Thursday, February 22, 2007

Thirteen Opening Lines

(Updated below, and updated again.)

Here are thirteen first lines of spoken dialogue from some movies I like a lot. Try and guess the titles.

1. "Whenever I get gloomy about the state of the world, I think of the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport."

2. "Echo Three to Echo Seven! Han old buddy, do you read me?"

3. "I've been saying for years, sir, that our special equipment was obsolete; and now, computer analysis reveals an entirely new approach: Miniaturization."

4. "With the coming of the Second World War, many eyes in imprisoned Europe turned hopefully, or desperately, toward the freedom of the Americas."

5. "The poison is still fresh, three days. The Hovitos are near."

6. "I'm just going to get some flowers, dear. I'll be back in twenty minutes. It's tulip season today. I'm so happy."

7. "Liberty's moving."

8. "Sixty knots? No way, Barnes."

9. "In ancient times, the land lay covered in forests, where, from ages long past, dwelt the spirits of the gods."

10. "I don't feel anything."

11. "The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the Earth. I smell it in the air."

12. "T minus six zero three and holding, laser positive, latch compressors."

13. "Freddy, go and find a cab."

Guess. I dare you. Heh!

UPDATE 2-24-07: As of this morning, Nos. 6, 9, 10, 12, and 13 remain unidentified. Answers will be posted tomorrow morning.

UPDATE II 2-25-07: Below are the answers, in pseudo-invisitext, so you'll have to highlight them to read them (unless you've got great eyes).


1. Love, Actually
2. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Casablanca
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
6. As Good As It Gets
7. The American President
8. The Abyss
9. Princess Mononoke (English dub)
10. Say Anything
11. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
12. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the Eighth Dimension
13. My Fair Lady


And there you go.

8 comments:

LC Scotty said...

Lesseee,

#2 Is Empire Strikes Back

#4 is Casablanca

#5 is Raiders of the Lost Ark

#8 is The Abyss

I recognize #11 but can't place it.

Charlie said...

Shoot. Three of those were ones I knew. :-)

#7 is An American President. Yay, Sorkin!

Greg said...

Boy, I suck. #1 is Love, Actually. That and Casablanca are the only ones I know.

Stephen said...

I knew 2, 4, 8... and 11, which is Fellowship of the Ring (opening of the monologue).

Call me Paul said...

Is #12 Apollo 13?

Anonymous said...

I suck too. I only recognized the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, LOTR and James Bond lines. Number 3 is from On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Anonymous said...

#1 is Love, Actually
#2 is The Empire Strikes Back
#9 is one of the LOTR movies...

#s 6 and 10 are making me crazy, because I think I know them but can't call the data forth... argh!

SamuraiFrog said...

Boy, would I love to sweep in and go, "Oh, well, number 6 is obviously..." Driving me crazy!

9 is Princess Mononoke, one of my favorites.

12 is another of my all-time faves, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension.

13 is My Fair Lady. I only know that because I just recently saw it for the first time.

This is a fun post.