Blood Simple (1985) - Quotes

The Importance of Caution in Conversations

Visser: Something I got to ask you, Marty. I've been very very careful. Have you been very very careful?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

The Finality of Death

Marty: [looking at a photo of Ray and Abby] Dead, huh?

Visser: So it would seem.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Communication and Silence in Relationships

Abby: I said, "Marty, how come you're anal and I gotta go to the psychiatrist?

Ray: What'd he say?

Abby: Nothing. He's like you, he doesn't say much.

Ray: Thanks.

Abby: Except when he doesn't say things, they're usually nasty.

Ray: Mm-hmm.

Abby: When you don't, they're usually nice.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Character Traits Revealed Through Conversation

Abby: [about Marty] He's real careful. Fact is, he's anal.

Ray: Huh?

Abby: [taps herself on the forehead] Yeah, he told me once himself. He said to me... "In here, Abby. In here... I'm anal.

Ray: Well I'll be damned.

Abby: I couldn't believe it either. Me on the other hand, I got lots of personality. Marty always said I had too much. Course he was never big on personality. He sent me to a psychiatrist to see if he could calm me down some.

Ray: Yeah? What happened?

Abby: Psychiatrist said I was the healthiest person he'd ever met, so Marty fired him.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Discussion About Legislative Sessions

Abby: [in a strip joint] Looks like the state legislature is out of session.

Meurice: I thought this is where they met.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Trust and Motivation in Criminal Intentions

Visser: I'm supposed to do a murder--two murders--and just trust you not to go simple on me and do something stupid. I mean real stupid. Now why should I trust you?

Marty: For the money.

Visser: The money. Yeah. That's a right smart bit of money.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Negotiating Morality and Compensation

Marty: Got a job for you.

Visser: Well, if the pay's right and it's legal I'll do it.

Marty: It's not strictly legal.

Visser: If the pay's right I'll do it.

Marty: It's, uh... it's in reference to that gentleman and my wife. The more I think about it the more irritated I get.

Visser: Yeah? Well how irritated are you?

Visser: [laughs] Gee, I'm sorry to hear that. Can you tell me what you want me to do or is it a secret?

Marty: Listen, I'm not--this isn't a joke here.

Visser: You want me to kill em.

Marty: [pause] I didn't say that. Well?

Visser: Well what?

Marty: What do you think?

Visser: You're an idiot.

Marty: So, uh... this wouldn't interest you.

Visser: I didn't say that. All I said was you're an idiot. Hell, you been thinking about it so much it's driving you simple.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Confrontation Over Trust and Money

Meurice: Marty...I thought you were dead. Going home?

Marty: No. I think I'll stay right here in hell.

Meurice: Kind of a bleak point of view there, isn't it Marty?

Marty: Meurice...I don't want that asshole near my money. I don't even want him in the bar.

Meurice: We get a lot of assholes in here, Marty.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Tension Between Colleagues Over Job Status

Ray: Am I fired? You wanna hit me? What?

Marty: I don't particularly want to talk to you.

Ray: Well... if you're not gonna fire me I might as well quit.

Marty: Fine. Suit yourself...Having a good time?

Ray: I don't like this kind of talk.

Marty: Then what'd you come here for?

Ray: You owe me for two weeks.

Marty: Nope. She's an expensive piece of ass...You get a refund though, if you tell me who else she's been sluicing.

Ray: I want that money. If you wanna tell me something, fine--

Marty: What're you, a fucking marriage counselor?

Marty: What're you smiling at--I'm a funny guy, right, I'm an asshole? No, no, that's not what's funny. What's funny is her. What's funny is that I had you two followed because, if it isn't you, she's been sleeping with someone else...What's really going to be funny is when she gives you that innocent look and says, "What're you talking about, Ray, I haven't done anything funny." ...But the funniest thing to me right now is that you think she came back here for you--that's what's funny...Come on this property again and I'll be forced to shoot you...Fair notice.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

A Conversation About Marty's Absence

Ray: Is Marty here?

Meurice: Not here tonight. Wasn't here last night. He's especially not back in his office.

Ray: Thanks, Meurice.

Meurice: For what?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Unexpected Conversations at the Bar

Meurice: Howdy stranger.

Ray: Meurice. Sorry I didn't show last night.

Meurice: Wasn't too busy. You missed a good one, though. This white guy walks in about one o'clock, asks if we have a discount for alcoholics... I tell him to get lost, but Marty's sitting here listening and I can tell he's thinking that maybe it ain't such a bad idea.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Desire for escape from a troubled relationship

Ray: Why d'you wanna leave all this?

Abby: You kidding? I don't wanna leave all this, I just wanna leave Marty.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Questioning Character Perceptions and Identity

Debra: [after Marty leaves] Nice guy.

Meurice: Not really. What'd you say your last name was?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

A Conversation About Relationships and Plans

Marty: So how long have you know Meurice?

Debra: About ten years.

Marty: So what're you doing tonight?

Debra: Going out with Meurice.

Marty: Tell him you have a headache.

Debra: It'll pass.

Marty: We don't seem to be communicating--

Debra: You want to hustle me. I don't want to be hustled. It's as simple as that. Now that I've communicated, why don't you leave?

Marty: I own the place.

Debra: Christ, I'm getting bored.

Marty: I'm not surprised, the company you've been keeping the last ten years.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

A Toast to Sophisticated Tastes

Marty: What were you drinking, Debra?

Debra: Remy.

Marty: You've got a very sophisticated palate.

Debra: Thanks.

Marty: Give Debra here another drink, and give me the usual.

Debra: [she smiles] What's a palate?

Marty: Listen, I got tickets for the Oilers and the Rams next week in the Astrodome. Ever sat on the fifty yard line?

Debra: I don't follow baseball.

Marty: [laughs] You won't have to. I'll explain what a palate is.

Debra: You won't have to. I just wanted to see if you knew.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Unwelcome Visits and Dark Humor

Visser: Anything else?

Marty: Yeah, don't come by here any more. If I need you again I know which rock to turn over.

Visser: [laughs] That's good... "which rock to turn over"... that's very good...Well, gimme a call whenever you wanna cut off my head...I can crawl around without it.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Consequences of Bad News Assumptions

Marty: You know in Greece they cut off the head of the messenger who brought bad news.

Visser: Now that don't make much sense.

Marty: No. It just made them feel better.

Visser: [laughs; He laughs] Well first off, Julian, I don't know what the story is in Greece but in this state we got very definite laws about that. Second place I ain't a messenger, I'm a private investigator. And third place--and most important--it ain't such bad news. I mean you thought he was a colored. You're always assumin the worst.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Questioning Intentions in a Deal

Visser: [about a photo of Ray and Abby] I know a place you can get that framed.

Marty: What did you take these for?

Visser: What do you mean? Just doin my job.

Marty: You called me, I knew they were there, so what do I need these for?

Visser: Well, I don't know... Call it a fringe benefit.

Marty: How long did you watch her?

Visser: Most of the night...They'd just rest a few minutes and then get started again. Quite something.

Uncertainty in a Mysterious Conversation

Ray: [answering phone] Hello.

Marty: Having a good time?

Ray: What? Who is this?

Marty: [pause] I don't know, who's this? You still there?

Ray: Yeah, I'm still here.

Abby: Ray?

Ray: Yeah.

Abby: What was that?

Ray: Your husband.

Uncertainty in Relationships and Personal Feelings

Abby: I don't know. Sometimes I think there's something wrong with him. Like maybe he's sick? Mentally?...Or is it maybe me, do you think?

Ray: Listen, I ain't a marriage counselor. I don't know what goes on, I don't wanna know... But I like you. I always liked you...

Tension in a Complicated Relationship

Abby: He gave me a little pearl-handled .38 for out first anniversary.

Ray: Uh-huh.

Abby: Figured I'd better leave before I used it on him. I don't know how you can stand him.

Ray: Well, I'm only an employee, I ain't married to him.

Unexpected Conversations in a Strip Joint

Teenager: [to Marty] Hey mister, how'd you break your pussyfinger?

Strip joint DJ: And remember, gentlemen, we're always here, two to two, A.M. to P.M., three hundred and sixty-four days and Christmas, God willing and the creek don't rise.

Ray: [to Abby] You left your weapon behind.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Situation

Meurice: [to Abby] Something pretty fucking weird is going on. Put your coat on and I'll drop you at home. But don't talk to either of em until I do. And don't worry. Believe me. These things always have a logical explanation. Usually.

A Dog's Madness in Blood Simple

Meurice: Even the fucking dog's gone crazy.

Confronting Humiliation and Responsibility

Meurice: [to Ray] Look. Personally I don't give a shit. I know Marty's a hard-on but you gotta do something. I don't know; give the money back, say you're sorry, or get the fuck out of here, or something...It's very humiliating, preaching about this shit...I'm not laughing at this, Ray Bob, so you know it's no fucking joke.

Embracing Nature for a Change

Julian Marty: Let's do it outside, in nature.

Caution in a Dangerous World

Julian Marty: Lover-boy oughta lock his door. Lotta nuts out there.

Questioning Perceptions of Intelligence

Loren Visser: [to Marty] Who looks stupid now?

Disgusting Behavior Described by Loren Visser

Loren Visser: [to himself, about Marty] Sweet Jesus, you are disgusting.

Test of True Love

Loren Visser: You know a friend of mine broke his hand a while back. Put in a cast. Very next day he takes a fall, protects his bad hand, falls on his good one, breaks that too. So now he's got two busted flippers and I say to him "Creighton, I hope your wife loves you. Cause for the next five weeks you cannot wipe your own goddamn ass." That's the test, ain't it? Test of true love.

Consequences of Misplaced Actions

Loren Visser: [to Marty] Stick your finger up the wrong person's ass?

Self-Reliance in a Flawed World

Loren Visser: The world is full of complainers. But the fact is, nothing comes with a guarantee. I don't care if you're the Pope of Rome, President of the United States, or even Man of the Year—something can always go wrong. And go ahead, complain, tell your problems to your neighbor, ask for help—watch him fly. Now in Russia, they got it mapped out so that everyone pulls for everyone else—that's the theory, anyway. But what I know about is Texas...And down here... you're on your own.