Ice Station Zebra (1968) Writers: Alistair MacLean (novel), Douglas Heyes (screenplay), Harry Julian Fink (screen story), W.R. Burnett (uncredited) http://i.cdn.turner.com/v5cache/TCM/cvp/container/mediaroom_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=179200 Dialog on Dialog: At the height of the Cold War, Ice Station Zebra pitted the US Navy against the Russian military in a race to the North Pole to retrieve a downed spy satellite. In this scene just after an nearly-successful attempt to scuttle the submarine, spies David Jones (Patrick McGoohan) and Boris Vaslov (Ernest Borgnine) are confronted by the submarine's Captain Ferraday (Rock Hudson) who demands answers. At this point, no one is sure who can be trusted. All of the major characters' nerves are getting frazzled, and the scene ends without any satisfying answers, thus maintaining the tension going forward. FERRADAY: It wasn't sealing wax. It wasn't chewing gum. It was epoxy glue. All of a sudden, you know a whole damn lot about submarines. JONES: I know how to wreck them, and I know how to lie, steal, kidnap, counterfeit, suborn, and kill. That's my job. I do it with pride. FERRADAY: And, Vaslov, is that your job, too? VASLOV: Yes, Captain. FERRADAY: What's your theory? VASLOV: That a man aboard this ship committed sabotage. FERRADAY: You mean, go down with it? VASLOV: Of course, and as willing to die for what he believes in as you are...or I am. FERRADAY: And what do you believe in, Mister Vaslov? VASLOV: That should be obvious, Captain. I was born a Russian, but I chose my side out of conviction, not by accident of birth. JONES: And since I got him through the Berlin Wall in 1961, his convictions have been proven by British Intelligence, your CIA, and by me. Somebody doesn't want us to get to Ice Station Zebra. FERRADAY: Why? JONES: Well, my guess is the job could have been done before you sailed. One of your civilian-- FERRADAY: Those men have top serity clearances. JONES: People with top security clearances are being hung every day, but if you must have a suspect, I, uh, aboard the ship, I give you, uh...Captain Anders. FERRADAY: Is that an accusation? JONES: A nomination. FERRADAY: Why? JONES: He's--excuse me--he's the only one that none of us know about. He's too perfect. Picked up in transit, he says, dropped down to us out of the skies-- FERRADAY: I don't believe it. JONES: Boris, did anyone at the helicopter base know or recognize Captain Anders? VASLOV: No, but he had orders. JONES: He had Captain Anders' orders, but is he Captain Anders, or is Captain Anders lying dead somewhere along the line in transit? I've done that same sort of thing myself to the other side. FERRADAY: You go along with this? VASLOV: Please, I do not like Captain Anders, so I disqualify myself. JONES: Captain, when you surface, you can radio to check on his authenticity. FERRADAY: Very well, I'll check on Captain Anders. And Mister Vaslov and you. JONES: Oh, I've vouched for Mister Vaslov. As for me, you can safely eliminate me. FERRADAY: Why? JONES: Oh, You must. FERRADAY: Why? JONES: By a logical absurdity. Haven't you forgotten, Captain? I'm in charge of this operation. FERRADAY: Never entered my mind. JONES: Well, then you'd better take another look at your orders. I haven't labored the point so far because up to now you've been doing all that's been required of you, but the primary objective of this mission is to get me to Ice Station Zebra. Those orders come to you from your Chief of Naval Operations and direct to him from your President, so before we go any further, I suggest that you get me there. Put another torpedo up the spout, blow a hole in the ice, and GET ME THERE! FERRADAY: One of my men is dead, three of them badly hurt, and my ship damn near wiped out. Now you take another look at those orders. I'm in command of this submarine, and I am not sticking another torpedo up that spout or taking another chance or making another damn move until I know exactly what we're doing and why. [Intercom] Captain, Control. We've hit a lead. we're under thin ice. JONES: Well, that does make the problem academic, doesn't it, Captain?

Three Days of the Condor (1975) Writers: James Grady (novel "Six Days of the Condor"), Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel (screenplay) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w3E3eFMsLg HIGGINS: We have games. That's all. We play games. What if? How many men? What would it take? Is there a cheaper way to destabilize a regime? That's what we're paid to do. TURNER: Walk on. Go on. So, Atwood just took the games too seriously. He was really going to do it, wasn't he? HIGGINS: A renegade operation. Atwood knew 5412 would never authorize it, there was no way. Not with the heat on the company. TURNER: And what if there hadn't be any heat? Suppose I hadn't stumbled on their plan? Say nobody had. HIGGINS: Different ballgame. Fact is, there was nothing wrong with the plan. Oh, the plan was all right. The plan would've worked. TURNER: Boy, what is it with you people? You think not getting caught on a lie is the same thing as telling the truth? HIGGINS: No. It's simple economics. Today it's oil, right? In ten or fifteen years-- food, plutonium, and maybe even sooner. Now, what do you think the people are going to want us to do then? TURNER: Ask them. HIGGINS: Not now. Then. Ask them when they're running out. Ask them when there's no heat in their homes and they're cold. Ask them when their engines stop. Ask them when people who have never known hunger start going hungry. You want to know something? They won't want us to ask them. They'll want us to get it for them. TURNER: Boy, have you found a home. Seven people killed, Higgins. HIGGINS: The company didn't order it. TURNER: Atwood did. Atwood did. And who the hell is Atwood? He's you. He's all you guys. Seven people killed, and you play fucking games! HIGGINS: Right. And the other side does, too.

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Writers: Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns, George Nolfi(screenplay) Robert Ludlum (novel) ---

Noah Vosen: [in car, on cell phone] Perhaps we can arrange a meet. Jason Bourne: Where are you now? Noah Vosen: I'm sitting in my office. Jason Bourne: I doubt that. Noah Vosen: Why would you doubt that? Jason Bourne: If you were in your office right now we'd be having this conversation face-to-face. [Bourne hangs up]

From Russia with Love (1963), directed by Terence Young Writers: Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Johanna Harwood, (adaptation), Ian Fleming (novel - uncredited), Berkely Mather (screenplay - uncredited) JAMES BOND: Red wine with fish. Well that should have told me something. DONALD "RED" GRANT: You may know the right wines, but you're the one on your knees. How does it feel old man? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8S3WduxpZ0 Why the dialogue is notable: The James Bond franchise has contribute to define the espionage genre. And one of the movie that established the Bond formula is From Russia With Love. This scene defines the Bond character because of his ability to make a joke in front of the bad guy (and in this case the bad guy answers back, which is rare!). Moreover Bond stresses the fact that his nemesis is unaware of how you should eat and drink in a proper way (aka in a occidental way) and that makes him a danger. The enemy of Bond is the one that is his opposite in a cultural way: he wants to be his equal but he can't really achieve this status because of the "little thing" that draws a line between the good and the evil. The opposition between two characters is not necessarily stressed with clothes or manner or language: here both are in costume and speak a proper english. Yet they are enemies who recognize each other (especially Bond in this example) because of something else, that makes Bond a good detective: a more day-to-day detail!

Thanks, everybody, for your suggestions. Some excellent ones. Look for them this week!

Movie: Austin Powers in Goldmember Youtube: http://youtu.be/vFhrc32kF6E [first lines] Famous Austin: Yeah Baby. Dixie Normous: Hi, I'm Dixie. Dixie Normous. I may be just a small-town FBI agent slash single mother, but I'm still tough... and sexy. Famous Austin: Well, Miss Normous... shall we shag now, or shag later? Dixie Normous: Oh Austin, behave. Famous Dr. Evil: Hey Powers! You better watch your frickin' self because this is one doctor who does make house calls. Right Mini-Me? [camera pans over to... ] Famous Mini-Me: Hey assholes! I'm Mini-Me! Come and get me! Steven Spielberg: So, Austin, what did you think of the opening credits? Austin Powers: Well, I can't believe Sir Steven Spielberg, the grooviest film maker in the history of cinema, is making a movie about my life. Very Shagadelic, baby, yeah. [laughs] Austin Powers: Having said that, I do have some thoughts. Steven Spielberg: [holding an Oscar] Really? Well, my friend here thinks it's fine the way it is. Austin Powers: Well, no offense, Sir Stevie, but you gotta have mojo babe, yeah. Hit it. Comment: This falls under the category of Best Espionage Movie that was Never Made but You Wish it Had Been. A movie about the grooviest spy ever starring Tom Cruise and Kevin Spacey and directed by Steven Spielberg? Who wouldn't want to see that?