Movie Quotes

The game is called "What's That From" because that's exactly what the players are trying to guess; what movie is that quote from? The rules can be as simple or as complex as the players wish and can be tweaked to disallow films made before a certain year (a group of teenagers may have a hard time spotting quoted from films made in the fifties, for example), to dictate that the quotes must come from films that are easily recognizable (a quote from The Terminator is far more likely to be recognized than one from Vincent and Theo) or any guidelines that the players wish to create. Sometimes further rules will dictate that the quoter also names the year the film was made and the name of the actor who says the line. This provides additional clues to the other players. "Blood, mother... blood!" is a tad bit more difficult to guess than "1960, Anthony Perkins... 'Blood, mother... blood!"

The answer to that one is Psycho, by the way.

Playing with the Family

The game is obviously best enjoyed by a group of film buffs, each trying to outwit one another with quotes from films that become increasingly obscure as the game goes along. It can be played by anyone, however, and can even be enjoyed with the kids if guidelines are set to make it easier for them to enjoy the game. Quotes from kids' movies can be used and, because most kids tend to watch their videos and DVDs again and again, they're probably going to do better than their parents because they'll know in a heartbeat that "he will be my Squishy" is from Finding Nemo and "to infinity and beyond" is a favorite catch phrase of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story.

Give it a Try

So, you think you have mad game? Have you got the skills to pay the bills when it comes to movie quotes? Try your hand at the twenty quotes below and see how you do. The first ten will be easier, with the year and actor included. The second half will be more difficult with no clues and the quotes will come from more obscure titles (but nothing made by the writer in his backyard, Scout's honor). No cheating by scrolling down to the answers and no using the Internet Movie Database.

1. 1988 Bill Paxton: "Game over, man! Game over!"
2. 1996 Matthew Lillard "I'll be right back!"
3. 1991 Arnold Schwarzenegger "Now I know why you cry."
4. 1972 Al Pacino "My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse."
5. 1974 Robert Shaw "You go in the cage, cage goes in the water... shark's in the water... our shark..."
6. 1981 Dudley Moore "They recently had the whole country carpeted."
7. 1981 Harrison Ford "I hate snakes! I hate 'em!"
8. 1977 Carrie Fisher "The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this!"
9. 2002 Andy Serkis "My... precious!"
10. 2002 Tom Cruise "Everybody runs."
11. "Planet, schmanet, Janet!"
12. "Consider that a divorce."
13. "You killed a fly with a man’s head; she killed a man with a fly’s head."
14. "I hold your oath fulfilled."
15. "Fay is doing a picture with RKO."
16. "Does anyone care for me and my boy!?"
17. "When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not."
18. "Do you know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else."
19. "What knockers!"
20. "Uh uh uh… no one says the ‘B’ word."

Movie Quote Answers

Did you enjoy playing? Score one point for every quote you guessed correctly and grade yourself on the following scale:

15-20 right: You're either a cheater or a movie quote expert. 10-14 right: Not bad. You're no Leonard Maltin, but not bad. 5-9 right: You'd better go back to film school. Less than 5 right: You do know what a movie is, don't you?

1. Aliens
2. Scream
3. Terminator 2
4. The Godfather
5. Jaws
6. Arthur
7. Raiders of the Lost Ark
8. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
10. Minority Report
11. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
12. Total Recall
13. The Fly
14. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
15. King Kong
16. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
17. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
18. X-Men
19. Young Frankenstien
20. Beetlejuice