10 Movie Lines to Live and Die by

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 -

Claus Jacobsen, one of the more insightful writers over on Newsvine has collected a list of 10 really great movie lines. Frankly, I've never heard of most of the films on his list, but the 11th and final entry (blame him, he said it was ten) should have been #1, and gets my vote as one of the greatest lines of all time -- no shocker, it was written by one of the masters of dialog, David Mamet.

11) Third prize: You're fired.
The famous speech from Glengarry Glen Ross, also written by David Mamet - with Alec Baldwin playing the vicious Blake who is sent to deliver this nasty little surprise (YouTube link):

“We’re adding a little something to this month’s sales contest: As you all know the first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize? The second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is: You’re fired! You get the picture? You’re laughing now?”

I removed the YouTube link (which you can get at the original page) because it's a seven minute clip from the film which is definitely copyright infringement, which I absolutely do not support.

Baldwin's scene where he verbally rapes three real estate salesmen is only seven minutes long, he's doesn't appear anywhere else in the entire film, but it's so brilliantly brutal that it kind of eclipses everything else. This is without a doubt one of the finest films ever written, hands down.

No action, no nudity, enough swearing to melt your face off in the first fifteen minutes, and a masterpiece of personal conflict. Great stuff.

Topics: Film, Glengarry Glen Ross, David Mamet, Newsvine

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Anonymous

May 30, 2007, 8:57:00 AM
And why is it that some of the "greatest stuff ever written" is attacking real estate agents?? Jeessshhhh, people either love us or hate us I guess. I prefer everyone loves me.

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