What's That From?: The Ultimate Quiz Book Of Memorable Movie Lines Since 1969


by Jai Nanda

Paperback(First Edition)

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Do you know what films have given us the following quotes?

"What we have here is a failure to communicate."

"Excuse me while I whip this out."

"Would somebody get this walking carpet out of my way?"


And how are you at movie trivia?

In The Blues Brothers why are Jake and Elwood "puttin' the band back together"? In Airplane!, which dinner was poisioned: the fish or the chicken? True or False: Diane Keaton won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Annie Hall.

For the movie buff and video hound, What's that From? provides hours of entertainment. You can test your knowledge with more than 1,000 quotes and questions from more than 250 contemporary films—from Academy Award winners to cult classics. Also included are bonus questions on actors and directors, special categories on individual actors, movies, and themes (Wester, baseball, sequels), plus a section devoted exclusively to Academy Award-winning performances.

It's all here in the ultimate tribute to the great movies of the seventies, eighties, and nineties from National Lampoon's Animal House to When Harry Met Sally... So the next time you hear someone say, "It's just a flesh wound, " you won't have to ask "What's that from?"

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780312141455
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: 02/15/1996
Edition description: First Edition
Pages: 192
Sales rank: 833,739

About the Author

Jai Nanda, an avid moviegoer and graduate of the University of Michigan, lives in New York City.

Read an Excerpt


Part One

A Quoter's Paradise for Beginners

The following quotes are tossed around enough that even if you haven't seen the films they are from, you should be able to recognize and identify them.

Tap the Question Number for the Answer

1. "Does this proposition entail my dressing up as Little Bo Peep?"

2. "Excuse me while I whip this out."

3. "I'll have what she's having."

4. "Seeing how the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on the QT?"


6. "It's good to be the king."

7. "I think this place is restricted, Wang, so don't tell 'em you're Jewish."

8. "Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone?"

9. "I'll meet you at the place near the thing where we went that time."

10. "Every time I start talking about boxing, a white guy gotta pull Rocky Marciano outta his ass."

11. "When eight hundred years old you reach, look as good, you will not."

12. "Hey, babe, I negotiate million-dollar deals for breakfast, I think I can handle this Eurotrash. Hey! Sprekin' ze talk?"

13. "If you build it, he will come."

14. "Relax ... My old man is a television repairman. He's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it."

15. "Over Macho Grande?"

"No, I don't think I'll ever get over Macho Grande. Those wounds run pretty deep."

16. "It's an eighty-eight magnum." "It shoots through schools."

17. "Shall we play a game?"

18. "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good."

19. "Sometimes shit happens, someone has to deal with it, and who ya gonna call?"


21. "He slimed me."

22. "What we've got here is a failure to communicate."

23. "Hasta la vista, baby."

24. "Didn't I tell you that the phone in my limo is busted and I can't get in contact with my bitches?"

25. "You've got me? Who's got you?"

26. "Do I make myself clear, Jerome?"

"Ho yes."

"Ho what?"

"Ho nothing ... No ho. I mean no ho Sergeant. Just plain ho."

27. "How much for the women? Your women, I want to buy your women."

28. "Six thousand dollars? It's not even leather."

29. "Did you say 'utes'?"

"Yeah, the two utes."

30. "You're outta order. You're outta order. This whole trial is outta order."


32. "You got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well? Do ya, punk?"

33. "This is Chevalier, Montage, Detente, Avant Garde, and Deja Vous."

"Have we met before?"

34. "Would you give me a hand with the bags?"

"Certainly. You take the blonde, and I'll take the one in the turban."

35. "But I was there ... while pussies like you were back here partyin', puttin' on headbands, doin' drugs and listenin' to goddamn Beatle albums."




39. "I don't know why they call this stuff Hamburger Helper, it does just fine by itself."

40. "No more yanky my wanky. The Donger needs food."

41. "You guys know so much about women, how come you're here at, like, the Gas 'n' Zip on a Saturday night completely alone, drinking beers, no women anywhere?"

"By choice, man, conscious choice."

42. "If I were the man I was five years ago, I'd take a flame thrower to this place."

43. "Show me 'Paint the Fence.'"

44. "Juuusssst a bit outside — tried the corner and missed."

45. "Kids. Big Ben, Parliament."

46. "Come on, sporto, level with me. Do you slip her the hot beef injection?"

47. "Hey fellas, it's on me — Shakespeare for everybody, okay? You too honey, ooh, I'd like to tame your shrew."

48. "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."

49. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

50. "We'll do it for Johnny, man. Let's do it for Johnny."

51. "Time of your life, Joel."

52. "You just go back to your beer, Buttercrud."


54. "No, you did not have great sex with Sheldon. ... A Sheldon can do your income tax. If you need a root canal, Sheldon's your man."

55. "Hide me Eddie, puhleeeeease."

56. "Nah, that's not a knife. Now that's a knife."

57. "I'm your number-one fan."

58. "Go ahead, make my day."

59. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

60. "You want answers?"

"I want the truth."

"You can't handle the truth."

61. "I never heard of no one so shit-all stupid as you drivin' off that road. You must got manure for you brains."

62. "I cast you out, unclean spirit."


64. "A man becomes preeminent, he is expected to have enthusiasms."

65. "Sometimes I sing and dance around the house in my underwear, doesn't make me Madonna. Never will."

66. "It's K-K-Ken c-c-coming to k-k-kill me."

67. "Nazis. I hate these guys."

68. "The real excitement is ... during sexual awareness week. We import two hundred hookers from around the world and each camper, armed only with a thermos of coffee and two thousand dollars cash, tries to visit as many countries as he can."

69. "Do you mind if we dance with yo dates?"

70. "It's just a flesh wound."

71. "I want my two dollars."

72. "I am not an animal, I am a human being."

73. "We did not land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us."

74. "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?"

75. "Let's have a bachelor party with chicks, and guns, and fire trucks, and hookers, and drugs, and booze."

76. "Go ahead. Make my millennium."

77. "I must break you."

78. "This means something. This is important."

79. "Is it safe?"

80. "He has a chair in history at Princeton. Oh, and the short man is Herschel Kominsky. He has a chair in philosophy at Cornell." "Yeah. Two more chairs they got a dining room set."

81. "No, try not. Do or do not. There is no try."

82. "That's all we need, a Druish Princess." "Funny. She doesn't look Druish."

83. "Will the dancing Hitlers please wait in the wings, we are only seeing singing Hitlers."

84. "I'm your huckleberry."

85. "Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue."

86. "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me."

87. "Reap the whirlwind, Sheriff Brady. Reap it."

88. "Suppose I were to offer you one million dollars for one night with your wife."

89. "I don't want to buy anything, sell anything, or process anything as a career."

90. "I got a trig midterm tomorrow and I'm being chased by Guido the Killer Pimp."


1. Fletch

• How old is Grease?

2. Blazing Saddles

• "Is it true what they say about the way you people are gifted?"

3. When Harry Met Sally ...

• Whose real-life mother says this line?

4. Good Morning, Vietnam

• What real-life disc jockey does Robin Williams play?

5. Taxi Driver

• What is the name of the political candidate that Travis (Robert De Niro) wants to kill?

6. History of the World Part One

• What character does director Mel Brooks play in the Spanish Inquisition scene?

7. Caddyshack

• What is the name of the boat owned by Judge Smails (Ted Knight)?

8. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

• In what city does the movie take place?

9. Broadcast News

• What actor plays Jack Rorsch, the New York anchorman?

10. Coming to America

• What two other characters from a previous Eddie Murphy film make a cameo in this movie?

11. Return of the Jedi

• Where do the Ewoks live?

12. Die Hard

• What is McClane's limo driver's name?

13. Field of Dreams

• Besides this phrase, what other messages does the voice tell Ray (Kevin Costner)?

14. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

• What are the three laws posted on the wall of the All-American Burger restaurant?

15. Airplane II: The Sequel

• "Doctor, can you give the court your impression of Mr. Striker?"

16. Johnny Dangerously

• How did Danny Vermin (Joe Piscopo) fulfill a lot of people's predictions?

17. War Games

• What game does David (Matthew Broderick) choose to play?

18. Wall Street

• What character does Michael Douglas play?

19. Ghostbusters II

• Dr. Venkman (Bill Murray) is the host of what cable TV show?

20. The Fugitive

• What is the fugitive's name?

21. Ghostbusters

• When the Ghostbusters appear on The Joe Franklin Show, what question does he ask them?

22. Cool Hand Luke

• What happens to anyone who breaks the prison rules?

23. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

• What is the model number of this Terminator?

24. Trading Places

• How much money do the Dukes (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) place on their bet?

25. Superman

• What is Superman's father's name, and what actor plays him?

26. Biloxi Blues

• This movie is based on the second play in a trilogy by Neil Simon. What are the first and third plays?

27. The Blues Brothers

• How long was Jake (John Belushi) in jail?

28. Working Girl

• Where do Tess (Melanie Griffith) and Cynthia (Joan Cusack) live?

29. My Cousin Vinny

• Which actor plays the judge?

30. ... And Justice for All

• Which actor plays Judge Fleming?

31. 48 Hours

• How long has Reggie (Eddie Murphy) been in prison?

32. Dirty Harry

• What type of gun is Harry (Clint Eastwood) carrying?

33. Top Secret

• What does the name "Hillary" mean in Hillary's (Lucy Gutteridge) native language?

34. Young Frankenstein

• Whose brain was Igor (Marty Feldman) supposed to get?

35. Back to School

• What line follows Thorton Mellon's (Rodney Dangerfield) question, "What's a bath without bubbles?"

36. The Princess Bride

• Who played Fezzik the Giant?

37. The Godfather Part III

• True or false: This was the only one of the three Godfather movies that did not win the Oscar for Best Picture?

38. National Lampoon's Animal House

• What does Blutarski (John Belushi) imitate in the cafeteria?

39. National Lampoon's Vacation

• What actor plays the Wally World security guard the Griswalds take hostage?

40. Sixteen Candles

• What item is the Geek (Anthony Michael Hall) required to show as proof that he scored with Samantha (Molly Ringwald)?

41. Say Anything ...

• What "sport of the future" does Lloyd Dobler (John Cusak) play?

42. Scent of a Woman

• What hotel do Charlie (Chris O'Donnell) and Lieutenant Colonel Slade (Al Pacino) stay in while visiting New York?

43. The Karate Kid

• What is the name of the evil dojo?

44. Major League

• What is the name of Pedro's voodoo god?

45. National Lampoon's European Vacation

• The Griswalds win their trip on what game show?

46. The Breakfast Club

• How does Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) respond when the teacher says, "I was just in my office and I heard a ruckus"?

47. Back to School

• Mellon (Rodney Dangerfield) has pictures of his wife with another man, but one of the photos is confusing. Why?

48. Silence of the Lambs

• What is Hannibal Lecter's nickname?

49. Apocalypse Now

• Which actor plays Kurtz?

50. The Outsiders

• What happened to Johnny (Ralph Maccio)?

51. Risky Business

• What is the name of the first call "girl" to show up at Joel's house?

52. The Bad News Bears

• What does Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) do for a living, besides manage Little League?

53. Die Hard

• At the end of this movie, Hans (Alan Rickman) tells McClane (Bruce Willis) that "this time John Wayne does not ride off into the sunset with Grace Kelly." What movie is he referring to?

54. When Harry Met Sally ...

• What phrase is Sally (Meg Ryan) trying to draw during the Pictionary game?

55. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

• What actor plays Eddie, the private eye?

56. Crocodile Dundee

• Where in Australia is Dundee (Paul Hogan) from?

57. Misery

• Of what author is Annie (Kathy Bates) the number-one fan?

58. Sudden Impact

• What makes Harry (Clint Eastwood) go back into the coffee shop and thereby disrupt the holdup?

59. Star Wars

• What color and number is Luke (Mark Hamill) assigned in the battle against the Death Star?

60. A Few Good Men

• Name the two characters on trial.

61. National Lampoon's Vacation

• After Clark (Chevy Chase) jumps the Family Truckster off the end of the closed road, Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) exclaims, "You must have jumped this thing about fifty yards." How does Clark respond?

62. The Exorcist

• Who wrote the best-selling novel of the same name, as well as the Oscar-winning screenplay?

63. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

• What three now-famous actors made their debuts in this movie — two as Spicoli's surf buddies, and one as a fry cook?

64. The Untouchables

• What agency does Ness (Kevin Costner) work for?

65. Working Girl

• What three things does Cynthia (Joan Cusack) offer Jack (Harrison Ford) when she lets him into Tess's (Melanie Griffith) office?

66. A Fish Called Wanda

• Ken (Michael Palin) does kill Otto (Kevin Kline). How?

67. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

• Which actor plays the young Indiana Jones?

68. Meatballs

• What does the winning camper get?

69. National Lampoon's Animal House

• Who does Otter (Tim Matheson) say beat him up in the hotel room?

70. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

• Which knight has a singing minstrel following him?

71. Better Off Dead

• What is the name of the dangerous ski run?

72. The Elephant Man

• What is the Elephant Man's real name?

73. Malcolm X

• In the film, who is the leader of the Nation of Islam?

74. Raiders of the Lost Ark

• True or false: This is the first of the Indiana Jones trilogy, but it actually is set after the sequel, Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom?

75. Bachelor Party

• Who is Rick (Tom Hanks) thinking of adopting?

76. Beetlejuice

• What two actors play the recently deceased couple?

77. Rocky IV

• Who is Rocky's (Sylvester Stallone) opponent in this one?

78. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

• What is the name of the mountain where the spaceship lands?

79. Marathon Man

• When Zell (Laurence Olivier) continually asks Creepy (Dustin Hoffman) "Is it safe?," what is he referring to?

80. Annie Hall

• True or false: Diane Keaton won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance?

81. The Empire Strikes Back

• What actor plays Lando Calrissian?

82. Spaceballs

• What actress plays the Druish Princess?

83. The Producers

• Once the play is a hit, what do Leo (Gene Wilder) and Max (Zero Mostel) try to do to ruin it?

84. Tombstone

• How does Doc Holiday (Val Kilmer) respond when asked if he's retired?

85. Airplane!

• Who plays the copilot Roger Murdock?

86. The Graduate

• What actress plays Mrs. Robinson?

87. Young Guns

• What word was chiseled into the headstone of Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez)?

88. Indecent Proposal

• What does Diana (Demi Moore) say when Jack (Robert Redford) tells her she might actually enjoy their night together?

89. Say Anything ...

• Which actress plays the "brain trapped in the body of a game show hostess"?

90. Risky Business

• What kind of car does Joel's (Tom Cruise) father have?


1. nineteen

2. "It's true, it's true."

3. director Rob Reiner's mother, Estelle

4. Adrian Cronauer

5. Senator Charles Palentine

6. the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada

7. The Flying Wasp

8. Chicago

9. Jack Nicholson

10. Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche and Walter Bellamy) from Trading Places

11. the Planet Moon of Endor

12. Argyle

13. "Ease his pain" and "Go the distance."

14. "No shirt. No shoes. No dice."

15. "I'm sorry, I don't do impressions, my training is in psychiatry."

16. He became "a real scumbag."

17. Global Thermonuclear War

18. Wall Street magnate Gordon Gekko, known to his close friends as GG

19. The World of the Psychic

20. Dr. Richard Kimball

21. "How is Elvis, and have you seen him lately?"

22. He spends the night "in the box" (solitary confinement).

23. T-1000

24. one dollar

25. Jar-El, played by Marlon Brando

26. Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound

27. He served three years out of five, with time off for good behavior.

28. Staten Island, New York

29. Fred Gwynne

30. John Forsythe

31. three years

32. a .44 magnum

33. "she whose bosoms defy gravity"

34. the brain of Hans Delbruk, saint and scientist

35. "Hey Bubbles, come over here, will ya?"

36. Andre the Giant

37. true

38. a zit

39. John Candy

40. "Underpants ... Girl's underpants."

41. kickboxing

42. the Waldorf-Astoria

43. Cobra Kai

44. Jobu

45. Pig in a Poke

46. "Could you describe the ruckus, sir?"

47. "This one I can't figure out. There's you, there's Georgio, what's with the midget?"

48. Hannibal the Cannibal

49. Marlon Brando

50. He was burned in a fire.

51. Jackie

52. He cleans pools.

53. High Noon

54. "baby talk"

55. Bob Hoskins

56. Walkabout Creek

57. Paul Sheldon

58. There is too much sugar in his coffee.

59. Red 5

60. Lowden Downey and Harold Dawkins

61. "Nothing to be proud of, Russ ... fifty yards."

62. William Peter Blatty

63. Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz, and Nicolas Cage (using his real name in the credits, Nicolas Coppola)

64. The U.S. Treasury Department

65. "Coffee, tea, me?"


Excerpted from "What's That From?"
by .
Copyright © 1996 Jai Nanda.
Excerpted by permission of St. Martin's Press.

Table of Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
How It Works: A Reader's Guide to What's That From?,
Part One: A Quoter's Paradise for Beginners,
Answers and Bonus Questions,
Answers to Bonus Questions,
Part Two: Classic Movies,
Part Three: A Quoter's Paradise for Intermediates,
Answers and Bonus Questions,
Answers to Bonus Questions,
Part Four: They Said It — Lines from Hollywood's Stars,
Answers and Bonus Questions,
Answers to Bonus Questions,
Part Five: A Quoter's Paradise for Experts,
Answers and Bonus Questions,
Answers to Bonus Questions,
Part Six: Classic Quotes by Category,
Answers and Bonus Questions,
Answers to Bonus Questions,

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