Top 10 Memorable Movie Insults
Words can sting and words can scar; but right now we're concerned only with the latter. In this video, http://www.WatchMojo.com counts down our picks for the top 10 memorable movie insults. For this list, we're focusing on the cinematic slurs that we've never been able to forget. Insults are all manner of things, but to make this list they have to be memorable, but not too funny because we've also got a list of the Top 10 Funniest Movie Insults, and not too rude because we've also got a list of the Top 10 Obscene Movie Insults.
Special thanks to our users Mattyhull1, Sam Ricketts, perryhigh, Andrew A. Dennison, aldqbigsquare and Alex Johnson for submitting the idea on our Suggestions Page at WatchMojo.comsuggest
#10: Nothing
“Swimming with Sharks” (1994)
To kick things off is some abuse that’s brilliantly built up, and expertly laid down. Kevin Spacey’s Buddy could’ve stopped at any moment, but rather than lessen the blow, he opts for foul-mouth and free-flow. No one likes to be reminded that they’re ‘nothing,’ but this is beyond even that. When your boss cares more for his own human waste than he does for you, then something has gone seriously, seriously wrong!
#9: Penis Breath
“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)
Friction during family time can often lead to insult gold, and around the table at Elliot’s house it’s 24-carat barbs all the way. No one will believe in aliens, and our hero is angry – what better way to silence critics than to scream the rudest words you know? A young Drew Barrymore is the gob smacked baby sister, but this scene belongs to Elliot, the young, tough-talking man of the house.
#8: Shine Box
“GoodFellas” (1990)
He ‘didn’t mean to offend him’… Yeah right?! Billy Batts is in supreme control here, and he wants everyone to know the score. Tommy is lower than him, he’s the errand-boy, the gofer, and he always will be. His arrogance, though, is misplaced since Batts will pay for this jibe with his life – but with his last moments, he mocked his way into our memories!
#7: Jerk-Off
“The Big Lebowski” (1998)
Lebowski is drunk, delirious, and about to be degraded beyond reasonable measure. The Chief of Malibu police is proud of his beach community, but he isn’t proud of this inhabitant – he doesn’t like the name, the face, the behavior, and he especially hates the jerk-off nature. The speech in itself is well worthy of this list, but the coffee cup to the head that follows is just priceless!
#6: Toy Taunts
“Toy Story” (1995)
An insult so memorable, we even know the exact tone of its delivery, without even thinking. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen do not hit it off as this cowboy/spaceman duo – and that rivalry is summarized in this snappy speech. Buzz is all conquering, intergalactic, and slightly insane. Woody is unassuming, old school, and slightly outdated. For Woody this is the perfect time to panic, for Buzz it’s the perfect time for pity.
#5: Nerf Herder
“Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)
A young Han Solo is quite the handful – he’s cheeky and charming, but arrogant at times. This scene is one of those such times, but Leia deals with it in marvelous fashion. One who herds nerfs is one without brains (in Star Wars speak), and Harrison Ford’s bemused expression is perfectly timed. That he should be most hurt by ‘scruffy-looking’ is further testament to his loveably enlarged ego.
#4: This is Your Lucky Day
“Three Amigos” (1986)
It’s fourth on our list, but three is the magic number here. Steve Martin leads his gang of make-do Mexicans into battle with a tirade of abuse. And this memorable insult leaves its subjects as confused as we are. A motherless goat?? What even is that?? An answer to that question – it’s a universal racial slur – but for the moment, and the movie, it’s the third component to a three-part insult that’s impossible to misremember.
#3: Poultry Problems
“Back to the Future Part II” (1989)
Marty McFly can cope with mad scientists, he’s OK with time travel, and he can even deal with kissing his mom; but if you call him ‘chicken,’ you had better watch out! This insult is as memorable for the reaction as it is for the delivery. It’s used everywhere, everyday – at least by us – and that’s largely thanks to this movie. The DeLorean takes us Back to the Future, and this insult takes us Back to Basics. Sometimes, you gotta minimize to maximize!
#2: Drills & Discipline
“Full Metal Jacket” (1987)
This partly scripted, mostly improvised inspection of the troops is minutes upon minutes of pure cinematic splendor. No one is safe with R. Lee Ermey pacing the line as the military man with a razor-sharp tongue. Ermey had been a real-life drill sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, so his putdowns are his own inventions, conceived during a life of battle – and the reaction to them is quite genuine. Taunting doesn’t come truer than this!
Before we let our top pick loose, here are a few honorable mentions:
- The Definition of Idiot “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (2005)
- Rhymes with ‘Itch’ “The Women” (1939)
- The ‘C’ Words “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
- Keep It Short “The Princess Bride” (1987)
#1: Epic Rap Battle
“8 Mile” (2002)
He had one shot, one opportunity, and he absolutely nailed it! Eminem, as B-Rabbit, is the straight talking, trailer-trash, new kid on the block, and he will not be ignored! His opponents give good, but Shady gives better. Spitting and slurring as if his life depended on it, he attacks from every angle and lands every punch. It’s improvised, it’s inspirational, and it’s unforgettable. He doesn’t choke, and he’s our champion.
Do you agree with our list? Who’s terrific taunts have we missed? For more hard-to-forget Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
