Air America (1990)

Mel Gibson: Gene

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Quotes 

• Billy Covington : [Gene is loading a machine gun]  Excuse me, is that an Uzi?

  Gene Ryack : [glances at Babo and Billy]  You know, that would make a great TV commercial? 'Excuse me, is that an Uzi?' 'Why, yes it is. Hey, self-defense is no laughing matter! That why when I want number one I pack an Uzi... accept no substitutes.'

• Gene Ryack : Here at Air America, what's considered psychotic behavior anywhere else is company policy.

• Billy Covington : I don't wanna crash twice in one day!

  Gene Ryack : Don't worry, I crash better that anyone I know.

• Rob Diehl : [Rob and Gene stare into the midst of flaming wreck where a pilot lay as emergency personnel race past]  Do you think he's dead?

  Gene Ryack : Well, if he's not dead, he's very calm.

• Rob Diehl : You know more about it than American intelligence, Gene!

  Gene Ryack : Rob, I wish you wouldn't use the words American Intelligence to describe what it is you do!

• [to Billy] 

  Gene Ryack : Why don't you go home, huh? Look at me, look at Neely, we're all a bunch of trouble junkies, we've been mainlining danger and adrenaline for so long nothing else gets us off, it's kind a sick.

  [pause] 

  Gene Ryack : Before you pick up the habit, and you will pick up the habit. Go back to L.A. and be the weirdest guy in the room again. Whada you think?

• Gene Ryack : I've seen things here that I could never possibly have imagined, and I've got a pretty broad imagination.

• Billy Covington : Gene, you can't sell the plane! It's government property!

  Gene Ryack : The U.S. Government doesn't exist in Laos and neither does this plane!

  Billy Covington : Good point!

• Billy Covington : What the f*** are you doing here, man? Do you believe in this war?

  Gene Ryack : I used to believe in all these wars.

  [laughs] 

  Gene Ryack : See, I had this theory once. I believed in the politics of Saturday night.

  Billy Covington : And...?

  Gene Ryack : I rated all governments and countries by how good or bad their Saturday nights were... and... I KNEW that Moscow and Peking had to be a stone DRAG at that time of the week. So I was flying for a cause. I was fighting to defend... chicken BBQs and wienie roasts, and Ray Charles songs and drinkin' Southern Comfort 'til you passed out behind the bar.

  Billy Covington : Politics of Saturday Night. I can relate to that theory.

  Gene Ryack : Yeah, it's not bad, is it? Just not particularly true, that's all. I hear they party pretty hard in Moscow.

  Billy Covington : No need to give up a good theory just because it isn't true.

• Rob Diehl : Hey Gene, you will remember what I said?... Shhhh!

  Gene Ryack : Well, the problem is, Rob, you and I weren't here, this conversation never happened, so I can't remember what the fuck you didn't tell me!

• Gene Ryack : There'll be another, new war opening soon in a theater near you.

• Billy Covington : Pilot hijinks? This is psychotic behavior.

  Gene Ryack : Well, here at Air America, what is considered psychotic behavior anywhere else is just company policy.

• Gene : So we'll sit back and we'll do what we do best. We fly.

• Gene Ryack : Maybe you don't get this, but when you die, that's it! End of story, blackness. They stick you in a box, cover you up with dirt, don't even let you out for weekends.

• Gene Ryack : Well, down here at Crazy Gene's Used Airplanes, people think we're out of our minds since we slashed the prices on our used C-123's!