Category: Movies

“You mean you have to use your hands?” “That’s like a baby’s toy!”

From: Back To The Future: Part II

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Two kids from the future

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the second installment of the Back To The Future trilogy of films. In this film, Marty McFly goes to the future (2015 at the time) because Doc Brown says that one of his future children is in trouble. However, while saving his son, Biff Tannen steals the DeLorean and changes the past by giving his 1955 self a Sports Almanac that allows 1955 Biff to make a fortune by placing bets on the winners, creating a horrible alternate future. Mary and Doc then race to the past to prevent this from happening.

The quote comes from when Marty arrives in the future. Two kids from the future manage to get  an old Wild Gunman arcade machine working again. Unable to figure out how the game works, Marty steps in and shows the kids his prowess in the game. However, the kids are unimpressed by how to actually control Wild Gunman…

Geek wisdom: Technology will always keep on improving by leaps and bounds. Before you know it, the latest gadget that you believed was incredibly advanced will seem incredibly dated in a span of a few years. With that being said, we keep on getting the latest tech, such as the newest phones or tablets, knowing full well they will be obsolete in a couple of months.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to take into perspective if it’s actually worth getting the newest gadgets knowing someone is trying to innovate something radically better than the thing we have right now.

“They may take our lives. But they will never take our freedom!”

From: Braveheart

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: William Wallace

The story behind the quote: The quote Braveheart. The film is based on the life of William Wallace, one of the leaders during the Wars for Sottish Independence. The film shows how Wallace (played by Mel Gibson) managed to rally the embattled Sottish forces during one pivotal battle as well as his eventual capture and execution.

The quote comes from the film’s pivotal “freedom speech.” As the Scottish forces look at imposing might of the English army, William Wallace, who has become some kind of legend because of his previous victories in battle, rallies the demoralized Scottish rabble with a speech.

Geek wisdom: Personal freedom is one of those intangible things we never appreciate until it’s gone. When it is taken from us, we sometimes feel it’s better to live under someone’s boot rather than fight to regain it. And when we do realize the yoke of oppression it too much, we may find out that it’s too late to fight back.

Freedom is for everyone. However, we must be willing to fight for it. Yes, there is a risk involved… but it may be a risk worth taking.

“They’re boxy but they’re good!”

From: Crazy People

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Stephen Bachman

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the little known film, Crazy People. Emory Leeson (played by Dudley Moore) is an advertising executive. One day, he has a nervous breakdown and decides to create “truthful” commercials and advertisements. Some of these new ads are a little too straight to the point and this results in Emory getting checked into a mental hospital. However, these new “honest” advertisements are accidentally released to the public and are actually well received! This leads to Emory, along with the rest of the patients, to create more candid commercials.

The quote comes early in the film. After Emory and his colleague, Stephen Bachman (played by Paul Reiser), are chewed out by their boss. Backman looks over the ads that Emory pitched…

Geek wisdom: Frequently, we love to go for style over substance. We will sometimes go for the more “sexy” product because it looks sleek and stylish. We then wish we got the more practical alternative; the one with more features and less prone to breakage.

Let’s focus on functionality rather than form. Because, in the long run, that’s what really matters.

“Life finds a way.”

From: Jurassic Park

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Dr. Ian Malcolm

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the very first Jurassic Park movie. The film was a landmark in special effects as it was one of the first motion pictures to use computer generated imagery (CGI) effectively. The film was directed by Stephen Spielberg and based on the book of the same name by Michael Crichton. It’s all about a rich philanthropist John Hammond (played by the late Richard Attenborough) who dreams of opening the titular Jurassic Park, a theme park that will feature real life dinosaurs.

The quote comes from fairly early in the film. The head geneticist of Jurassic Park (played by BD Wong) explains that all the dinosaurs are female to prevent uncontrolled breeding. However, renowned mathematician and chaos theorist, Dr. Ian Malcolm (played by Jeff Goldblum) doesn’t think the plan will work.

Geek wisdom: Sometimes, in the bleakest of times, things just mysteriously work themselves out. At times, we even try to figure out how these situations resolved themselves but can’t find out how it happened. We just have to accept that life just works in mysterious ways.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies. But a great deal more to stand up to your friends.”

From: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Dumbledore

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the very first Harry Potter book/film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The series is about a boy named Harry Potter, a boy wizard. When he was a baby, he managed to survived a deadly spell cast on him by Lord Voldermont, earning him the nickname, “The Boy Who Lived.” Although he didn’t die, the magical attack left a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Now, as a teenager, Harry Potter is enrolled in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But there are rumblings that Lord Voldermont is slowly regaining his power and is poised to make another play to take over the wizard world.

The quote comes from the very end of the book/film. Dumbledore, Hogwart’s Headmaster, is awarding points to the different “houses” of the school. Although Harry’s house, Gryffindor, is behind their rival, Slytherin, Dumbledore decides to give a few extra points to one of Gryffindor’s members, the meek and mild mannered Neville Longbottom as he did display true courage…

Geek wisdom: Conflict is an odd thing. We usually try to avoid it, especially with those we have a close bond with. At times, we even support things they may do that are just plain wrong just to “fit in.” This isn’t really good. In fact, as friends and family, we have to sometimes tell them the ugly truthjust to lead them on the right path.

Sometimes, tough love is the answer. It may not be the easy path but it may be the right one.

“Boy, that escalated quickly.”

From: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Ron Burgundy

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the first Anchorman film. The movie tells the story of 70’s superstar new anchor Ron Burgundy (played by Will Ferrell) and his all-male news team. The station is forced to hire Veronica Corningstone, a fledging female reporter. Due to a freak accident on the way to work, Ron Burgundy is late to work and Veronica takes his seat during his absence. She becomes a hit and is made co-new anchor, which irritates Rob and his friends.

The quote comes somewhere in the middle of the film. Rob and his team get lost while taking a shortcut to buy new suits. They bump into a whole bunch of rival news teams and a riot breaks out, leaving some of the people involved severely injured, maimed or dead. Rob reflects on the events that led to the fight and delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: Sometimes, things do get out of control and get out of hand. And when that happens, catastrophic things can happen. It’s best to avoid situations like this before they do. Try to keep a level head during difficult situations and try to be in control of your actions at all times. Let cooler heads prevail.

“Have you ever tried shawarma?”

From: Marvel’s The Avengers

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Tony Stark/Iron Man

The story behind the quote: This quote comes from the first Avengers film. The film was a huge blockbuster and a dream of comic book enthusiasts. It also proved that comic books and superheroes were not just for kids, but for people of all ages.

The quote comes from the tail end of the movie. After Tony Stark/Iron Man saved New York from a nuclear missile and an alien invasion, the hero lies flat on his back, exhausted from the ordeal. He then quips to Captain America and the other heroes that they try shawarma, a new dish that he hadn’t tried. And, during the after credits clip, it does show all of the Avengers eating the mid-eastern delicacy… to various degrees of satisfaction.

Geek wisdom: Always be open to try out new things. Whether it be a certain kind of food and what not, you’ll only discover new things and broaden your horizons by being adventurous. At worst, you can just say you didn’t like the experience. But, you never know, that thing you think is disgusting may be the best thing in the world for you.

“It’s a trap!”

From: Star Wars: Return of The Jedi

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Admiral Ackbar 

The story behind the quote: This week, we have another quote from the Star Wars films. This one, however, is kind of special as it doesn’t come from any of the main cast members. In fact, he was only introduced in Return of the Jedi. This week’s quote comes from Admiral Ackbar, the Mon Calimari (yes, that the name of his species) tactical leader of the Rebel Alliance.

The quote comes from the pivotal scene where Admiral Ackbar leads an assault on the new Death Star. Hoping that Han Solo, Princess Leia and the rest have disarmed the force field emanating from the forest moon of Endor. After realizing that the Empire has actually been waiting for them, he utters one of the most remembered lines on he film.

Geek wisdom: Murphy’s Law states that, if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. No matter how much you plan, there is always the chance you’ll encounter some unforeseeable circumstance that can throw all your meticulous planning out the window.

When these situations do happen, there’s nothing you can really do but just wing it and hope for the best.

“The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. “

From: Fight Club

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Tyler Durden

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the cult film Fight Club. The story is all about an unnamed narrator (played by Edward Norton) meets charismatic soap maker Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt). As they get to know each other, they decide to open up the titular Fight Club as their fights always seem to attract a lot of attention from onlookers.

The quote is actually the first (and probably the most important) rule of Fight Club. The narrator states that, before every session, Tyler Durden details the rules of Fight Club for the benefit of those who have just joined.

Geek wisdom: People tend to be more open with their secrets in this day of age for various reasons. Whether it be to become popular in social media or to just get ahead, privacy isn’t at a premium anymore. In fact, it seems like the more secrets you spill these days, the better.

There are times when you need to keep a secret, especially if you know if it’ll get you into trouble.

“Klaatu Barada Nikto”

From: The Day the Earth Stood Still

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Klaatu and Helen Benson

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the 1951The Day The Earth Stood Still. In this sci-fi film, an alien named Klaatu lands on Earth in the hopes of studying its inhabitants. The title of the film comes from a pivotal scene where Klaatu disables all electricity on the planet.

The quote is said during the third act of the movie. As the army hunts down the alien, Klaatu informs Helen Benson that, if anything should happen to him, he should say the quote to his robot assistant Gort. It is imperative that she does this as Gort is powerful enough to destroy the planet. Sure enough, Klaatu gets shot and dies. Gort soon awakens and attacks. Helen manages to deliver the quote to pacify the robot.

Of course, the quote is also popular because it also appeared in another cult classic movie, Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness… but he has some trouble remember the exact words…

Geek wisdom: Passwords have to be hard to get. Try using something that really hard to guess. Maybe even something that’s not even a real word.

By the way, April Fools!