sure you knew this one after the first line. Elven queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) gave us this backstory in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I watch all three movies at least every other year—straight through.

There are endless choices for great, memorable movie lines. You are welcome to share some of yours.