The Black Hole (1979)

Joseph Bottoms: Lieutenant Charles Pizer

Photos 

Quotes 

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : We'd be better off without you and Maximilian trying to knock heads.

  V.I.N.CENT : I can handle that thing.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Well, far be it from you to admit there isn't anything you can't handle.

  V.I.N.CENT : There are three basic types, Mr. Pizer: the Wills, the Won'ts, and the Can'ts. The Wills accomplish everything, the Won'ts oppose everything, and the Can'ts won't try anything.

  Captain Dan Holland : Well, do us all a favor, V.I.N.CENT, and try to be a Can't, especially where that monster is concerned. We need you, not another corkscrew.

• [after first seeing the black hole] 

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Every time I see one of those things I expect to spot some guy dressed in red with horns and a pitchfork.

  Captain Dan Holland : It's a monster, all right.

  V.I.N.CENT : A rip in the very fabric of space and time.

• Kate McCrae : [DELETED SCENE, SHORTLY AFTER OPENING CREDITS]  ... Think this ship will hold together long enough to get us home?

  Captain Dan Holland : I think we'll be okay.

  [he smiles affectionately] 

  Captain Dan Holland : How can you have any doubts, with me and Charlie at the controls?

  Kate McCrae : After 18 months in deep space, it's nice to see that you've learned some humility.

  Captain Dan Holland : [looks somber]  It'll be tough to go home after a year and a half, what with our principal reason for making this trip in the first place coming up unresolved.

  Kate McCrae : Don't give up so easily. We'll still have a lot to study while curving home. And our sweep is just one expedition. There'll be others. I'll be sure to charm the powers-that-be into signing you and VINCENT on with any crew I can organize.

  Captain Dan Holland : The powers-that-be will have other plans for VINCENT... like the scrapheap.

  Kate McCrae : I won't let them, not after all he's done for us! He's too good a friend! I'll... adopt him, or something.

  Captain Dan Holland : VINCENT and I have been going on missions together since he was built. We're a package deal.

  Kate McCrae : [chuckles]  I don't know if I can adopt *you*.

  Captain Dan Holland : That isn't quite what I've got in mind.

  [he produces a ring from his uniform-pocket] 

  Captain Dan Holland : Kate McCrae, will you...

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Dan? We've got something up here; I think you'd better take a look at it.

  [Kate and Holland report to the bridge, where VINCENT and Pizer are viewing the Black Hole] 

• Captain Dan Holland : The controls aren't responding.

  V.I.N.CENT : Captain, the ship has been programmed!

  Captain Dan Holland : [resigned]  To Reinhardt's course!

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : [shocked]  You mean we're going into the black hole?

  Captain Dan Holland : [confirmed]  Yup.

  Kate McCrae : Let's pray he was a genius!

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : You know what they say, Vincent, all work and no play...

  V.I.N.CENT : All sunshine makes a desert, so the Arabs say.

• Captain Dan Holland : Kate, either there's something wrong with our communications, or there's too much interference from the outside. See if you can get through to V.I.N.CENT with your ESP.

  Kate McCrae : [gets a distant look in her eyes as she communicates telepathically. The camera pans to V.I.N.CENT outside the ship, his head turns and his eye balls glow, communicating back]  I got through to V.I.N.CENT! He said there are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are very few old, bold pilots!

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : She's tuned into V.I.N.CENT all right!

  Captain Dan Holland : Good.

• [Outside the Palimino's docking area, B.O.B. and V.I.N.CENT brief Charlie, Captain Holland and Harry about the real story regarding the Cygnus] 

  B.O.B. : The officer the men trusted most was Frank McCrae.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Kate's father.

  B.O.B. : They turned to him when Dr. Reinhardt ignored the orders to return home. He tried to take control of the Cygnus. Reinhardt called it mutiny and killed Mr. McCrae.

  Captain Dan Holland : What became of the crew?

  B.O.B. : They were captured by the sentry robots and are still on board.

  Harry Booth : What?

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Where?

  B.O.B. : In the command tower, and the power center.

  V.I.N.CENT : *Robots*, Mr. Pizer. *Humanoid* robots!

  B.O.B. : The most valuable thing in the universe, intelligent life, means nothing to Dr. Reinhardt. Without their wills, the crew became things he could command.

  Captain Dan Holland : That explains the funeral.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Right!

  Captain Dan Holland : [looks to Harry]  And the limping robot you spotted.

  Harry Booth : [turns B.O.B. around to face him]  Do you mean to tell me that there is actually a human *body* under that clothing?

  B.O.B. : Exactly, Mr. Booth.

  Captain Dan Holland : We can't just take off and leave these poor devils behind. Harry, looks like we're going to have to try your plan.

  Harry Booth : What? And end up just like the rest of the crew? Why, if they couldn't pull it off, what chance do *we* have?

  B.O.B. : Cap'n, the damage is irreversable. Death is their *only* release.

  Harry Booth : That's right! For God's sakes, Dan! We can't take on that mechanical army!

  V.I.N.CENT : Captain, I was forced to destroy two sentry robots. The others are searching *now*. If they're found...

  Captain Dan Holland : Gotcha, V.I.N.CENT. Charlie, start the countdown.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Right!

  Captain Dan Holland : V.I.N.CENT, tell Kate I want her and Alex back here on the double!

  V.I.N.CENT : [the little robot turns to the camera. We see his eyballs glowing; he is communicating via ESP with Kate] 

• [first lines] 

  V.I.N.CENT : [beep]  2130; day 547. Unscheduled course correction due at 2200. Pre-correction check: rotation axis plus three degrees. Nitrous oxide pressure: 4100 rising to 5,000. Quad jet C and D on preselect. Rotor ignition sequence beginning in 3-0. Thruster line reactors on standby.

  Captain Dan Holland : V.I.N.CENT, notify me with 15 to go. Alex?

  Dr. Alex Durant : Yes, Dan?

  Captain Dan Holland : Have you determined a difference in ETAs with and without our correction?

  Dr. Alex Durant : Working on it. You know, we shouldn't be needing a correction at this time. V.I.N.CENT, run a confirmation on the last inertial fix and check it with another celestial, please.

  V.I.N.CENT : [beep]  I have. It is correct. But I think I've found the reason for our present variation. Mr. Pizer?

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Yes, V.I.N.CENT?

  V.I.N.CENT : [beep]  Mr. Pizer, I think you should come up here.

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Dan, I'm sorry I blew my stack.

  Captain Dan Holland : It's all right Charlie, I think we all have a soft spot for the little guy.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Yeah.

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : [DELETED SCENE, SHORTLY AFTER OPENING CREDITS]  ... I'm starving. What's on the menu for Christmas Eve?

  V.I.N.CENT : Dehydrated turkey, with dehydrated oyster stuffing. Also dehydrated cranberry sauce, dehydrated gravy and giblets, dehydrated sweet potatoes in dehydrated orange sauce, dehydrated vegetable salad, dehydrated mince pie, dehydrated...

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : [firmly cutting him off]  I envy you, VINCENT.

  V.I.N.CENT : That's not surprising. Why?

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Because you don't have any taste buds.

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : V.I.N.CENT, were you programmed to bug me?

  V.I.N.CENT : No, sir, to educate you.

• [V.I.N.CENT's tether breaks while repairing the ship] 

  Kate McCrae : Dan, the tether's broken!

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : I'm going after him!

  Captain Dan Holland : Stay at your post, Charlie.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : What the hell are you made of? What if it was one of us out there?

  Captain Dan Holland : V.I.N.CENT is one of us.

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : When I volunteered for this mission, I never thought I'd end up playing straight man to a tin can.

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : What's up, V.I.N.CENT?

  V.I.N.CENT : The largest black hole I have ever encountered, Mr. Pizer.

• V.I.N.CENT : There is a saying that you can't unscramble eggs!

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : A penny's worth of philosophy, right now, isn't going to buy us out of this now, V.I.N.CENT.

  V.I.N.CENT : A good offense is a the best defense!

• Harry Booth : If Reinhart has anti-gravity strong enough to hold us here, I figure he's got enough to pull away.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : So?

  Harry Booth : So? So why not take this ship and Reinhart back home?

  Captain Dan Holland : That's a long shot you're talking, Harry.

  Harry Booth : Oh, come on! You've got two scientific wizards here who could figure out the computers and possibly even reprogram the robots. And the three of us can handle Reinhart and that pet monster of his. I tell ya... we could all be heroes.

  Captain Dan Holland : We could also be dead.

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : [V.I.N.CENT being blocked by Maximillian]  Back off, V.I.N.CENT.

  V.I.N.CENT : Not until he does.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : When you're nose to nose with a trash compacter, you cool it.

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : [Saluting a sentry robot]  As you were!

  [the robot turns to look at Pizer] 

• V.I.N.CENT : Mr. Pizer?

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Yes, V.I.N.CENT?

  V.I.N.CENT : Mr. Pizer, I think you should come up here.

• [the Palamino crew are climbing the pylon structure to board the probe ship. Charlie loses his grip and begins to drift out into space, towards the black hole] 

  Captain Dan Holland : Charlie!

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Heeelllllllppppp!

  Kate McCrae : No!

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Heeeeeeelllllllllpppppp!

  [Charlie begins to flip over as he is drawn towards the black hole's event horizon] 

  V.I.N.CENT : [the little robot emerges from the passage, sees Charlie floating away, and floats out into space to retrieve him. Charlie grabs V.I.N.CENT, and the two float back and board the probe ship] 

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : [the Palomino has been destroyed after Booth stole it and Reinhardt shot it down]  I should've known he

  [Booth] 

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : was all-talk-no-guts and locked him up!

  Captain Dan Holland : He might've done us a favor, Charlie; at least we're alive.

  Lieutenant Charles Pizer : [dismissive]  I doubt that's what he had in mind; he wanted to save his own skin.

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Have you met the goon squad?

• Lieutenant Charles Pizer : Cuckoo as a Swiss clock.