Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Gwilym Lee: Brian May
Photos
Quotes
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Brian May : It's America. They're puritans in public, perverts in private.
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[after listening to Bohemian Rhapsody]
Ray Foster : Bohemian...
Brian May : Rhapsody. It's poetic.
Ray Foster : What on earth is it about? Scaramouche? Galileo? Beelzebub? And that Ismallah business?
Freddie Mercury : Bismillah.
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Freddie Mercury : You give me a chance to get my pitchy little vocal chords in order and we'll go and punch a hole through the roof of that stadium.
John Deacon : Actually, Wembley doesn't have a roof.
Freddie Mercury : All right...
Brian May : He's right, it doesn't.
Freddie Mercury : Then we'll punch a hole in the sky.
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[Freddie approaches bandmates wearing extravagant outfit, Brian May's eyes widen]
Brian May : Wow! I didn't know it was fancy dress, Fred.
Freddie Mercury : I've got to make an impression, darling!
Brian May : You look like an angry lizard!
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Brian May : I wanna give the audience a song that they can perform. So what can they do?
[Brian stomps his foot twice and claps, he and other band members follow along to the beat of We Will Rock You]
Brian May : Imagine... thousands of people... doing this in unison. Hmm?
Freddie Mercury : What's the lyric?
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[from trailer, Brian May finishes Bohemian Rhapsody guitar solo in studio]
Brian May : So now what?
Freddie Mercury : Oh, this is when the operatic section comes in.
Brian May : Ah. The operatic section, yeah...
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Roger Taylor : [debating which song is better; Sweet Lady or I'm in Love with my Car] "You call me sweet like I'm some kind of cheese"
Brian May : It's good.
Roger Taylor : WOW!
Brian May : Is that, you know, "with my hands on your grease gun". That's very subtle isn't it?
Roger Taylor : It's a METAPHOR Brian!
John Deacon : It's just a bit weird Roger. What exactly are you doing with that car?
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[after the band meets Mary's husband David]
Freddie Mercury : What do we think of David?
[pause]
Brian May : [sighs] Nice chap.
Freddie Mercury : I think he's gay.
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Ray Foster : Bohemian...
Brian May : Rhapsody.
Ray Foster : Rhapsody. What is that?
Freddie Mercury : An epic poem.
Ray Foster : It goes on forever, six bloody minutes!
Freddie Mercury : I pity your wife if you think six minutes is forever.
[pause]
Freddie Mercury : And you know what? We're going to release it as our single.
Ray Foster : [laugs] Not possible. Anything over three minutes, and the radio stations won't program it. John?
John Reid : Yeah, we need radio. Format is three minutes.
Ray Foster : What about 'I'm in Love with My Car'?
[disappointed look on Queen's faces before Freddie kicks Ray's desk]
Ray Foster : Well, that's the kind of songs teenagers can crank up the volume in their car and bang their heads to. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' will never be that song.
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[Roger threatens to throw a coffee machine at Brian and John]
Brian May , John Deacon : Not the coffee machine!
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Brian May : [to Freddie] No one will play us on the radio. We need to get experimental.
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Brian May : [at press conference] Does anyone have any questions about the music?
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Freddie Mercury : I also write songs. Might be of interest to you. Just a bit of fun, really.
Roger Taylor : You're five minutes too late.
Brian May : Our lead singer just quit.
Freddie Mercury : Then you'll need someone new.
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Brian May : No Prenter? It's unusual to see you without your clone.
Freddie Mercury : It's unusual seeing you be so bitchy.
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Brian May : [after Tim tells Brian and Roger he's leaving Smile for another band]
[sarcastically]
Brian May : Humpy Bong?
Tim Staffell : Humpy Bong. They're going places! They're gonna be big!
Roger Taylor : Humpy Bong? Are you joking?
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[from trailer]
Brian May : We want to do something different.
Ray Foster : It's my money, I say what goes!
Brian May : We can't simply repeat ourselves.
Freddie Mercury : No... we can do better.
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[arguing over Queen's musical direction]
Roger Taylor : Drum loops? Synthesizers?
Freddie Mercury : If you say so.
Roger Taylor : It's not us.
Freddie Mercury : Us?
Roger Taylor : It's not Queen!
Freddie Mercury : [yelling angrily] Queen is whatever I say it is!
Roger Taylor : [stepping up to Freddie] Well, you can play your own bloody drums, then!
[Freddie shoves him away]
Brian May : Fred...
Roger Taylor : [getting right back in Freddie's face] Okay, let's see how good a boxer you really are!
Brian May : [trying to keep them apart] Roger! Take it easy, take it easy! Take it easy.
[gently pushing Freddie away]
Brian May : All right, Muhammad Ali.
[while this is going on, John picks up his bass and begins playing the opening riff for "Another One Bites the Dust"; everyone stops to look at him]
Brian May : That's... that's, that's quite... that's quite a cool riff, actually.
Freddie Mercury : Hm. You wrote that?
[John glares at him and keeps playing]
Freddie Mercury : That's really good.
[John stops]
John Deacon : Yes, it will be... if you all can just shut up and play.
[Brian pats Freddie on the shoulder]
Freddie Mercury : [nodding at Roger] He started it.
Brian May : Oh, shut up.
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Freddie Mercury : I've been hideous. I know that, and... I deserve your fury. I've been conceited... selfish. Well, an asshole, basically.
Roger Taylor : Strong beginning.
Freddie Mercury : Look, I'm happy to strip off my shirt and flagellate myself before you. Or rather, I could ask you a simple question.
Roger Taylor : I'm good with the flagellation.
Freddie Mercury : What's it gonna take for all of you to forgive me?
Brian May : Is that what you want, Freddie? I forgive you. Is that it? Can we go now?
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Freddie Mercury : [listens to May's guitar] Give it a bit more rock and roll.
Brian May : [smiles] You know I'm always up for that, Fred.
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Ray Foster : Mark these words: if they're not careful, by the end of the year, no one will know the name Queen.
[a rock is thrown through the window]
Ray Foster : Christ!
Freddie Mercury : [down on the street] You can take that out of our royalties! Twat!
Ray Foster : Wanker!
Brian May : You can shove your gold discs! You made a mistake, Foster!
Freddie Mercury : Asshole!
Ray Foster : You'll never have a gold disc, you medium talent!
[to Paul]
Ray Foster : And to think, I worked with Hendrix.
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Roger Taylor : [on learning Freddie has signed a solo deal] I don't believe this. How much?
[Freddie looks away]
Roger Taylor : What did they pay you?
[Freddie remains quiet]
Roger Taylor : I wanna know how much they paid you...
Freddie Mercury : Four million dollars!
[band reacts with shock and disbelief]
John Deacon : That's more than any Queen deal.
Freddie Mercury : Look, the routine is killing us. I mean, you must all want a break from all the arguments. Whose song gets on the album, whose song's the single, who wrote what, who gets a bigger slice of the royalties, what's on the B side, all of it. You must need a break.
Brian May : Freddie, we're a family.
Freddie Mercury : No, we're not! We're not a family! You've got families, children, wives. What have I got?
John Deacon : You've got four million dollars. Perhaps you can buy yourself a family.
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Roger Taylor : We have a problem with the people around you.
Freddie Mercury : [reassuring his bandmates] Paul is out. I fired him.
Brian May : On what pretext?
Freddie Mercury : Villainy.
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Brian May : Are you high again?
Freddie Mercury : Well done, Columbo.