Now in Bookstores Everywhere
A fun, fascinating, and exhaustively reported look at all the essential Hollywood dialogue we know and love, from “Here’s looking at you, kid” to “Always do the right thing” and “Nooooo! Wiiiiiire! HANGERRRRRRRS!” Drawing on interviews and archival sleuthing, the book examines the origins and deeper meanings of hundreds of film lines: how they’ve impacted, shaped, and reverberated through the culture, defined eras in Hollywood, and become cemented in the modern lexicon.
Packed with film stills, sidebars, lists, and other fun detours throughout movie history, “You Talkin’ to Me?” covers all genres and a range of directors, writers, and audiences.
PRAISE FOR “You Talkin’ to Me?”
“A movie buff’s treat, curated by a real movie buff!” —Illeana Douglas, actor and author of I Blame Dennis Hopper and Connecticut in the Movies
“A richly entertaining and deeply researched book about the movie lines that live in our collective unconscious, infiltrate our speech, guide our actions, and shape our perceptions.” —Dave Kehr, critic and curator
“Brian Abrams has put together a fascinating compendium of absorbing information on the films and stars who uttered the most memorable one-liners heard ’round the world. Wait ’til you discover what ‘Rosebud’ really refers to!” —Josiah Howard, author of Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide
“From ‘You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!’ to ‘Wakanda forever,’ Brian Abrams takes the reader on an enormously entertaining, zinger-filled tour of motion-picture history.” —Noah Isenberg, author of We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie
“Informative, fun, and compulsively readable. Movie fanatics, rejoice!” —Odie Henderson, author of Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema
“Frankly, my dear, “You Talkin’ to Me?” is a fabulous look at the stories behind the movies’ most memorable lines. This book is the stuff that dreams are made of.” —Carla Valderrama, author of This Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars and Stories