The Dictionary of Film Quotations: 6,000 Provocative Movie Quotes from 1,000 Movies [Paperback]

Melinda Corey (Author), George Ochoa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 1995

The Dictionary of Film Quotations contains about 6,000 quotations from more than 1,000 movies, compiled through original research--viewing movies. Until now, most of these quotations have existed only on film. Published screenplays are relatively few, and they often contain discrepancies from the final cut. The Dictionary of Film Quotations prints the actual text of quotes as heard in the theater. Most appear here in print for the first time.

The movies have been selected according to popularity, critical acclaim, and the importance of directors, actors, and screenwriters. Most of the films are American, but a judicious selection of translated quotes from foreign films is included (Grand Illusion,The Seventh Seal, Babette's Feast). Most are sound films, though a sampling of titles from silent films is provided (Birth of a Nation, Metropolis, the 1926 Ben-Hur).

The quotations are arranged alphabetically by movie from Adam's Rib to Zorba the Greek. With each movie comes basic credit information: studio, year, director screenwriter, and so forth. Quotations follow chronologically as they appear in the film.

There are two indexes: "Speaker" Index  and "Subject and Key Word" Index.  The Speaker Index allows readers to find quotes said by their favorite stars. The Subject and Key Word Index offers two more ways to find quotes.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Contains about 6,000 quotations from more than 1,000 movies. The quotations are arranged alphabetically by movie from Adam's Rib to Zorba the Greek. With each movie comes basic credit information: studio, year, director, screenwriter, and so forth. There are also two full indexes that allow you to find quotations by star or topic. A highly recommended reference for film buffs, writers, and trivia lovers!

From the Inside Flap

The Dictionary of Film Quotations contains about 6,000 quotations from more than 1,000 movies, compiled through original research--viewing movies. Until now, most of these quotations have existed only on film. Published screenplays are relatively few, and they often contain discrepancies from the final cut. The Dictionary of Film Quotations prints the actual text of quotes as heard in the theater. Most appear here in print for the first time.

The movies have been selected according to popularity, critical acclaim, and the importance of directors, actors, and screenwriters. Most of the films are American, but a judicious selection of translated quotes from foreign films is included (Grand Illusion,The Seventh Seal, Babette's Feast). Most are sound films, though a sampling of titles from silent films is provided (Birth of a Nation, Metropolis, the 1926 Ben-Hur).

The quotations are arranged alphabetically by movie from Adam's Rib to Zorba the Greek. With each movie comes basic credit information: studio, year, director screenwriter, and so forth. Quotations follow chronologically as they appear in the film.

There are two indexes: "Speaker" Index  and "Subject and Key Word" Index.  The Speaker Index allows readers to find quotes said by their favorite stars. The Subject and Key Word Index offers two more ways to find quotes.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (June 6, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517880679
• ISBN-13: 978-0517880678
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,247,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The worst reference, or source book, I have EVER seen!, March 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dictionary of Film Quotations: 6,000 Provocative Movie Quotes from 1,000 Movies (Paperback)

This is, without a doubt, the WORST source book , or reference book, I have ever seen. The (authors?) have simply taken Hollywood scripts and copied ANY phrases that appeared, without any sense of value or importance. In all honesty, would a quote such as "ouch!", or "Have a nice day!" qualify as worthy of note..or reference?? The amazing thing is how or why, the publishers EVEN BOTHERED with this trash!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but severely lacking, November 29, 1999

By 

Matthew Cuthbert "Matt Cuthbert" (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dictionary of Film Quotations: 6,000 Provocative Movie Quotes from 1,000 Movies (Paperback)

This book provides some mild entertainment value, but it is far from a comprehensive guide. There are so many striking omissions both in specific quotes and in films themselves. At the same time, there is included a multitude of useless and unmemorable quotations. The only redeeming quality of this "dictionary" is as a source of random nostalgia. It might provide amusement at a party on Oscar night, but it is not to be mistaken for a reference book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not all that awful ... nor that fabulous, December 30, 2000

By 

David C. Hill "*** Dave" (Centennial, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dictionary of Film Quotations: 6,000 Provocative Movie Quotes from 1,000 Movies (Paperback)

On balance, I'm disappointed with this book. The selection of quotations is idiosyncratic at best. A movie quotation should either be able to stand on its own, be a statement of some strength if one has seen the move, or, at least, be evocative of the movie itself. I'd say about 10% of the quotations given here really qualify, based on the movies in the book which I've seen. Indeed, based on just those movies, the book omits many major gems (just a single quote from _The Manchurian Candidate_, for example), while tossing in what seem to be almost random pebbles from many others.

Another weakness to the book is that, while an interchange of a few lines is usually enough to give the context of a quotation, in most cases this book gives just a single line, explaining the context in the citation.

Even more irritating is that quotes are cited to the actors, not the characters (though their characters are described in the first citation in each movie). That makes for some odd reading at times.

That having been said, given 6,000 quotes ("provocative" or not), there are bound to be some goodies you've not run across, and there were a number I dogeared for later transcription. I've definitely run across worse specialty quotation books out there.

(And, for the record, the book does actually list both the screenwriters and the original sources, despite one of the other reviews in this section.)

Is it worth the cover price? Probably not. But at a discount, second-hand, or from the library, it's worth a read. The type is easy on the eyes, at the very least, and if nothing else, it just might inspire you to go out and rent one of the films it quotes.