Horror films are a dime a dozen, which is why we need to embrace the great ones like they’re a dying relative who owes us money. Almost all of the classics in this particular genre arrive with memorable moments aplenty, and always feature a classic line or two for audiences and media types to endlessly quote or poke fun at for years to come. That said, here are 10 lines that have stuck with us throughout the years.
“We all go a little mad sometimes.”
Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 shocker has any number of classic moments, namely the famed shower sequence and that twisted ending. And yet, one of the creepiest moments occurs during a quiet conversation between psychotic Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and eventual victim Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) early in the picture. As the conversation turns to Norman’s abusive mother, the young man becomes defensive and utters the famous line, “We all go a little mad sometimes,” which foreshadows the madness to come.
“They’re coming to get you, Barbra.”
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead wasn’t the first horror film to utilize the walking dead, as it were, but it’s certainly one of the most famous. Right off the bat, the film kicks off with siblings Barbra (Judith O’Dea) and Johnny (Russell Streiner) as they visit their father’s grave. As brothers are prone to do, Johnny begins teasing his sister, who is eager to vacate the creepy graveyard and get home. “They’re coming to get you, Barbra,” he says with a silly grin. Oh, Johnny, if you only knew.
“They’re here.”
Poltergeist (1982)
Poltergeist, the classic ghost thriller from Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg, packs a wallop to this day thanks to some clever scares, a captivating story, and a number of astonishing visual effects that (mostly) hold up. The terror that befalls Steve (Craig T. Nelson) and Diane Freeling (JoBeth Williams) and their three children takes some time to develop, but once little Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) kneels in front of a TV and declares, “They’re here,” audiences know they’re in for a wild ride.
“What an excellent day for an exorcism.”
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist is one of those movies you have to watch at least once in your life as it features some truly splendid religious-based horror, all of which is centered around pint-sized Linda Blair. The young girl is possessed by a demon of some sort, prompting Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Lankester Martin (Max von Sydow) to try their hand at expelling the demon. “What an excellent day for an exorcism,” the demon says nonchalantly as audiences brace themselves for the insanity that follows.
“He came home.”
Halloween (1978)
In 1978, John Carpenter delivered the greatest slasher film of all time and introduced the world to Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and the killer Michael Myers (Tony Moran). As Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) searches for the dangerous masked murderer, he happens across the grave of Michael’s mother, Judith, which has been ripped from the ground. Recognizing that the situation just got real, the good doctor undercuts the seriousness of the scene by coolly stating, “He came home.”
And with that, we’re off.
“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
The Silence of The Lambs (1991)
One of the most memorable movie quotes of all time arrives in Jonathan Demme’s 1991 Academy Award-winning The Silence of the Lambs. During one of the many fascinating conversations between FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), the notorious cannibal takes a moment to freak his guest (and the audience) out by recalling a time when “a census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.” The line has been aped on a number of occasions, notably in the comedy Dumb and Dumber, but still gets under the skin thanks to Hopkins’ delectable delivery.
“Here’s Johnny!”
The Shining (1980)
At this point, any person on the planet could hear the line, “Here’s Johnny!” and know exactly what movie it’s from. The oft-parodied moment occurs during the wild climax of Stanley Kubrick’s classic The Shining — you know, when Jack Nicholson is trying to murder his wife and kid — and serves as an emphatic exclamation point to the creepy shenanigans that occur in the Overlook Hotel.
“I mean, I told you not to go in the house.”
Get Out (2017)
Every great horror list must include Jordan Peele’s modern classic Get Out in some way shape or form. The oh-so-clever thriller is equal parts terrifying and hilarious with the writer/director offering his own unique take on racism in America. While the script packs in any number of memorable lines, the best of the bunch is delivered by Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery) in the film’s final scene. Taking note of his bruised and bloodied friend Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who has endured perhaps the worst weekend of all time, Rod comments, “I mean, I told you not to go in the house.”
The line is almost Spielbergian in nature as it adeptly slices through the tension and undercuts the insanity that occurred over the previous two hours; and could almost describe any horror film ever made.
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Jaws (1975)
Speaking of Spielberg, the maestro delivered one of the all-time greats with 1975’s shark thriller Jaws. Memorably, the 25-foot long fish was famously left offscreen for a majority of the runtime, and when it finally appeared, an appropriately startled Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) could only step back and (in a clever bit of improv) state to his fellow mates, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” No kidding.
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“I see dead people.”
The Sixth Sense (1999)
As is the case with many of the quotes on this list, the classic line “I see dead people,” delivered by Haley Joel Osment in M. Night Shyamalan’s terrific 1999 ghost story The Sixth Sense, can be placed by practically anyone on the planet. What’s more, the bit of dialogue ingeniously reveals the film’s big twist and even cuts to Bruce Willis’ dead-as-a-door-nail-but-doesn’t-realize-it Malcolm Crowe immediately after. The moment is pretty damned awesome even once you know the big secret, and remains one of the most quoted and parodied lines in cinema history.
