The 'Burbs

The 'Burbs is a 1989 comedy film about an overstressed suburbanite and two of his neighbors who struggle to prove their paranoid theory that the new family on the block are part of a murderous cult. Directed by Joe Dante. Written by Dana Olsen. He's a stranger in an even stranger land... Suburbia(taglines) Ray Peterson I-I've never seen that before. I've never seen anybody drive their trash to the curb and beat the hell out of it with a stick... I've never seen that before. I'm going to go do something productive. I'm gonna go watch television. Nobody knocks off an old man in my neighborhood and gets away with it. I can't walk anywhere without you asking me where I'm going - I'm going to Paris, France, okay? I'm going to Banff, Canada, alright? That's where I'm going. I'm only trying to take a nap! I'm only laying here with my eyes closed trying to get some goddamn sleep! Shut up. SHUT UP, ART, SHUT UP! God, you don't know when to quit, do you?! Look at me! I'm a shell of a man because of you, Art! YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE! GET OFF THEIR CASE ALREADY! They didn't do anything to us! They didn't do anything to us! All right, so they're different, so they keep to themselves! Can you blame them?! They live next door to people who break into their house and burn it down while they're gone for the day! Remember what you were saying about people in the 'burbs, Art? People like Skip? People who mow their lawn for the 800th time, and then SNAP?! WELL, THAT'S US! IT'S NOT THEM, THAT'S US! WE'RE the ones who are vaulting over the fences, and peeking in through people's windows! We're the ones who are throwing garbage in the street, and lighting fires! WE'RE the ones who are acting suspicious and paranoid, Art! WE'RE THE LUNATICS! US! IT'S NOT THEM! It's us. Art Weingartner I want to kill everyone, Satan is good, Satan is our pal. Now they know that we know that they know that we know. I can see the news report now. "They were a quiet family, kept pretty much to themselves, No one would have ever suspected them of foul play." I'm telling you these people are Satanists, As I sit here, they are Satanists, Look, look, the world is full of these kind of things - black masses, mutilations, Mutilations! The incubus, the succubus - I'm tellin' you, Walter was a human sacrifice. I think the message to, uh, psychos, fanatics, murderers, nutcases all over the world is, uh, "do NOT mess with suburbanites". Because, uh, frankly we're just not gonna take it any more. Ya know, we're not gonna be content to look after our lawns and wax our cars, paint out houses. We're out to get them, Don, we are out to get them. [about the Klopeks, after burning their home and getting Ray injured in the process] They may think they're off the hook, but they're not. No, no, they're not. Are they, Ray? No, go ahead, tell 'em. Tell 'em. We got the goods on 'em, don't we? Oh yeah, y'know? You know, someday they're gonna dig up the back of that yard and they're gonna find the rest of the skeleton to go with that femur. Oh, it might not be Walter, but it's gonna be some poor tortured bast-- [is cut off as Ray starts ranting at him] Ricky Butler This is my neighborhood! Oh no! You guys can't leave. This is the best part. I called the pizza dude!!! [last lines] God I love this street. That was very cool dude. Mark Rumsfield Walter. I know you're in there. That scum-sucking, barking rat of yours has just taken his last dump on my lawn. I find one more- just one- and I'm gonna catch him and staple his ass shut. About a 9 on the tension scale, Rube. In Southeast Asia we'd call this kind of thing bad karma. A Soldiers way saves the day Smells like they're cooking a goddamn cat over there. There go the Goddamn brownies. Here you go, sonny - a little something for the old sweet tooth. What have you got in the cellar, HERR Klopek? Gentleman, we are on alert! You got a lawsuit on your hands mister! Hey! Pinocchio! Where are you going? Don't you make a move, sonny! I was eighteen months in the bush, and I could snap your neck in a heartbeat. Dialogue Ray: [chanting] I'm not going to listen to this, I'm not going to hear this now. Art: Ray! Ray! You're chanting! [points to book] Ray, unconscious chanting! You're chanting! [Ray continues chanting with fingers in ears] Art: [chants] I want to kill everyone. Satan is good. Satan is our pal. Ray, Ray, you're chanting! Hey, once they get in here... [points to Ray's head] ...it's over, pal. Mark: Klopek, what is that Slavic? Reuben: NO!!! Mark: 'Bout a nine on the tension scale, Reub. Mark: Art! Bonnie: Your wife's home! Mark: And your house is on fire! Art: [horrified] MY WIFE IS HOME?! Taglines A comedy about one nice guy who gets pushed too far. He's a man of peace in a savage land... Suburbia. He's a stranger in an even stranger land... Suburbia Life In The Burbs Will Never Be The Same Again! Cast Tom Hanks as Ray Peterson Bruce Dern as Lt. Mark Rumsfield Carrie Fisher as Carol Peterson Rick Ducommun as Art Weingartner Corey Feldman as Ricky Butler Wendy Schaal as Bonnie Rumsfield Henry Gibson as Dr. Werner Klopek Brother Theodore as Uncle Reuben Klopek Courtney Gains as Hans Klopek Gale Gordon as Walter Seznick Dick Miller as Vic Robert Picardo as Joe Cory Danziger as Dave Peterson Franklyn Ajaye as Detective #1 Rance Howard as Detective #2 Heather Haase as Ricky's Girlfriend Nick Katt as Steve Kuntz Bill Stevenson as Ricky's Friend Gary Hays as Ricky's Friend Kevin Gage as Cop Dana Olsen as Cop Brenda Benner as Walter's Daughter Patrika Darbo as Suzanne Weingartner External links 0096734 The 'Burbs Category:1989 English-language films Category:1989 American films Category:Black comedy films Category:Thriller films Category:Films directed by Joe Dante