Max California: Can I interest you in a battery-operated vagina?
Tom Welles: No thank you.
Max California: Are you sure? I'd hate for you to be in one of those everyday situations that calls for a battery-operated vagina and not have one.
Tom Welles: What're you reading?
[Max California shows book - "Anal Secretary"]
Tom Welles: Catchy title. What are you really reading? Hard to believe that book's got any parts worth highlighting.
[Max California reveals real book - "In Cold Blood"]
Tom Welles: Capote!
Max California: Yeah, well.
You know how it is.
Tom Welles: Yeah. Wouldn't want to embarrass yourself in front of your fellow perverts.
Max California: That's right. I might get drummed out of the Pornographer's Union. Where would I be then?
Dino Velvet: You trust me to take your money, but not your picture?
Tom Welles: Those are two different kinds of trust.
Tom Welles: Mrs. Mathews... remember when I asked you if you'd want to know the truth about what happened to Mary Anne, no matter what that meant?
Janet Mathews: Well, yeah.
Tom Welles: Some men took her, and they killed her and buried her in the woods.
Janet Mathews: [Starts crying] Oh my God! Oh my God!
Tom Welles: I want to hurt them. I want to punish them for what they did. Please give me your permission to punish them!
Max California: There's three rules in life: One, there's always a victim; two, don't be it.
Tom Welles: And three?
Max California: I forgot what three is.
George Higgins: You know the best part of killing someone? The look on their face. It's that look. Not when they're threatened. Not when you hurt them. Not even when they see the knife. It's when they feel the knife go in. That's it. It's surprise. They just can't believe it's really happening to them. She had that look, the girl, when she knew it wasn't just porno.
[last lines]
Janet Mathews: [voice-over] Dear Mr. Welles - thank you for writing me and telling me your real name, who you really are, and what really happened. I'm glad those men are dead, but nothing will ever fill the hole in my heart. I will try to use the money you sent for some good, after I get some help for myself. I hated you for telling me the truth, but now I
realize you and I are probably the only people that ever really cared about Mary Ann. Yours truly, Janet Mathews.
[On seeing a bogus snuff film]
Max California: Oh, wow. That's great! "Snuff 2: The Resurrection!" Well, what'd you expect for twelve hundred?
Max California: Do you get turned on at places like tonight?
Tom Welles: No, I do not.
Max California: But you don't exactly get turned off either, do ya?
Max California: Devil's changing you already.
Tom Welles: [speaking to missing girl's mother] Can you tell me if you had to make a choice... if you were forced to choose... between imagining her out ther somewhere living a good life... being happy... bu you don't know... you never find out... or the worst being true... her being gone... but you know... you finally know what's happened to her.
Tom Welles: [on phone] Eddie?
Eddie Poole: Yeah.
Tom Welles: I know all about it.
Eddie Poole: Yeah, you know about what?
Tom Welles: About that girl. Six years ago. I know what you did to her.
Eddie Poole: Who is this?
Tom Welles: You
murdered her. You and your friends.
Eddie Poole: I don't know what the fuck are you talkin' about?
Tom Welles: You killed her on film. And now you're fucked. You're all fucked.