Movies and TV shows are great sources of material for T-shirts. Take a look at Nerd Kung Fu’s online store and you will see for yourself. They have everything from Aliens to Animal House and Harry Potter. The funny thing is that there are plenty of film scenes that have never been used as T-shirt fodder despite their awesomeness.
This post discusses five such scenes for your consideration. If you agree as to their T-shirt worthiness, you can probably have a custom shirt made.
1. Doc and the Detached Cable
Back to the Future fans know that in the late stages of the 1985 film, there is a sequence showing Doc attempting to reconnect a detached cable in advance of the coming lightning strike. He climbs to the top of the clock tower and risks his life by climbing out on a ledge. Discovering Rarecustom that he doesn’t have enough slack to connect the two ends, he tugs violently on the section leading to the ground.
Doc succeeds, but it comes at a cost: he breaks another connection at ground level. The moment he realizes what he has done, the camera shows a close-up of his face complete with dropped jaw and eyes bulging out of his head. That shot would be perfect for a T-shirt.
2. Colonel Chamberlain’s Bayonets
Gettysburg is not a film that gets much T-shirt play despite its worthiness as a civil war classic. The 1993 Ronald F. Maxwell film depicts the three days during which the Union and Confederate armies battled for control of the small Pennsylvania town known as Gettysburg.
In one particular scene depicting the fighting on day two, the Union army’s Colonel Chamberlain realizes his men are about to be overwhelmed by Confederate forces coming up the hill in front of them. With no ammunition and no other way to stop the advance, Chamberlain makes the decision to fix bayonets and charge. His single line belongs on a T-shirt: “Bayonets!”
3. Willy Wonka’s “Good Morning, Starshine”
Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is priceless. Few fans of the film know that when Wonka is greeting the children on the day of the tour, he is actually quoting part of the lyrics from a 1960s song. The song, Good Morning Starshine, was a 1969 hit recorded by Oliver. It was featured two years earlier in the musical Hair. At any rate, Depp’s recitation of the lyrics is great T-shirt material.
4. Andy Dufresne’s Obtuse Accusation
The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 film that tells the story of a man who goes to prison for a murder he did not commit. About half-way through the film, new evidence that could exonerate main character Andy Dufresne comes to light. Dufresne’s warden, Samuel Norton, refuses to entertain Andy’s pleas to have authorities look at the evidence. The quintessential line from the exchange between the two is ideal for a T-shirt: “How can you be so obtuse?”
5. The Grinch’s Potpourri
Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the Grinch in 2000 gave new life to the Dr. Seuss classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. There is one particular scene that would make a great T-shirt. It occurs after the Grinch returns home following a visit to Whoville. Having just exited the trash chute, the Grinch is followed by several bags of garbage marked as hazardous waste. As he heads to his cave with bags in hand, the Grinch gleefully exclaims, “One man’s toxic waste is another man’s potpourri!”
So what do you think? Are these movie4me scenes worthy of your next T-shirt?
