Month: October 2017

“Who’s going to believe a talking head?”

From: Re-Animator

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Herbert West

The story behind the quote: As it’s Halloween, it’s only fitting that we use a horror movie quote. Which is why this week’s quote comes from the cult classic horror-comedy film, Re-Animator. The original film was based on a short story by H. P. Lovecraft and has spawned two sequels.

The quote comes from the middle of the film. Herbert West (played by Jeffrey Combs) has managed to track down one of his re-animated corpses, Dr. Carl Hill, who has managed to steal his reagent, the chemical compound that can raise the dead. Dr. Carl Hill, despite being dead and essentially has to carry his own severed head around, still wants to publish West’s research as his own. This is when West informs him that no one will believe him because of his current headless state.

Geek wisdom: We all have some kind of status in our life and, sometimes, it can be hard to be taken seriously because of it. We can be overlooked simply because of how people perceive us. This does mean we can either be underestimated or overestimated. It’s up to us to prove what we can do, however, and not let them say what it is.

Oh, and, if you’re a reanimated talking head that’s trying to take credit for creating a formula that can bring the dead back to life, don’t be a jerk and steal someone’s work.

“You see this guy staring back at you? That’s your toughest opponent.”

From: Creed

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Rocky Balboa

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from Creed, which is technically the latest film in the Rocky film franchise. However, instead of Rocky Balboa being the guy entering the ring, he’s now the coach and the trainer of Adonis Jordan, who just so happens to be the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed.

The quote comes from the middle of the film just as Rocky (once again played by Sylvester Stallone) begins training Adonis (played by Michael B. Jordan). During one of their training sessions, Rocky takes Adonis to face himself in the mirror. He tells him to get into his fighting stance and, via the quote, tells Adonis that his opponent, whether in the ring or in life, that the man he’s looking at in the mirror is actually the person he’s going against.

Geek wisdom: We are sometimes the person that holds ourselves back. We can talk ourselves out of doing something or we can even try to stop improving because we become too comfortable with our status in life. However, we have to break through that barrier and actually try to be better than what we are right now all the time. We have to keep on taking steps to improve ourselves each and every day.

“He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever got noticed by anyone.”

From: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Q

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation. A worthy successor to the franchise, The Next Generation introduced a new cast of characters taking control of a new USS Enterprise as they boldly go where no man has gone before.

This week’s quote comes from the 6th season episode, Tapestry. In the episode, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) is shot in his artificial heart. Ironically, if he has his normal heart, he wouldn’t be dying. The god-like being Q (played by John de Lancie) gives him an opportunity to return to that bar fight that made him lose his original heart in the first place. Picard does so but, when he is returned to his original time, he is no longer the Captain of the USS Enterprise, but a simple junior officer. He confronts Q about his current situation and Q explains that, because he never had that brush with death in the bar, Picard never took the risks that made him a daring captain in the first place.

Geek wisdom:  It seems easy to take no chances. While you may leave a comfortable life by doing this, the only way to really get ahead is to seize opportunities when you can and take risks. It may seem difficult but the most successful people in life have taken the more perilous route to get where they are. The gamble may be risky but the payout is high.

“All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.”

From: Blade Runner

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Roy Batty

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the Ridley Scott cult classic, Blade Runner. The film is all about a man named Rick Deckard, the titular Blade Runner of this story, and his search for four rogue Replicants who have made it to Earth. The film didn’t actually do all that well when it was released in 1982 as most critics felt the pace of the film was too slow. However, as the film gained cult status due to its incredibly deep story and Ridley Scott’s beautiful vision of a gritty future, the film has gained more notoriety and has influenced many directors of today.

The quote actually from the end of the film as Roy Batty (played by Rutger Hauer) had just saved Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) from falling off a building. Realizing that he is dying due to the nature of Replicants having short life spans, Batty laments on the experiences he had accumulated and delivers what is now known as the “tears in rain” monologue, in a sense, proving that he does have a soul and human.

Geek wisdom: A huge part of what makes us human is our experiences in life. These collective experiences are all that help form our very unique individuality. We are all interconnected by these experiences but we may not feel the same way or experience them the same way. That doesn’t make them any less significant, though, as they have meaning to you or someone else.

Ultimately, however, when we do leave this mortal coil, those experiences will be lost forever. This is why we have to experience as much of living as we can while possible.