Category: Movies

“That is why you fail.”

From: Star Wars (specifically, The Empire Strikes Back)

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Yoda

The story behind the quote: I have posted a lot of quotes from Star Wars and, more specifically from The Empire Strikes Back. Even more specifically, from that scene when Luke Skywalker is training with Yoda on the planet of Dagobah. Even though I have done so, I still have another one!

While Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) and Yoda are training, Luke’s X-Wing sinks into the swamp bog. Luke does try to lift it up using The Force but, believing it’s too big, he gives up and fails. Yoda, however, does manage to raise it up and even place the X-Wing onto solid ground. Luke exclaims he cannot believe that Yoda could do it. This is when Yoda delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: If you do not believe in yourself or if you immediately tell yourself something is impossible, then there is no way you’ll ever try your best at it. You have to throw all your effort into something, especially something difficult, if you want to succeed.

“So I’ve spent every day since then chasing Amy…so to speak.”

From: Chasing Amy

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Silent Bob

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the 1997 film, Chasing Amy. The film is about a male comic artist named Holden McNeil who falls in love with a girl named Alyssa who turns out to be a lesbian.

The quote comes after Holden McNeil (played by Ben Affleck) has a big fight with Alyssa and they break up because she is much more experienced in bed than he thought because she’s a lesbian. He goes have lunch with his friends, Jay and Silent Bob (played by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively). Silent Bob reveals he was in the same type of situation as Holden and he talks about his past with a girl named Amy, who he broke up with when she revealed she was also more adventurous in bed. After the story, Silent Bob delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: Always cherish the people you have in your life. They may make mistakes but, if they really are important to you, you shouldn’t let those mistakes sour your relationship with them. Because you may regret losing them in the future.

“The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.”

From: Star Wars, specifically Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Supreme Councilor/Emperor Palpatine

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the Star Wars series. More specifically, it comes from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the final chapter of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

The quote comes near the end of the film. Anakin Skywalker (played by Hayden Christensen) is talking to Supreme Councilor Palpatine (played by Ian McDiarmin) and Palpatine tells the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise who managed to use the Force in ways like reviving the dead. When Anakin questions this ability, Palpatine delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: There are actually two pieces of Geek Wisdom we can pull from this quote. The first one is the Dark Side of the Force/evil may seem like it’s unnatural but it actually is. Everyone of us has this “dark side’ inside of us and the reason it seems unnatural is because we’re not supposed to acknowledge this side. We have to be aware that everyone is capable of evil.

The second piece of Geek Wisdom is about death and how it is a natural part of life. We have to accept that all life will eventually end.

“There’s still some stuff in the basement.”

From: Rocky Balboa (2008)

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Rocky Balboa

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the 2008 film Rocky Balboa. This is the sixth film in the Rocky series of movies. The movie has Rocky Balboa, in his mid-sixties, going up against Mason “The Line” Dixon, in a exhibition dream match. Still, Rocky takes the fight as seriously as when he was a championship boxer.

The film comes in the middle of the film. Rocky (played by Sylvester Stallone) talks to his brother-in-law, Paulie (played by Burt Young). Paulie questions Rocky’s motivation for the fight. Rocky then says the reason, which is the quote in question.

Geek wisdom: We do sometimes feel we need to prove ourselves. Not to others but to ourselves. You can use this as a motivator to push through the doubt in our minds and go for the things we want.

“Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.”

From: Star Wars (specifically Episode IV)

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Obi-Wan Kenobi

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the first ever Star Wars film ever released. It was originally just Star Wars but later releases of the film retconned it to be Episode IV: A New Hope.

The quote comes near the start of the film. As Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness) come across the wreckage of the Jawa Sandcrawler that sold Luke R2-D2 and C3-P0. Luke thinks that the Sand People did the attack but Obi-Wan says it was the work of Imperial Stormtroopers because of how good the show are. However, throughout the film, it seems like Obi-Wan’s statement about the Imperial Stormtroopers and the Sand People’s markmanship are false.

Geek wisdom: Sometimes, what you think is correct can be wrong but we will still believe it in because we can be blind by popular opinion or that point has been ingrained in us. We have to use our own senses and actually think and observe to determine what is fact or fiction.

“Did we just become best friends?”

From: Step Brothers

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Brennan Huff

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the 2008 comedy film, Step Brothers. The film has two grown men who are forced to live together in the same house when both their parents get married.

The quote comes early in the film. After Dale Dobeck (played by John C. Reilly) punches his step brother’s real brother in the face, Brennan Huff (played by Will Ferrell) try to get to know each other better after days of feuding. The two find they have a lot in common and, when Brennan finds this out, he exclaims the quote.

Geek wisdom: You never know who are the people you have a lot in common with. You may even find out that even your worst enemy might have the capacity to become someone you would want to be friends with. The only way to find out is to get past the anger and try to find common ground.

“It’s not that I’m lazy. It’s that I just don’t care”

From: Office Space

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Peter Gibbons

The story behind the quote: Office Space is a cult classic movie from Mike Judge, the creator of Beavis and Butt-head. The story generally focuses of a group of frustrated office workers who work for Initech, a software company. Peter Gibbons, a rather meek person, gets hypnotized to a state of complete relaxation. Even though he openly shows his distaste for working at Initech due to being hypnotized, he’s the one that gets to keep his job while his friends get downsized.

The quote comes near the start of the film when Peter Gibbons (played by Ron Livingston) is interviewed by two people who are figuring out who can be laid off. He gives the interview in the hypnotized state, speaking very frankly as to why he only does the minimum amount of work. During the middle of the speech, he delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: It is difficult to do things, especially when you’re not feeling it or you are just not passionate about that job. This is why it’s very important to find something you love or, at the very least, enjoy doing and make that your way to make a living. That way, you will always be motivated to do your very best.

“Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today!”

From: Groundhog Day

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Phil Conners

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the 1993 fantasy comedy film Groundhog Day. The film has weatherman Phil Conners (played by Bill Murray) travel to Punxsutawney to cover the annual Groundhog Day event to see if the town’s groundhog, Phil, will see its shadow and signal a longer winter. However, Phil soon finds out he’s stuck in a time loop and has to live out the titular day over and over again.

The quote comes early in the film. Phil tries to get information as to when the roads and phone lines will be repaired. Phil is frustrated as the reply seems to be tomorrow. However, as he has already experienced the same day a couple of times already, he delivers the quote in frustration.

Geek wisdom: Life can be repetitive and it can seem you’re just living the same events over and over again each day. But it doesn’t have to be like that. You do have the power to change your life and your future but you have to be willing to do the changing.

“[Nature] occasionally throws up the terrible offspring of our pride and carelessness to remind us of how puny we really are in the face of a tornado, an earthquake or a Godzilla.”

From: Godzilla (1985)

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Steve Martin

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the reboot to the Godzilla franchise that was released on 1985. This film was the launch of the Heisei series, which renders most of the earlier Showa series of films non-canon except for the original 1956 film.

The quote comes from the very end of the film. Godzilla/Gojira is lured into a volcano and the human forces detonate explosive to bury the King of Monsters. Reporter Steve Martin (reprised by Raymond Burr) delivers a monologue basically stating that the monster is a force of nature and a reminder of how small we really are.

Geek wisdom: While mankind has definitely become the dominant species on the planet, we are still rather small and helpless to the forces of nature. As much as we would like to control it, Mother Nature is just too powerful and strong to bend to our will. It’s better to just live and respect it rather than try to control it.

“A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”

From: Gandalf the Gray

Genre: Movies/Books

Who said it?: The Lord of The Rings trilogy, specifically The Fellowship of the Ring movie

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, both the books and the movies. The Lord of the Rings is a follow up to JRR Tolkien’s book, The Hobbit. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins finds The One Ring in the possession of his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. What follows is a quest to go to Mordor to destroy The One Ring.

The quote comes during the early moments of the film that was directed by Peter Jackson. Gandalf the Gray (played by Sir Ian McKellan) arriving at the Shire, the area of the hobbits. Frodo Baggins greets the wizard, taunting him that he is late. This is when Gandalf delivers the quote.

Please take note that the video is an edit to extend the laughter between the two characters. It was the best I could find.

Geek wisdom: Everything you do has to have a purpose and this even includes your mistakes. If you’re late for an appointment or fail to accomplish a task, there is a good chance it it your fault, even if there are circumstances that prevented you from doing it. The best thing is to own up to them.