Speed (1994)

Dennis Hopper: Howard Payne

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Quotes 

• Howard Payne : Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?

• Howard Payne : [Payne wrestles with Jack for a deadman-switch detonator on top of a runaway subway train]  I'm smarter than you, Jack! I'm smarter! I'm smarter!

  [Jack sees a hanging light approaching and forces Payne into its path. Payne looks up and screams before the light decapitates him] 

  Jack : [grabbing the detonator before Payne's body falls away]  Yeah? Well, I'm TALLER!

• Jack : You're crazy! You're fuckin' crazy!

  Howard Payne : NO! Poor people are crazy, Jack. I'm eccentric.

• Howard Payne : See, I'm in charge here! I drop this stick, and they pick your friend here up with a sponge! Are you ready to die, friend?

  Harry : Fuck you!

  Howard Payne : Oh! In two hundred years we've gone from "I regret but I have one life to give for my country" to "Fuck you!"?

• Jack : Harry! Tell me good news, man.

  Howard Payne : Oh, I'm sorry, Jack. He didn't make it.

  Jack : You FUCK!

  Howard Payne : It was the watch that led him to me, wasn't it? Huh? It seemed a little hammy to me to build a bomb out of my precious retirement gift, but, you know, I figured a sign that said "Howard Payne" would be pushing it.

  Jack : I'm gonna rip your fucking spine out, I swear to God.

• Howard Payne : This day has been rather disappointing, I don't mind saying.

  Jack : Why, because you didn't get to kill everyone?

  Howard Payne : There's gonna come a time, boy, when you will wish you never met me.

  Jack : Mister, I'm already there!

• Howard Payne : You think I wouldn't have been prepared? Two years I spent setting up that elevator job, two years I invested in it. You couldn't understand the kind of commitment that I have. You ruined a man's life's work and you think you can walk away? You got blinders on to the world! But I got your attention now, didn't I Jack?

  Jack : [distressed]  Why didn't you just come after me?

  Howard Payne : No this is about ME! This is about my money, this is about money DUE ME! Which I WILL collect! 3.7 Million dollars! It's my nest egg, Jack, at my age you have to think ahead.

  Jack : [angry]  When I find you...

  Howard Payne : [cuts him off]  Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?

  Jack : I'd want to know what bus it was...

  Howard Payne : You think I'm going to tell you that?

  Jack : Yes.

  Howard Payne : Aha, very good. There are rules, Jack, and I want you to get this right. NO ONE goes off the bus. If you try to take any passengers off the bus, I will detonate it. I want my money by 11AM.

  Jack : We can't pull that kind of money in time!

  Howard Payne : [shouting]  FOCUS, JACK! Your concern is the bus. And don't try to call. The radio's down. Now, the number of the bus is 2525, it's running downtown from Venice. It's at the corner of Ocean Park & Main.

  [Jack takes off for his car as sirens from approaching fire engines can be heard] 

• [after remotely killing a hostage, then promptly hearing about it on the TV news] 

  Howard Payne : Interactive TV, Jack! Wave of the future - ha ha ha, huh?

• Jack : [answering phone]  Harry! Tell me good news man.

  Howard Payne : Oh, I'm sorry Jack. He didn't make it.

  Jack : [realizes; slight pause]  Fuck!

  Howard Payne : It was the watch that lead him to me, wasn't it? It seemed a little hammy to me, to build a bomb out of my precious retirement gift. But you know, I figured a sign that said "Howard Payne" would be pushing it.

  Jack : I'm gonna rip your fucking spine out, I swear to God.

  Howard Payne : You're gonna do exactly as you're told! Jack, we both know he was the brains of your particular operation. You can't beat me, you're gonna pay me every dollar. Otherwise, you, the wildcat, and every innocent person on that bus, are gonna end up just like your friend. You paying attention? Jack, you listening to me? Jack? Jack!

  Jack : Yeah...

  Howard Payne : Good! Now you tell them that the drop point is Pershing Square. You drop the bags and leave. I don't show until all your people are gone. It's getting on to 11 AM, Jack, and I think it's gonna be a very pretty day.

  [laughs nefariously] 

  Howard Payne : [hangs up; Jack flips out] 

  Annie : Jack stop it! We're really scared and we need you right now. I can't do this by myself! Jack, please?

  Jack : [chuckles]  We're gonna die.

  Annie : No we're not. We got this far alright?

  [Jack looks at Annie's jacket] 

  Jack : I'll be damned. You go to the University of Arizona?

  Annie : Yeah, so?

  Jack : Good football team.

  Annie : Yeah? I guess so, I wouldn't know.

  Jack : Arizona Wildcats.

  Annie : Right...

  Jack : He can see you.

  Annie : What?

  Jack : He can see you. Just keep looking straight ahead.

  Jack : [Jack looks around; finds the camera]  He called you a Wildcat before. I didn't even pick up on it. Bastard's got a camera right in your face. He can see the whole bus. He's been playing me from minute one.

  Annie : Well, he can see me but can he hear me?

  Jack : Doesn't look like it he's just watching you.

• Howard Payne : Jack, nothing tricky now. You know I'm on top of you! DO NOT attempt to grow a brain!

• Jack : Yeah?

  Howard Payne : I think we have trust, but it looks on TV like you're trying to get those passengers off the bus.

  Jack : Look, you've got to let me have one.

  Howard Payne : We went over the rules.

  Jack : As an act of faith. We have an injured man here. The driver's been shot.

  Howard Payne : Jack, tell me that you haven't been shooting the passengers. I thought it was customary for a police officer to shoot the bad guys.

  Jack : This man has no time.

  Howard Payne : No one gets off!

  Jack : It'll grease the wheels with the money men if you show some charity. There's still gonna be plenty of us to kill.

  Howard Payne : OK, son, you can try and unload the driver. You tell that wildcat behind the wheel not to slow down, though, or he won't even get a chance to bleed to death. And, Jack, don't slip.

• Howard Payne : Be prepared! This is the Boy Scout marching song.

• Howard Payne : A bomb is made to explode. That's its meaning. Its purpose. Your life is empty because you spend it trying to stop the bomb from becoming. And for who? For what? You know what a bomb is, Jack, that doesn't explode? It's a cheap gold watch, buddy.

• [Payne points a shotgun at Jack's face] 

  Howard Payne : I don't suppose anybody'll give me three million just for you?

• Howard Payne : What do you think, Jack? You think if you pick up all the bus driver's teeth, they'll give you another medal?

• Howard Payne : What do you think, Jack? You think you pick up all the bus driver's teeth they'll give you another medal?

  Jack : Jeez...

  Howard Payne : You think I wouldn't have been prepared? Two years I spent, setting up that elevator job. Two years I invested myself in it. You couldn't understand the kind of commitment I have. You ruined a man's life's work and you think you can walk away? You got blinders on to the world! But I got your attention now, didn't I Jack?

  Jack : Why didn't you just come after me?

  Howard Payne : Now this is about my money. This is about money due me. Which I collect. $3.7 million. It's my nest egg, Jack - at my age you gotta think ahead.

  Jack : When I find you...

  Howard Payne : Oh, quiz hot shot. There's a bomb on a bus, once the bus goes 50mp/h, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?

  Jack : I'd wanna know what bus it was...

  Howard Payne : You think I'm gonna tell you that?

  Jack : Yes.

  Howard Payne : Aha, very good. There are rules, Jack, and I want you to get this right. No one goes off the bus. You try to take any passengers off the bus, I will detonate it. I want my money by 11 A.M.

  Jack : We can't pull that kind of money in time!

  Howard Payne : Focus, Jack! Your concern is the bus. And don't try to call. The radio's down. Now, the number of the bus is 2525, it's running downtown from Venice. It's at the corner of Ocean Park & Main.

• Howard Payne : [repeating what a news reporter just said]  "The whim of a madman" - I like that!

• Howard Payne : I hate talking to negotiators, Jack. They talk to you like they're your best friend and they don't even know you.

• Howard Payne : Do not fuck with daddy!

• [first lines] 

  Workman : Hey, this area's restricted.

  Howard Payne : Oh, hi. Yeah, I know. They called me down here. Some of this wiring got screwed up.

  Workman : Nobody called it down to me. I'm going to have to see a work order.

  Howard Payne : Yeah, just a second. There you are.

  [stabs workman in the ear with a screwdriver] 

  Howard Payne : Nothing personal.

• Jack : You've gotta let me off.

  Howard Payne : Oh, no! That's not good!

• Howard Payne : [to Annie, who is crying and hysterical with fear]  Hey, buckaroo! It's not because you're a woman.

• Harry : [Howard Payne has Harry as a hostage whilst holding a detonator stick]  Go ahead, drop the stick, do it!

  Jack : Shut up, Harry!

  Howard Payne : Oh, we got all the balls in the world right here man!

• [Jack is on the roof of the Metro's Red Line Subway train; he rolls around, avoiding a railway signal] 

  Howard Payne : [hears the thumping noise]  Hey, Jack! Is that you?

  [Jack crawls; to a handcuffed Annie] 

  Howard Payne : He's so persistent. He always gets his man.

  [to Jack] 

  Howard Payne : Wouldn't be able to interest you in a bribe, would I? I've got, uh... plenty to go around!

  [Payne opens the bag filled with the $3.7 Million ransom money, but when he does, a purple dye pack explodes, splattering some in his face and rendering the now-marked money worthless; Payne's actions were all for naught] 

  Howard Payne : [horrified]  My money...

  [Payne becomes crazed and enraged] 

  Howard Payne : [screams as he fires a machine gun]  YOU BASTARD! How does that feel? You like that, huh? You like it, you bastard?

  [Payne keeps firing at the ceiling of the train; Jack loses his gun] 

  Howard Payne : Shit!

  [growls] 

  Howard Payne : YOU! I'm coming for you, Jack!

  [screams] 

  Howard Payne : AAH!