Opinions
The 10 Greatest Mother*#@$ing Cursers in Movie History
Posted by Danny Gallagher (danny@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 23, 2007
Some parents with small children might not like it, but cursing can actually make a movie better. Movies are about bringing fantastical, unreal moments and making them seem just for a few moments as if they are really happening. That’s hard to accomplish when a censor dictates that a character who gets shot in the neck has to utter a loud “Gosh darn it to heck and back!” because of some kids in the audience.
But just like any performance art, cursing takes talent. Anyone can utter a string of obscenities that could make Kevin Smith ask them to stick a quarter in the cuss jar, but it takes talent and the right touch to make a curse word funny, scary or dramatic. So get your soap and cover your kids’ ears because here are 10 of the finest filthy-mouthed film stars.
10. Billy Bob Thornton in “Primary Colors”
Thornton may know his way around a stage. But with a lot of attitude and a little Southern charm, Thornton can cuss up a storm just like the good ol’ boys back home. “Primary Colors” may have been a giant dirty bomb, but his %#*$ing in the Woods” allegory made his character the most fun.
9. Jason Statham in “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”
Take a fast talking Cockney British guy, the voice of a man who smokes four packs of cigarettes a day, throw in some salty language and you’ve got Statham. Just listening to his curse slinging can you help understand how so many soccer riots start in Britain.
8. Jay Mewes AKA Jay in “Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back”
Kevin Smith wouldn’t have much of a career to speak of without the foul mouth of Silent Bob’s hetero-lifemate, but his cursing makes his performances as the drug dealer Jay something worthy to speak of. His smoky voice and confident swagger make his cursing sound like the cries of a wise old blues singer who speaks his mind and doesn’t care who he offends.
7. Jack Lemmon in “Glengarry Glen Ross”
His earlier movies (my personal favorites are “Mister Roberts” and “The Great Race”) may make him seem to younger generations like the kind old man who lives down the block and hands out hard candy to all the kids in the neighborhood. But underneath that gray hair and checkered golf shirt lies the soul of a very profane man who’s ready to flip off the world and tell them where to stick it. He even the only “mother#*$er” in this group that has a favorite curse word, according to his interview “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” It’s “#*(#sucking mother(#$*#er.”
6. Nick Frost in “Shaun of the Dead”
The “Costello” to Simon Pegg’s “Abbott” may not utter a stream of obscenities like bullets from an AK47. But when he does, he squeezes every last drop of comedy out of it. He can use the “F” word, the “MF” word and even the treacherous, career killing “N” word to punch the audience in the face with the strength of a doped up prizefighter and the audience counters in return a huge roaring laugh.
5. Eric Cartman in “South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut”
We all knew Cartman would have the best and baudiest cursing moments when it came to bringing the TV show to the big screen. But no one ever could have predicted that the fat ass’s dirty, dirty mouth, which up until the movie was only good for destroying Cheesy Poofs and Snacky Cakes, could actually be used as a weapon. There’s not a silencer big enough for this kid.
4. Jeff Bridges in “The Big Lebowski”
Bridges doesn’t get many chances to drop the “F-bomb” in between his various movie roles and voice overs for Duracell commercials. But we would be remiss if we didn’t mention his brilliant performance in one of the Coen Brothers’ brightest and best movies to date. His cursing not only makes the performance funny and real because such a stream of angry curse words would be the last thing you’d expect from a peace loving, “Creedance” listening, weed smoking hippie.
3. Samuel L. Jackson in “Pulp Fiction”
He’s had some better performances earlier in his day, but even a bad movie can be made better by his potty mouth. “Pulp Fiction” and “Snakes on a Plane” might be his most popular performances to date, but they’ve also got some of the most quotable cursing scenes. It’s the only time in history that the word “mother##*$er” could be acceptable in public as long as it was in the phrase by “I’m sick of these mother#%$*ing snakes on this mother*#%$ing plane!”
2. Al Pacino of “Scarface”
If you’re going to curse, you’d better have a strong voice to back it up and no one can make the spittle fly like the Godfather himself. Pacino is to cursing what Picasso is to painting. He throws them around the room from all sides and at all angles and when the dust clears, you have a masterpiece of profanity staring you in the face. If you could capture just one of Pacino’s cursings and put it in a frame, you’d get a check from Sotheby’s auction house that would put you on easy street for the rest of your life.
1. Joe Pesci in “Goodfellas”
But when it comes to big time, no holds barred, balls to the #*($ing wall cursing, there’s only one face to turn to my friend. And even though you may have to look down when you turn to it, expect to be brought down to your knees. Almost every performance Pesci has done were about guys who spoke from their heart and didn’t bother to filter it by the time it came flying out of their mouths. Imagine how much better “Gone Fishin’” would have been if the director let him sling a few “#*#$s” around the room.
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84 Comments
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Um, what about Steve Martin in “planes, trains and automobiles”? “I need a f@$kin car, right f@$kin now!”
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Clearly missing Dennis Hopper’s Frank Booth from Blue Velvet: “Fuck You — You Fucking-Fuck”. Cursing is an art-form best left to professionals like Frank.
and:
Lee Ermey’s Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Are you quitting on me? Well, are you? Then quit, you slimy fucking walrus-looking piece of shit. Get the fuck off of my obstacle. Get the fuck down off of my obstacle. Now. Move it. I’m going to rip your balls off, so you cannot contaminate the rest of the world. I will motivate you, Private Pyle, if it short-dicks every cannibal on the Congo.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:51 pm
There is SO much dialogue spoken in FULL METAL JACKET that is just gold - especially by the Drill Sergeant in the first half of the movie. That should DEFINITELY be included.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:00 pm
What??? No Boondock Saints? You have got to be fucking kidding me.
Rocco: Fucking… What the fuck. Who the fuck fucked this fucking… How did you two fucking fucks…
[shouts]
Rocco: fuck!
Connor: Well, that certainly illustrates the diversity of the word.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:16 pm
I’m definitely with Keith and Ross. The drill sergeant is a master class in epic profanity. In his case it’s not just the profanity as well as the -perfect- delivery. I would be intimidated out of my skull if I wouldn’t be absolutely over the moon about his style and grace. An awesome performance very worthy of this list. It helps of course to know that the man has walked the walk as a Drill Instructor. He was just reliving his glory :).
Otherwise, I love this list but not the very tiresome censoring of the words. This is about profanity so use it. Nobody who lives in the real world is going to be offended by it if they’re honest with themselves. Nudity and profanity are far less obscene than the gratuitous violence that is casually displayed on tv and which doesn’t get bleeped out. I am compelled to say that if you cocksuckers don’t have the fucking balls to use the very motherfucking words you want to fucking write about, you’re as fucking useless as a shitstain on the motherfucking mattress, much though it grieves me to convey the idea in quite those words.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:40 pm
no one should forget sean connery in “The Rock”. his string profanity is perfectly rythmic and precise and delivered exelantly
April 24th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Sorry, I’ve gotta go with John McClane (Bruce Willis) in every Die Hard. Curses like it’s a comma.
2nd The Boondock Saints (scene in the alleyway mid-movie with 47ish fucks in a row and Rocko’s diversity of the word after their first ‘real’ hit).
April 24th, 2007 at 12:05 am
What about the infamous Bruce Willis in Die Hard? he’s the best swearer out there.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:18 am
#3 is No. 1, what are you thinkin’? He’s the Bad Motha F#$%aH!
And why did you cut out his gun?!
Look:
http://img.inselpix.com/581731944565.gif
My Pix
April 24th, 2007 at 12:33 am
How could you forget Ben Kingsley (Don Logan), in Sexy Beast, there is no one scarier than Don:
“You’re the problem! You’re the fucking problem you fucking Dr White honkin’ jam-rag fucking spunk-bubble! I’m telling you Aitch you keep looking at me I’ll put you in the fucking ground, promise you! ”
or
“Shut up, cunt. You louse. You got some fuckin’ neck ain’t you. Retired? Fuck off, you’re revolting. Look at your suntan, it’s leather, it’s like leather man, your skin. We could make a fucking suitcase out of you. Like a crocodile, fat crocodile, fat bastard. You look like fucking Idi Amin, you know what I mean? Stay here? You should be ashamed of yourself. Who do you think you are? King of the castle? Cock of the walk?”
“Not this time, Gal. Not this time. Not this fucking time. No. No no no no no no no no no! No! No no no no no no no no no no no no no! No! Not this fucking time! No fucking way! No fucking way, no fucking way, no fucking way! You’ve made me look a right cunt! “
April 24th, 2007 at 12:46 am
It also happens that Jack Lemmon is the single greatest actor in the history of American cinema.
And there’s not even a close second, as far as I’m concerned. His Glengarry role was perfection by even the strictest of standards.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:52 am
I don’t think Cartman should be in the list. There is more to good profanity than the words. It’s the feeling one conveys. That’s why Pesci, Pacino, SamJack, Bridges, and Lemmon should be on the list. I agree that Hopper’s Frank really needs to be on the list.
If solely by count, then Casino, Platoon, Deer Hunter, Nil by Mouth, Kings of Comedy, and others are on lots of top lists by count alone.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:53 am
[…] The 10 Greatest Mother*#@$ing Cursers in Movie History […]
April 24th, 2007 at 1:16 am
Nice list, I was hoping for, but don’t really miss Bill Nighy from Love Actually.
April 24th, 2007 at 1:36 am
Where’s Chris Tucker? He had perfect charisma in “Money Talks”.
April 24th, 2007 at 1:46 am
You completely forgot about the guy in Johnny Dangerously, it was great because he says some really messed up stuff but they don’t edit it on TV because he says stuff like “you Fargin’ iceholes”
April 24th, 2007 at 1:56 am
Johnny Depp in Fear And Loathing. Word.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:30 am
Without a doubt, The Drill Sergeant from Full Metal Jacket should be at least on this list, in my opinion he should be somewhere on the top 5.
“How tall are you private?”
–”Five foot Nine sir!”
“I didn’t know they stack shit that high!”
April 24th, 2007 at 2:43 am
I thought Shirley Temple was terribly potty-mouthed in the classic 1933 movie, “Salt-Water Tots Meet Captain Cornhole”. Such language from a 7-year old! “Just give me the %^&*ing lollypop, you $@#*ing mother-@&%er! or I’ll rip you a new #@%!” I was appalled. Really.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:30 am
Personally, Denzel Washington in Training Day delivers profanity with class and utmost glamor.
“Yeah, whatever. Whatever the fuck ever.”
OR
Mark Wahlberg in The Departed with his slap-in-the-mouth attacks.
“Whoop-de-fuckin-do”
April 24th, 2007 at 3:38 am
What about Joe Pesci in Casino, or the whole movie Casino. According to IMDB, The word “Fuck” is said 422 times, including in the narration - 2.4 times per minute on average.
April 24th, 2007 at 4:22 am
I’m with “Don’t forget Ben”. No-one in a film has ever made me feel like Ben Kingsley did in Sexy Beast. Sexy Besat wasn’t a great film, but Ben was truly psychopathic in it.
April 24th, 2007 at 5:11 am
Lest we forget Eli Wallach as the bandit in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
April 24th, 2007 at 5:18 am
3 words Yippee Kiay Muthafucka!
April 24th, 2007 at 5:51 am
When I saw this page’s title, I was certain I’d find Jack Nicholson as #1… how the fuck did you miss that Danny?
April 24th, 2007 at 9:06 am
dude steve martin in planes trains and automobiles just for the one airport scene
April 24th, 2007 at 9:29 am
And there’s Afemo Omilami, the drill sergeant, in Forrest Gump.
Yes, Jack Nicholson should be on this list, Danny Boy. But a great compliation here, you g— d— f—ing genius.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Trailer Park Boys: The Movie
Ricky: Fuck this court. Fuck Jim Lahey. Fuck Randy. Fuck those two idiot cops right there. Fuck suit dummies; as a matter of fact fuck legal aid. Fuck Danny and Terry’s Buffalo Chicken Wings. Fuck all the old wood in here. Fuck the moon, fuck corn on the cob, fuck squirrels. Fuck me, fuck you, fuck everything!
April 24th, 2007 at 10:11 am
The Drill sargeant is definetely one of the best at the delivery of insults weaved with cuss words that not only makes you think “what the fuck did he just say?” and laugh at the same time.
On a side note i think Denis Leary should be added, the one movie that comes to mind is the Ref. Funny and filled with cuss words. In general he has that annoyed “get the fuck out of my face” look that makes cussing a natural part of language.
April 24th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Tom Cruise: Magnolia has to be on this list.
April 24th, 2007 at 10:40 am
[…] The 10 Greatest Mother*#@$ing Cursers in Movie History - Film School Rejects Some parents with small children might not like it, but cursing can actually make a movie better. Movies are about bringing fantastical, unreal moments and making them seem just for a few moments as if they are really happening. That’s hard to accomplish when a censor dictates that a character who gets shot in the neck has to utter a loud “Gosh darn it to heck and back!†because of some kids in the audience. […]
April 24th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
R. Lee Ermey as Gunnery Seargent Hartman in ‘Full Metal Jacket’ not only should be on the list, he should obviously be #1. His dialogue was so much more imaginative and exciting to listen to than any other candidate as to completely invalidate any list that omits him.
April 24th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Where’s Sarah Silverman from Way of the Gun ?
April 24th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
No R. Lee Ermey in FMJ = list discredited.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Why is an article about cursing “censored”, I think we all are fucking adults here who have heard these fucking words millions of fucking times. Come on.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Scarface is hardly The Godfather. No wonder you’re film school rejects.
April 24th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Just thought I’d mention Bill bobs performance in Bad Santa. Probably one of my top five funniest movies. If you havent seen it, go rent it tonight. You wont be dissapointed
April 24th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
[…] Top 10 greatest movie cursers […]
April 24th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
i am with luke up there…
david della rocco has one of the greatest cussed out lines in film history, but legitimately, he is nto an actor. just the actual person troy duffy wrote the rocco character based on, and said to hell with it, and got david to play the fictionalised version of himself.
April 24th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Joe Pesci ftw for that one scene with Ray Liotta insults Pesci at the Restaurant
April 24th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
[…] The 10 Greatest Cursers in Movie History […]
April 25th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Laura Dern in “Citizen Ruth” invites another character to “Suck the shit out of my ass, Motherfuckerer”. Beat that, folks!!
April 25th, 2007 at 10:11 am
[…] says fuck like Sam Jackson, that’s for sure, but after reading this article on the Ten Greatest Cursors I couldn’t help but think how great it would be to hear James Earl Jones go off on a tirade. […]
April 25th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
[…] The 10 Greatest Mother*#@$ing Cursers in Movie History. But just like any performance art, cursing takes talent. [via] […]
April 26th, 2007 at 12:45 am
I’m frankly amazed that Bobby DeNiro aka Jack Walsh in Midnight Run was not included. Good god, that was some blue strek of swearing. Whenever he deigns to speak at all, except in front of his daughter, it’s fuck fuck fucketty fuck fuck fuck. But it’s artful and florid, stylish cursing. Love it, love that flick.
April 26th, 2007 at 9:48 am
I’d like to nominate Tanner Boyle from “The Bad News Bears” for this gem. “All we got on this team are a bunch of jews, spicks, niggers, pansies, and a booger eating moron.” Any 10 year old that can curse like that should be on this list in my book.
April 26th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Really, how could you forget John McClane. He basically coined the phrase “Yippie Ki Ya Mother F***er!”
April 26th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Billy Bob in Bad Santa was great
Also, Jack Lemmon from Glengarry Glen Ross? His cursing was great, but Pacino and Alec Baldwin were a bit more colorful.
April 26th, 2007 at 11:53 am
yo,dickweed,go to the source ‘The Last Detail’
April 26th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
the most memorable cursing from GGR definitely came from Pacino (the scene where he tore a new one to Spacey) and Baldwin as Blake…as he said to Lemmon’s character: “What’s my name? F*CK YOU! That’s my name!…coffee is for closers you piece of sh*t!”
April 26th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
i agree that bad santa should be on there…. and even though big lebowski’s on there once, what about john goodman in that movie? classic
April 26th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
2nd on Ricky from Trailer Park Boys, or pretty much anyone on that show. How about: Denis Farina in Get Shorty, Sam Jackson in Jackie Brown, Baldwin in Glengary (or on the phone w/ his daughter.)
April 26th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Jason Lee in Mallrats. His curses are poetry.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
I wish this list coulda included TV characters as well: then we coulda had Tony Soprano and Paulie Walnuts from the Sopranos.
I can’t believe there is a list of great cursers and yall gonna leave out Susie Green from ‘Curb your Enthusiasm’.
The only person who can compare to her in rhythm, tonality and orchestration is Pacino’s character from Glengarry Glen Ross. Susie Green is a fucking goddess.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Trailer Park boys….the whole cast would be the top 10.
http://www.energyturtle.com
April 26th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
What the fuck?
April 26th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Robert Deniro in Midnight Run!!!
April 26th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
David Delarocca from Boon Dock Saints is the single longest string of the F-word i’ve ever heard, however, when rocko slams his hand on the table and the gun goes off with the cat sitting in front of it, and after they all calm down, the greatest line ever happens by patrick flannery: no fuckin way that just happened.
genious.
April 26th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
[…] 10 greatest cursers in movie fucking history. […]
April 27th, 2007 at 3:42 am
Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro would’ve been a better choice.
April 27th, 2007 at 4:37 am
Totally agree that R. Lee Ermey should be #1 on the list for his performance in Full Metal Jacket. No other movie has made me feel TENSE for 50 minutes straight like the first half of that one did.
Also, I’m really happy GlenGarry Glenross got a mention here because it’s such an interesting, offbeat, and most of all, manly movie
April 27th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Begby from Trainspotting
April 27th, 2007 at 10:09 am
“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you…you’re cool…fuck you, I’m out.”
April 27th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Dennis Leary - The Ref
Nuff Said
April 29th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Good choices, all. But my heart lies with the Big Lebowski for fucking poetic genious.
As with all Coen brother movies. Not just “the dude” though, Walter had some of the best uses for expletives for my money, “Shut the fuck up, Donny.” “Fucking pedorass, dude.” “I’ll get you a fucking toe, with fucking polish.” “my fucking whites.” Come on, you know what I’m fucking talking about.
April 30th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Haha, yeah Begby was great!
‘That lassie got glassed and no cunt leaves here till we find out what cunt did it!’
May 1st, 2007 at 2:49 pm
How did raging bull not make this list? Joe Pesci opposite R. Dinero
I agree with Keith Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth in Blue Velvet:
Booth: “…I’ll send you a love letter, you know what a love letter is?
it’s a bullet from a fucking gun fucker. You receive a love letter
from me and your fucked forever. You understand fuck? I’ll
send you straight to hell fucker.”
May 1st, 2007 at 10:35 pm
[…] Link [Via Digg] May 01st 2007 Posted to History, Movies […]
May 1st, 2007 at 11:46 pm
how about stiffler from american pie? Happy “Fuck Day”, Ass Mouth.
or edward norton in american history x??
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:05 am
And why is samuel L J Not no one for his abbility to say MF=???
May 10th, 2007 at 2:35 am
The absolute NUMBER1 is Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet (1986). Never heard someone else to curse that much.
May 10th, 2007 at 7:50 am
yet another lame attempt at alist like the 80’s one
i could name 100 better but ill name one that should be on the list for sure
CASINO !
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Just to let all you people know, the Marines do not have Drill Seargents. They have Drill Instructors. Therefore, you shouldn’t be calling R. Lee a drill seargent.
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:47 am
How about Yosemite Sam?….Dagnabbit!!
June 24th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
What about Edward Norton in the 25th hour, his “fuck you” monologue? But i definitely agree about the top 2, though maybe Pesci was even better (or worse) in Casino. And true what some of you say that Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket was fucking outstanding. And Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth was so fucking suave! I FUCK ANYTHING THAT MOOVES!
Some people are commenting about tv shows but remember that this is supposed to be only about movies… if it weren’t, well.. “Welcome to fucking Deadwood!”
“Scarface is hardly The Godfather. No wonder you’re film school rejects.”
It was just a reference to Al Pacino’s role in The Godfather, meaning that he has a very respectable career. He wasn’t saying Scarface was anything like The Godfather. Where did you learn your trade you idiot, you fucking cunt?
June 30th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Definatly Full metal jacket, or in another note the television series deadwood
July 12th, 2007 at 10:14 am
Forgot Stifler from american pie, best and funniest curser in history or maybe ari gold
July 17th, 2007 at 2:31 am
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket all the way. With quotes like:
“You are the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even human, fucking beings. You are nothing but unorganized grabastic pieces of amphibian shit.”
“Who the fuck said that? Who’s the slimy little communist shit, twinkle-toed cocksucker down here who just signed his own death warrant?”
But the best line in the whole movie is “Private Pyle, I’m gonna give you three seconds, exactly three-fucking seconds to wipe that stupid-lookin’ grin off your face or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you!”
If only the Army had their drill sergeant’s were like this today, the joy Psychologists would have dealing with all those PRIVATE PYLE’s!!!
July 22nd, 2007 at 4:19 am
dude…nobody has mentioned the flick, “Running Scared”. That movie is full of cussing AND bloody gore. If you haven’t seen it, I pity you.
August 23rd, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Eddie Murphy from “Coming to America” as the barber when they’re all talking about Sugar Ray and Rocky Marciano:
“Fuck you, fuck YOU and FUCK YOU…..who’s next?”
October 11th, 2007 at 7:35 am
[…] read more | digg story […]
November 12th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
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January 4th, 2008 at 3:18 am
You Phudge Packin Little Bitch’s Wouldnt Know Real CURSEN Unless It Hit You In The Mouth Like Your Boyfriend’s 3″ Winnie. The Real Mac Daddy Of The FUCKING SILVER TOUNGS iS JOE PHUCKING P… IN GOODFELLOWS. His Fucking Persive Pallet Is Like God If You Really Fuckin Pissed Him Off…So All YOUS Grade School Fist Fucker’s Need To Go Old School Like JOEY,P & Remember ” You Think Im Funny How???..Rock On JOE..Kenny From DaVille…
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Ridiculous!
If you don’t include Kevin Kline in a Fish Called Wanda then what’s the point?