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Audio Plays
"On such a full sea are we now afloat; and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures." I rather fear Ms Bush's tide has gone out...
— The Valeyard, Big Finish Doctor Who, "He Jests at Scars"
Comic Books
"You're a cook. I don't kill cooks. Although... there was that one time in Boston. But all I'd have to do is get the jury to taste his salmon mousse, and there isn't a court in the land that would convict me."
— The Shade, Starman (DC Comics), "Incident in an Old Haunt"
Fan Works
For a complete, reprehensible monster, Iruel has a wonderful singing voice.
— Nobody Dies, on the Eleventh Angel
Film — Live-Action
"What a lovely, lovely voice."
— Bane, The Dark Knight Rises
"That is a Dom Perignon '55, Mr. Bond. It would be a pity to break it"
— Dr. Julius No, Dr. No
James Bond: You live well, Scaramanga.
Francisco Scaramanga: At a million dollars a contract, I can afford to, Mr. Bond. You work for peanuts, a hearty well done from her Majesty the Queen, and a pittance of a pension. Apart from that, we are the same. (raises his glass) To us, Mr. Bond, we are the best.
Bond: There's a useful 4-letter word, and you're full of it.
Francisco Scaramanga: At a million dollars a contract, I can afford to, Mr. Bond. You work for peanuts, a hearty well done from her Majesty the Queen, and a pittance of a pension. Apart from that, we are the same. (raises his glass) To us, Mr. Bond, we are the best.
Bond: There's a useful 4-letter word, and you're full of it.
"This particular time and place, and for my work, they are necessary evils. Not my friends. However, with the right connections, even in this part of the world, we are not entirely uncivilized."
— Rene Belloq, Raiders of the Lost Ark
"I can see you~, Kirk. Can you see me? Ah, now let's be honest, captain... warrior to warrior. You prefer it this way, don't you? No peace in our time. Once more unto the breach... dear friends."
Literature
Always attuned to the pleasures of feeding, he took the time to appreciate other luxuries. Music, wine, art, literature, philosophy. With a dilettante's delight, he followed the threads of human endeavour, intrigued by their irrelevant attempts to chart their world, to map their fragile Dreams. He read his Darwin with interest. He could well appreciate the mastery of that which was best fit to survive.
He was not a man without refinement, despite the popular depiction of him as a wizened tyrant, too feeble to lead the invasion himself and too fierce to leave Cho in peace. Tsehan loved fine things, as the diplomats attested. His reception hall was bright with luxuries: sculptures of light and parabolic mirrors, paintings on silk and bamboo strips, mosaics made from shattered ancient celadon. He served tea in cups whose designs of seasonal flowers and fractals shifted in response to the liquid's temperature or acidity. "For the people of Yamat," he said, but everyone knew these treasures were for Tsehan's pleasure, not the people's.
— Between Two Dragons by Yoon Ha Lee
Sherlock Holmes: Apart from what you have told me, can you give me any further information about the man?
Colonel Sir James Damery: He has expensive tastes. He is a horse fancier. For a short time he played polo at Hurlingham, but then this Prague affair got noised about and he had to leave. He collects books and pictures. He is a man with a considerable artistic side to his nature. He is, I believe, a recognized authority upon Chinese pottery and has written a book upon the subject."
Sherlock Holmes: A complex mind. All great criminals have that. My old friend Charlie Peace was a violin virtuoso. Wainwright was no mean artist. I could quote many more.
Colonel Sir James Damery: He has expensive tastes. He is a horse fancier. For a short time he played polo at Hurlingham, but then this Prague affair got noised about and he had to leave. He collects books and pictures. He is a man with a considerable artistic side to his nature. He is, I believe, a recognized authority upon Chinese pottery and has written a book upon the subject."
Sherlock Holmes: A complex mind. All great criminals have that. My old friend Charlie Peace was a violin virtuoso. Wainwright was no mean artist. I could quote many more.
— The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client"
My people believe that to kill something, you must cherish it and love it as it dies. There is no barrier between you and the thing you are killing, and you die as you kill.
Music is the only thing I know that feels the same way.
The music surrounds me until I cease to exist.
I die as I kill.
It's what I live for.
Music is the only thing I know that feels the same way.
The music surrounds me until I cease to exist.
I die as I kill.
It's what I live for.
Zaroff: Oh yes, I have electricity. We try to be civilized here.
Rainsford: Civilized? And you shoot down men?
Rainsford: Civilized? And you shoot down men?
Daine turned, flexing his fingers, showing off his rings. "You strike me as a connoisseur, Mr Quick. Are you familiar with the scene where the suave mastermind talks about art and high culture while his brainless goons beat six or seven kinds of tar out of the stubborn detective?"
"No. Remind me."
"This is a Degas."
Mazurki hit me. Again. The novelty was wearing off.
"No. Remind me."
"This is a Degas."
Mazurki hit me. Again. The novelty was wearing off.
"Good God, man, how could you do what you’ve done and you with so much music in you?"
"Sir Philip Sydney was reputed to be the most perfect of all knights of the court of Elizabeth Tudor," Fallon said. "He composed music and wrote poetry like an angel. In his lighter moments, he and Sir Walter Raleigh herded Irishmen together into convenient spots and butchered them like cattle."
"Sir Philip Sydney was reputed to be the most perfect of all knights of the court of Elizabeth Tudor," Fallon said. "He composed music and wrote poetry like an angel. In his lighter moments, he and Sir Walter Raleigh herded Irishmen together into convenient spots and butchered them like cattle."
— A Prayer for the Dying, by Jack Higgins
Live-Action TV
"I saw their production of Giselle in 1890. I cried like a baby — and I was evil!"
Wade: Did I ever tell you I have a Master's in literature?
Garibaldi: Don't take this personal, but you don't look like the type.
Wade: Everything is illusion, Mr. Garibaldi. Concepts of language, light, metaphor — nothing is real. Except for this blindfold, which you will put on now.
Garibaldi: Don't take this personal, but you don't look like the type.
Wade: Everything is illusion, Mr. Garibaldi. Concepts of language, light, metaphor — nothing is real. Except for this blindfold, which you will put on now.
Scorpius: Revenge is a dish that is best served cold. And you like revenge, don't you, John?
Crichton: Shut up! I hate it when villains quote Shakespeare!
Crichton: Shut up! I hate it when villains quote Shakespeare!
"Your handsome boss is a thousand times more evil than me. It's just that at his universities, he has learned to smile and speak French."
— Müller, Seventeen Moments of Spring
Evil Genius: Forgive the blindfold, Mr. Cooch. An unfortunate necessity, I'm afraid. I bid you welcome to the new headquarters of my organization.
Mr. Cooch: Yeah, very nice, call me Ryan.
Evil Genius: Alas, I abhor informality.
Mr. Cooch: Yeah, very nice, call me Ryan.
Evil Genius: Alas, I abhor informality.
Tabletop Games
"Death is my meat; Terror, my wine."
— Asdrubael Vect, Warhammer 40,000
Video Games
"You gotta hand it to the Chinese. When they disemboweled you, they did it with bloody style! Can you imagine being shivved by this? Like Shakespeare stabbing you with his quill!"
"I prefer the European recordings. The brass sections in American orchestras are too bombastic."
"Bah! You're a traitor to your country and yet you still stand there trying to be eloquent!"
— King Corlo to Messala, Wonder Project J
Web Original
I'm the bon vivant of violence
A licensed psychiatrist
who dines on highest society
To the sound of violins!
A licensed psychiatrist
who dines on highest society
To the sound of violins!
— Doctor Hannibal Lecter, Epic Rap Battles of History
"He's a savage beast, but he listens to Beethoven. He feeds on the innocent, but is still intelligent and well-spoken."
— The Nostalgia Critic, on Alex from A Clockwork Orange
Schaff: So you finally make it to the top of Ganon's staircase, and...damn, was that you playing the organ the whole time? Cool work man, that's actually really good.
Fred: I don't understand, that guy's talented! He doesn't have to work blue!
Fred: I don't understand, that guy's talented! He doesn't have to work blue!
Western Animation
Heiji Shindo: After all these years, you've mastered the brush.
Abijah Fowler: I hate painting. And woodblock and ceramic and calligraphy and (destroying the painting he's just finished) every-other-useless-art I mastered to while away the hours. (throws painting in the fire) I hate that I have time for painting. If I have time to paint then something is wrong.
— Blue Eye Samurai, "An Unexpected Element"
"I've just destroyed the fusion limiters from Reed Richards' dimensional reactor. In exactly one minute, it will create a minute tear in the spacetime continuum, reducing this building — and, regrettably, most of Manhattan — to cosmic DUST!
Pity, really. I never did get to see Cats."
Pity, really. I never did get to see Cats."
— Doctor Doom, Fantastic Four: The Animated Series
Flash: [in an art museum] Wow. Someone sure did a number on this place.
Ultra-Humanite: Actually, I hadn't even started. Do you believe the horrendous amount of public funding spent on this so-called "art?" [starts shooting] It's garbage! An affront to any decent human aesthetic!
Flash: O-kaaay. I'll just take you back to prison where you won't have to look at the ugly old sculptures anymore.
Ultra-Humanite: Actually, I hadn't even started. Do you believe the horrendous amount of public funding spent on this so-called "art?" [starts shooting] It's garbage! An affront to any decent human aesthetic!
Flash: O-kaaay. I'll just take you back to prison where you won't have to look at the ugly old sculptures anymore.
"I can't believe what that clown is doing to Leoncavallo! And they call ME a murderer!"
— Sideshow Bob, The Simpsons
"To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art."
— Grand Admiral Thrawn, Star Wars Rebels
Phantom Limb: Rembrandt van Rijn — a hundred fifty years ago, Delacroix said of Rembrandt that his works would be held higher than those of Raphael. His blasphemous prophecy came true within fifty years, and this one could be yours for the pittance of 10 million, American.
Mafioso: No, I want The Mona Lisa.
Phantom Limb: Look, the Mona Lisa's not a better painting, it's merely a more famous one, and it was made more famous because it was stolen. And this was stolen, so...
Mafioso: No, I want The Mona Lisa.
Phantom Limb: Look, the Mona Lisa's not a better painting, it's merely a more famous one, and it was made more famous because it was stolen. And this was stolen, so...
Real Life
Hitler loved good music and many top Nazis were cultured and sophisticated men, but it didn't do them, or anyone else, much good.
I've been trying to find a redeeming feature to Palpatine, and the only one I've got so far is that he's clearly a patron of the arts because he goes to the opera.
