Directed by Joe Dante and featuring an all-star cast that includes Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Rick Ducommun, and Corey Feldman, The Burbs is an absolute classic.
The script, written by Dana Olsen, has so many great moments, and here are the top ten best quotes from The Burbs!
1. Ray Is Chanting
Ray (Hanks) gets tired of Art’s (Ducommun) obsession with the supposed satanic serial killer family next door and plugs his ears while chanting, “I’m not going to listen to this, I’m not going to hear this now.” However, Art panics and thinks they got into his head.
2. Ricky Is a Meatball
The dynamic between Mark Rumsfield (Dern) and Ricky Butler (Feldman) is basically the equivalent of a grumpy old man yelling “GET OFF MY LAWN” to a young punk. One of the best quotes from The Burbs from the film comes after Ricky tells Mrs. Rumsfield (Wendy Schaal), “Hey, Mrs. Rumsfield, no tan lines. Looks nice.” as she’s bent over gardening. What a meatball.
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3. Vic the Garbageman Hates Cul-De-sacs
Played by the late, great Dick Miller, Vic the Garbageman may not be a central character, but that doesn’t make his lines any less memorable. And accurate.
4. Neighbor Take Flight
Ricky shares some old wisdom with Art and Ray and perhaps a bit of foreshadowing.
5. Ray Watches TV
Once again fed up with Art’s preoccupation with the Klopeks, he checks himself out of the convo and goes back to watching the telly.
6. They Find Walter
Ray finally starts to get caught up in the hysteria as he and Art discover a femur. Art tells Ray, “There’s no doubt anymore. This is real. Your neighbors are murdering people. They’re chopping them up. They’re burying them in their backyard. Ray…This is Walter.” Which leads to the best Tom Hanks scream in cinema history.
7. There Go the Brownies
Let’s face it, Rumsfield being an old crank, is just the best. When the neighbors finally go pay the Klopeks a visit, Rumsfield falls straight through the porch, and…there go the brownies.
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8. Ray Fights Back
Ray is finally convinced that the Klopeks are up to no good and vows to avenge his missing neighbor, Walter. He plans to go over the fence and says he’s “not coming back until I find a dead body.” Seeing the surprise on their faces when Walter returns home safely is classic.
9. Ray Gets Blown Up
Things don’t go exactly as planned, and we see one of the all-time best-filmed house explosions. Ray regrets his actions until Dr. Klopek traps him in an ambulance, confesses that he is what they think he is, and says, “I let you keep the femur, but now, now I want my skull. Or perhaps, I might just take yours.” Guess Art was right all along…
10. Ricky Says What We’re All Thinking
We all do, Ricky. We all do.
What is your favorite entry on our best quotes from The Burbs list? Let us know on social media or in the comments below!