66 Great Movie Taglines from the Past 30 Years

(Re-posted from adweek.comby Tim Nudd.)

We’ve combed through the last 30 years of movie marketing and selected our 66 favorite film taglines from that period. The cut-off of 1980 means we’ve left out what many consider the greatest movie tagline ever—”In space, no one can hear you scream” (Alien, 1979)—but there’s plenty here to chew on. Berate us in comments for everything we left out.

1. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

“The longer you wait, the harder it gets.”

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

2. Alien vs. Predator (2004)

“Whoever wins, we lose.”

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

3. Alien3 (1992)

“The bitch is back.”

Alien3 (1992)

4. Arachnophobia (1990)

“Eight legs, two fangs, and an attitude.”

Arachnophobia (1990)

5. Armageddon (1998)

“Earth. It was fun while it lasted.”

Armageddon (1998)

6. Army of Darkness (1992)

“Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.”

Army of Darkness (1992)

7. The Big Lebowski (1998)

“Her life was in their hands. Now her toe is in the mail.”

The Big Lebowski (1998)

8. Boogie Nights (1997)

“Everyone has one special thing.”

Boogie Nights (1997)

9. Buffalo Soldiers (2001)

“War is hell … but peace is f*#!%!! boring.”

Buffalo Soldiers (2001)

10. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

“The true story of a real fake.”

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

11. Chicken Run (2000)

“Escape or die frying.”

Chicken Run (2000)

12. Christmas Vacation (1989)

“Yule crack up.”

Christmas Vacation (1989)

13. Clerks (1994)

“Just because they serve you doesn’t mean they like you.”

Clerks (1994)

14. Cool Runnings (1993)

“One dream. Four Jamaicans. Twenty below zero.”

Cool Runnings (1993)

15. Dazed and Confused (1993)

“See it with a bud.”

Dazed and Confused (1993)

16. Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)

“After a night they can’t remember comes a day they’ll never forget.”

Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)

17. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

“For Harry and Lloyd, every day is a no-brainer.”

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

18. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

“His story will touch you, even though he can’t.”

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

19. Erin Brockovich (2000)

“She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees.” Erin Brockovich (2000)

20. Fargo (1996)

“A lot can happen in the middle of nowhere.”

Fargo (1996)

21. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

“One man’s struggle to take it easy.”

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

22. Finding Nemo (2003)

“There are 3.7 trillion fish in the ocean. They’re looking for one.”

Finding Nemo (2003)

23. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

“A tale of murder, lust, greed, revenge, and seafood.”

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

24. The Fly (1986)

“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

The Fly (1986)

25. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

“Vietnam can kill me, but it can’t make me care.”

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

26. Gattaca (1997)

“There is no gene for the human spirit.”

Gattaca (1997)

27. Gladiatress (2004)

“Does my gluteus maximus look big in this?”

Gladiatress (2004)

28. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

“Here they grow again.”

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

29. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

“Even a hit man deserves a second shot.”

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

30. Highlander (1986)

“There can be only one.”

Highlander (1986)

31. Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

“Just deux it!”

Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

32. House of Wax (2005)

“On May 6th … see Paris die!”

House of Wax (2005)

33. I Am Legend (2007)

“The last man on Earth is not alone.”

I Am Legend (2007)

34. Independence Day (1996)

“Earth. Take a good look. It could be your last.”

Independence Day (1996)

35. Jarhead (2005)

“Welcome to the suck.”

Jarhead (2005)

36. Jurassic Park (1993)

“An adventure 65 million years in the making.”

Jurassic Park (1993)

37. The Matrix (1999)

“Reality is a thing of the past.”

The Matrix (1999)

38. Men in Black (1997)

“Protecting the Earth from the scum of the universe!”

Men in Black (1997)

39. Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)

“From the brother of the director of Ghost.”

Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)

40. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

“If Nancy doesn’t wake up screaming, she won’t wake up at all.”

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

41. Office Space (1999)

“Work sucks.”

Office Space (1999)

42. Platoon (1986)

“The first casualty of war is innocence.”

Platoon (1986)

43. Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

“They’re back.”

Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

44. Postcards from the Edge (1990)

“Having a wonderful time, wish I were here.”

Postcards from the Edge (1990)

45. Psycho (1998)

“The classic story about a boy and his mother.”

Psycho (1998)

46. Quiz Show (1994)

“Fifty million people watching but no one saw a thing.”

Quiz Show (1994)

47. Redneck Zombies (1987)

“They’re tobacco chewin’, gut chompin’, cannibal kinfolk from hell!”

Redneck Zombies (1987)

48. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

“Family isn’t a word. It’s a sentence.”

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

49. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

“The mission is a man.”

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

50. Saw 2 (2005)

“Oh yes, there will be blood.”

Saw 2 (2005)

51. Scary Movie 3 (2003)

“Great trilogies come in threes.”

Scary Movie 3 (2003)

52. Schindler’s List (1993)

“The list is life.”

Schindler's List (1993)

53. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

“A romantic comedy. With zombies.”

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

54. Sicko (2007)

“This might hurt a little.”

Sicko (2007)

55. The Simpsons Movie (2007)

“See our family. And feel better about yours.”

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

56. Spanking the Monkey (1994)

“Get a grip on yourself.”

Spanking the Monkey (1994)

57. The Stepfather (1987)

“Daddy’s home, and he’s not very happy.”

The Stepfather (1987)

58. The Terminator (1984)

“The thing that won’t die, in the nightmare that won’t end.”

The Terminator (1984)

59. There’s Something About Mary (1998)

“Love is in the hair.”

There's Something About Mary (1998)

60. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

“Does for rock and roll what The Sound of Music did for hills.”

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

61. Tommy Boy (1995)

“If at first you don’t succeed, lower your standards.”

Tommy Boy (1995)

62. The Toxic Avenger (1984)

“The first superhero … from New Jersey!”

The Toxic Avenger (1984)

63. The Truman Show (1998)

“On the air. Unaware.”

The Truman Show (1998)

64. Volcano (1997)

“The coast is toast.”

Volcano (1997)

65. Wayne’s World (1992)

“You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll hurl.”

Wayne's World (1992)

66. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)

“A lively comedy about a guy who isn’t.”

Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

2 thoughts on “66 Great Movie Taglines from the Past 30 Years”

  1. These are all good choices…I would also add the following:

    12 Angry Men: “Life is in their Hands–Death is on their minds.”

    Monty Python and the Holy Grail: “Makes Ben Hur look like an Epic.”

    Superman (1978): “You’ll believe a man can Fly”

    The Thing with Two Heads (1972): “They transplanted a white bigot’s head on a soul brother’s body.”

    =)

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