The best that can be said about this unremarkable movie summer was it at least included some solid contenders for our 10 Best list — Bridesmaids, still the year's funniest movie; Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a surprisingly fine origins movie that defied expectations; Terence Malick's magnificent opus The Tree of Life and the intense drama The Whistleblower, still playing.

Then again, this was also a summer of duds — from Shark Night: 3-D to the colossal misfire Larry Crowne (what was Tom Hanks thinking?), and a blur of painfully derivative mediocre comedies — Crazy Stupid Love, Friends with Benefits, Horrible Bosses, Bad Teacher and The Change-Up — that continued a distressing pattern of substituting wit and originality with raunch.

As always, there was plenty of memorable dialogue to spice up even the worst offenders. Here's our annual post-summer roundup of some of the lines — the witty, the wacky, the downright groan-inducing — that stayed with us.

"You're not a writer. Blogging isn't writing. It's graffiti with punctuation."

— Research scientist Dr. Sussman (Elliot Gould) to a pesky conspiracy-obsessed blogger (Jude Law) in the virus thriller Contagion.

"This is so awkward. I really want you to leave, but I don't know how to say it without sounding like a dick."

— Handsome lout Ted (Jon Hamm) trying to ditch his casual bedmate Annie (Kristen Wiig) the morning after in Bridesmaids.

"Why can't you be happy for me and then go home and talk about me behind my back like a normal person?"

— Bride-to-be Lillian (Maya Rudolph) to her exasperating gal pal Annie in Bridesmaids.

"I've seen better tennis playing in a tampon commercial."

— Helen's stepson as Helen (Rose Byrne) and Annie clumsily play tennis in Bridesmaids.

Annie: "What kind of a name is 'Stove,' anyway? Are you, like, a kitchen appliance or something?"

Steve: "No. My name is Steve, and I'm a man."

Annie: "You are a flight attendant."

— Inebriated Annie makes a fool of herself at 35,000 feet in Bridesmaids.

"Fried chicken just tend to make you feel better about life."

— Back-talking African-American maid Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) in The Help.

"I told her to write coats, not commodes!"

— Racist social climber Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard), in hysterics when dozens of toilets appear on her lawn after Skeeter (Emma Stone) mischievously publishes an ad seeking donations on her behalf in The Help.

"I live in Jersey, and I ain't taking no ferry unless it's out to dinner and a show."

— Dylan's über-gay co-worker Tommy (Woody Harrelson) as he jumps into his boat in Friends with Benefits.

"I've got to stop buying into this Hollywood cliché of true love. Shut up, Katherine Heigl, you stupid liar!"

— Jamie (Mila Kunis) takes a swipe at romantic comedies in Friends with Benefits.

"Seriously? It looks like your Photoshopped!"

— No-nonsense redhead Hannah (Emma Stone) to would-be suitor Jacob (Ryan Gosling) when he takes off his shirt in Crazy Stupid Love.

"He's not brooding, or lovesick, he's the f---ing shark from Jaws."

— Nerdy Ed Thompson (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), describing charismatic vampire Jerry (Colin Farrell), in Fright Night.

Nick (Dustin Milligan): "What are all these sharks doing here?"

Blake (Chris Zylka): "Maybe someone put them there."

— Pretty boys wonder why the Louisiana lake their hottie pal (Sara Paxton) invited them to is shark-infested in Shark Night:

3-D.

"Put the knife away, kid. Or I'll use it to cut welfare cheques from your rotten skin."

— Hobo (Rutger Hauer) to thug in Hobo with a Shotgun.

"Don't back that thing up into me."

— Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) to flatulent Jamie (Leslie Mann) after she curls up with her back to him in bed in The Change-Up.

"I told you how to avoid divorce lawyers. You get married, and you stay married."

— Lamar (Cedric the Entertainer) dispenses unsolicited advice in Larry Crowne.

"They call them smart phones, but only dummies use them in my class."

— College professor Dr. Matsutani (George Takei), addressing students in Larry Crowne.

"That Paris exists and anyone could choose to live anywhere else in the world will always be a mystery to me."

— Adriana (Marion Cotillard), who time-travelling American writer Gil (Owen Wilson) falls for in Midnight in Paris.

Luis Bunuel: "A man in love with a woman from a different era. I see a photograph!"

Man Ray: "I see a film!"

Gil: "I see insurmountable problem."

Salvador Dali: "I see rhinoceros."

— Gil describes his surreal predicament to historic icons he encounters in Midnight in Paris.

"One of the things people always forget is that the first country the Nazis invaded was their own."

— Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) in Captain America: The First Avenger.

"If you have anything to say, now would be a perfect time to keep it to yourself."

— Col. Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) to Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger.

"I suppose I am a professor now. Pretty soon I'll be going bald."

Young professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) in X-Men: First Class.

"Listen to me very carefully, my friend. Killing will not bring you peace."

Prof. Charles Xavier to future nemesis Erik Lenhsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) in

X-Men: First Class

"Let's get baked [stops herself when student appears] . . . goods. We're going to get some baked goods."

Amoral junior high teacher Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) to gym teacher (Jason Segel) in Bad Teacher.

"Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!"

Villainous Dodge Landon (Tom Felton) to ape Caesar, who responds "No!" in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

"I'm not lonely. I'm alone."

Emma (Anne Hathaway) in One Day.

"I got to know you. You cured me of you."

Emma, explaining why she's moving on, in One Day.

mreid@timescolonist.com

The Help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ajv_6pUnI

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbCoDf44oCE

Crazy Stupid Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbUSE92ONpo

Captain America: The First Avenger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J3HfllvXWE

Bad Teacher

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VihlsPKMh4U&feature=relmfu

Friends with Benefits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJS-wWqVAyk&feature=relmfu

Bridesmaids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UW9Zks5L2A

Larry Crowne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFVuGeId56U

Fright Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou75cqH2mHI

Shark Night 3D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXo_SAgz0cc