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Posted by Lewis on January 06, 2006

In Reply to: Screen plays posted by Brian from Shawnee on January 05, 2006

: : : : Could you please tell me what is the meaning of the quote "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk." and in what context people use it??

: : : Isn't it your job to tell us in what context people use it? More specifically, in what context did you hear or see the sentence? I've never actually heard the sentence, but I would assume it means something like, "If action is required act, don't sit around debating it." If a wildfire is threatening the whole county, go out and fight the fire, don't do nothing while planning what you ought to do. It might be meant more literally. There's a maniac loose, and no one will stop him. Everyone's busy trying to figure out how to do it without shooting him. Or possibly, "Do we really have to have another committee to study the problem to death?" SS

: : the phrase was used in action-adventure film(s). I can recall some action hero saying it to his captor when that person was doing the "villain's gloat". of course, the villain is making a dreadful mistake in gloating, as they almost invariably get their comeuppance immediately afterwards.

: : I can't recall which AH it was for certain, but most likely it was Schwartzennegger although Eastwood, Willis, Van Damme and Uncle Tom Cobbleigh deserve mentions.

: : L

: Actually it's from a Clint Eastwood film, but the line was spoken by Eli Wallach. The movie is The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Wallach plays con man Tuco (the Ugly), erstwhile partner of The Man with No Name (the Good), played by Eastwood.

Almost got it - Eastwood was 2nd on the list of action film-stars I thought involved. After posting, I searched a couple of the more likely scripts (True Lies, Twins) and didn't find it, so I was coming round to Eastwood - I couldn't decide if it was more likely a cop-based (e.g. Dirty Harry) or cowboy-based film (GBU, Fistful etc) - so I didn't search.

the site I use is the IMDB which has lots of scripts online.

L

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