24. "You finally really did it - you maniacs! You blew it up! God damn you! God damn you all to hell!"
Planet Of The Apes (1968)
The human-simian hybrid horror! It was Earth all along.
Er, either that or the damn dirty apes have constructed a scale replica of the Statue Of Liberty...
23. "I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope..."
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Sure, it's sickly-sweeter than a swimming-pool full of candyfloss, but - in contrast to his Se7en final line - ol' droopy-voice confirms Frank Darabont's prison-flick as the most shamelessly emotional buddy pic of all-time.
22. "The horror, the horror..."
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Kurtz's rasping epiphany cuts through his death throes. It's a whisper that echoed across a post-Vietnam America: war is hell.
Next: 21 - 19
Comments
darjeelingmike
Nov 16th 2009, 13:08
Not just some of the greatest closing lines, but also some of the best scenes from some of the best movies ever. TF, this is easily one of your best lists and has made me want to revisit a whole number of films. Thanks for now taking up my whole afternoon!
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darjeelingmike
Nov 16th 2009, 13:08
Not just some of the greatest closing lines, but also some of the best scenes from some of the best movies ever. TF, this is easily one of your best lists and has made me want to revisit a whole number of films. Thanks for now taking up my whole afternoon!
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Agent69
Nov 16th 2009, 15:48
What in the hell is The Dark Knight doing on this list?
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McMeiks
Nov 16th 2009, 17:34
You had me until you called Back to the Future Part II 'limp'. For shame. Still, I do loves me some Bobby and Al bro'mance set to a bit of Moby. T2 ends on a humdinger, too. Pity Sam Worthington and co. sandblasted most of my fond Arnie memories away with the monumentally s****y Salvation.
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apbgreen
Nov 16th 2009, 18:04
What about 'I steal...' from I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang. A forgotten classic, years ahead of it's time that sends shivers up the spine. Awesome.
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ASHORT
Nov 16th 2009, 19:01
Have you not noticed that they manage to squeeze The Dark Knight onto just about every list?
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joker16
Nov 16th 2009, 21:22
Heat = Powerful There Will Be Blood = Robbed of Oscar
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mitchsn
Nov 17th 2009, 3:01
John Carpenter's The Thing should be on this list: Childs: "Well, what do we do?" McReady: "Why don't we wait here for a while. See what happens..."
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Gadfly22
Nov 17th 2009, 21:13
Nice list. But really "Dark Knight"? Try "King Kong" instead: "It was beauty killed the beast."
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nbuskirk
Nov 17th 2009, 21:39
Seriously? No Road to Perdition? That final line from Paul Newman is killer. "I'm glad it was you." GAAAH! :) That movie rules.
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Meatgortex
Nov 17th 2009, 22:43
Good list, but as mitchsn mentions above leaving off Carpenter's The Thing is criminal.
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leefie
Nov 18th 2009, 6:34
What about the original 'Taking of the Pelham 123'??? Sneeze "gesundheit" Da dunn dunn dunn! (best theme ever.
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Apathygrrl
Nov 18th 2009, 12:03
I agree with your list, including the Dark Knight, and especially Memento & Usual Suspects. I would add Princess Bride's "As you wish." as said by Peter Falk.
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buddylove
Nov 18th 2009, 14:04
"Autumn." Best closing line in 2009. Dark Knight was good but I'll go with Batman Begins (paraphrasing): Gordon: I never said 'Thank you.' Batman: And you'll never have to.
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RayAnselmo
Nov 18th 2009, 15:20
One more to include: H.I. McDonough's wistful final soliloquy in "Raising Arizona." "Maybe it was Utah ..." If you're going to pick only one Coen Bros. final line, this one kicks "No Country's" butt and takes its lunch money.
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RickDVD
Nov 18th 2009, 17:30
What about the final line in Take the Money and Run "Is it raining out?" or Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* but were afraid to ask, when Tony Randall says, "We're going for seconds!"
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RickDVD
Nov 18th 2009, 17:36
Or, the final line of A Clockwork Orange... "I was cured all right!" There are a lot of good final lines in other Kubrick films, as well, like Nicole Kidman's X rated comment at the end of Eyes Wide Shut. How apropos that the Master's final word in a film is the F word!
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RickDVD
Nov 18th 2009, 17:38
What about Alex's final words in A Clockwork Orange. "I was cured all right!" or another Kubrick film, Eyes Wide Shut, where Nicole Kidman utters the F word. Apropos that the Master's final word in a film would be that one!
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PutneySwope
Nov 18th 2009, 18:22
I am sorry, the greatest closing line of all time was from, Network: "This was the story of Howard Beale: The first known instance of a man who was killed because he had lousy ratings."
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jeffhayford
Nov 18th 2009, 18:29
Great list. I agree that Dark Knight should be nixed I don't think it can stand up to stuff like Casablanca. I would submit that American History X should be on this list somewhere (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unJ7Kvu2syk). Otherwise nice job.
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NewJerSea
Nov 18th 2009, 18:33
Good movies selection for the exception of back to the Future, but your missing two great ones! Dead Poets Society - Oh Captain, my Captain!! Field of Dreams - "Hey Dad, wanna have a catch"?
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normal1
Nov 18th 2009, 18:34
I've always loved the ending to Death Race 2000. Frankenstein and his new bride still being bothered by one of the Bill O'Reillys of the world. Before they can drive off into the sunset, they have to deal with this parasite. Bride to Frankenstein: Do we have to listen to this? Frankenstein: No. And the parasite is gone.
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thirdperson
Nov 18th 2009, 19:21
The Untouchables. Scoop: Word is they're going to repeal Prohibition. What'll you do then? Eliot Ness: I think I'll have a drink.
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TheFormer786
Nov 18th 2009, 20:06
I'm glad you included Psycho, that is a great, great ending line. I don't know if I agree with the #1 line on your list as the best one, but it's a good list. http://theformer786.blogspot.com/
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Lizzie
Nov 18th 2009, 21:10
In the 70th anniversary year of Gone with the Wind, I would have included "Tomorrow is another day." But then all list like this are subjective. We all have our favorites.
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Tommyt
Nov 19th 2009, 0:18
How did Casablanca find its way to the absolute end of this list?? If it hadn't been for that line many of our subsequent films wouldn't have been planned for a great closing line! But I was mostly happy w/the rest of the choices.
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Harp0
Nov 19th 2009, 6:46
One of the best films of 09 Inglourious Basterds, had a very interesting last line: Lt. Aldo Raine: "You know somethin', Utivich? I think this might just be my masterpiece." It had the obvious meaning that Raine was proud of the "job" he just finished. Also it was a reference to the hype that this film was going to be Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece. Funny stuff in a very dark humor kind of way.
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Harp0
Nov 19th 2009, 6:53
Another great final quote was from the 1949 film, White Heat. (James Cagney) Cody Jarrett: Made it, Ma! Top of the world!
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eatyourbeets
Nov 19th 2009, 6:57
Not as great of a movie (although deserved better box office than it got), but the second greatest--I'll concede "Nobody's perfect" as number one--closing line ever was "Ain't life a m***f***r!" from F. Murray Abraham in An Innocent Men. I'd go for Princess Bride as third.
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Cartonofmilk
Nov 19th 2009, 7:45
Ok good, someone already mentionned Carpenter's the Thing cause i was going to. But what about The Terminator: Gas station attendant: there's a storm coming. Sarah Connor: I know.... Chilling.
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Jetblack927
Dec 11th 2009, 15:12
Think the parting line from "Pulp Fiction" should have made this list, but I'm thankful that "Heat" made the top 5.
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