(Re-posted from adweek.com, by 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.”
2. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
“Whoever wins, we lose.”
3. Alien3 (1992)
“The bitch is back.”
4. Arachnophobia (1990)
“Eight legs, two fangs, and an attitude.”
5. Armageddon (1998)
“Earth. It was fun while it lasted.”
6. Army of Darkness (1992)
“Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.”
7. The Big Lebowski (1998)
“Her life was in their hands. Now her toe is in the mail.”
8. Boogie Nights (1997)
“Everyone has one special thing.”
9. Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
“War is hell … but peace is f*#!%!! boring.”
10. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
“The true story of a real fake.”
11. Chicken Run (2000)
“Escape or die frying.”
12. Christmas Vacation (1989)
“Yule crack up.”
13. Clerks (1994)
“Just because they serve you doesn’t mean they like you.”
14. Cool Runnings (1993)
“One dream. Four Jamaicans. Twenty below zero.”
15. Dazed and Confused (1993)
“See it with a bud.”
16. Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)
“After a night they can’t remember comes a day they’ll never forget.”
17. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
“For Harry and Lloyd, every day is a no-brainer.”
18. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
“His story will touch you, even though he can’t.”
19. Erin Brockovich (2000)
20. Fargo (1996)
“A lot can happen in the middle of nowhere.”
21. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
“One man’s struggle to take it easy.”
22. Finding Nemo (2003)
“There are 3.7 trillion fish in the ocean. They’re looking for one.”
23. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
“A tale of murder, lust, greed, revenge, and seafood.”
24. The Fly (1986)
“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
25. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
“Vietnam can kill me, but it can’t make me care.”
26. Gattaca (1997)
“There is no gene for the human spirit.”
27. Gladiatress (2004)
“Does my gluteus maximus look big in this?”
28. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
“Here they grow again.”
29. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
“Even a hit man deserves a second shot.”
30. Highlander (1986)
“There can be only one.”
31. Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
“Just deux it!”
32. House of Wax (2005)
“On May 6th … see Paris die!”
33. I Am Legend (2007)
“The last man on Earth is not alone.”
34. Independence Day (1996)
“Earth. Take a good look. It could be your last.”
35. Jarhead (2005)
“Welcome to the suck.”
36. Jurassic Park (1993)
“An adventure 65 million years in the making.”
37. The Matrix (1999)
“Reality is a thing of the past.”
38. Men in Black (1997)
“Protecting the Earth from the scum of the universe!”
39. Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
“From the brother of the director of Ghost.”
40. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
“If Nancy doesn’t wake up screaming, she won’t wake up at all.”
41. Office Space (1999)
“Work sucks.”
42. Platoon (1986)
“The first casualty of war is innocence.”
43. Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
“They’re back.”
44. Postcards from the Edge (1990)
“Having a wonderful time, wish I were here.”
45. Psycho (1998)
“The classic story about a boy and his mother.”
46. Quiz Show (1994)
“Fifty million people watching but no one saw a thing.”
47. Redneck Zombies (1987)
“They’re tobacco chewin’, gut chompin’, cannibal kinfolk from hell!”
48. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
“Family isn’t a word. It’s a sentence.”
49. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
“The mission is a man.”
50. Saw 2 (2005)
“Oh yes, there will be blood.”
51. Scary Movie 3 (2003)
“Great trilogies come in threes.”
52. Schindler’s List (1993)
“The list is life.”
53. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
“A romantic comedy. With zombies.”
54. Sicko (2007)
“This might hurt a little.”
55. The Simpsons Movie (2007)
“See our family. And feel better about yours.”
56. Spanking the Monkey (1994)
“Get a grip on yourself.”
57. The Stepfather (1987)
“Daddy’s home, and he’s not very happy.”
58. The Terminator (1984)
“The thing that won’t die, in the nightmare that won’t end.”
59. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
“Love is in the hair.”
60. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
“Does for rock and roll what The Sound of Music did for hills.”
61. Tommy Boy (1995)
“If at first you don’t succeed, lower your standards.”
62. The Toxic Avenger (1984)
“The first superhero … from New Jersey!”
63. The Truman Show (1998)
“On the air. Unaware.”
64. Volcano (1997)
“The coast is toast.”
65. Wayne’s World (1992)
“You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll hurl.”
66. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)
“A lively comedy about a guy who isn’t.”
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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Ha! The Monty Python one is my favorite. 🙂
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