He’s written "You Talkin' to Me?": The Definitive Guide to Iconic Movie Quotes and Die Hard: An Oral History, among other titles. He’s also the co-host of It Gets Better, a podcast in which his friend Liz tries to convince him to enjoy excruciatingly mainstream film franchises.
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"You Talkin' to Me?"
The Definitive Guide to Iconic Movie Quotes
A fun, fascinating, and exhaustively reported deep dive into all the essential Hollywood dialogue we know and love, from "Here's looking at you, kid" and "I'll have what she's having" to "Always do the right thing" and "Noooooo! Wiiiiire! HANGERRRRRRRS!".
Drawing on interviews and archival sleuthing, the book traces the origins and deeper meanings of hundreds of iconic film lines—how they’ve shaped eras, echoed across generations, and defined the voice of Hollywood.
Packed with film stills, sidebars, lists, and behind-the-scenes lore, "You Talkin' to Me?" spans all genres and explores how iconic dialogue became cemented in the modern lexicon.
"A movie buff's treat, curated by a real movie buff!"
— Illeana Douglas, actor and author of I Blame Dennis Hopper and Connecticut in the Movies
"A richly entertaining and deeply researched book about the movie lines that live in our collective unconscious, infiltrate our speech, guide our actions, and shape our perceptions."
— Dave Kehr, critic and curator
"Brian Abrams has put together a fascinating compendium of absorbing information on the films and stars who uttered the most memorable lines heard 'round the world. Wait 'til you discover what 'Rosebud' really refers to!"
— Josiah Howard, author of Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide
"From 'You ain't heard nothin' yet!' to 'Wakanda forever,' Brian Abrams takes the reader on an enormously entertaining, zinger-filled tour of motion-picture history."
— Noah Isenberg, author of We'll Always Have Casablanca
"Informative, fun, and compulsively readable."
— Odie Henderson, author of Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras
"Frankly, my dear, You Talkin' to Me? is a fabulous look at the stories behind the movies' most memorable lines. This book is the stuff that dreams are made of."
— Carla Valderrama, author of This Was Hollywood
Oral Histories
