Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 15/67

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Quotes by Director

"Eighty percent of success is showing up."

"Eighty percent of success is showing up."

Woody Allen, American Director

45

"Look, I'm just a storyteller. When I make a film, I never want the film to become a vehicle of social propaganda."

"Look, I'm just a storyteller. When I make a film, I never want the film to become a vehicle of social propaganda."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

Film, Propaganda, Want

45

"Yes, but Hollywood is the strangest place in that they'll torpedo their own film to prove an emotional point."

"Yes, but Hollywood is the strangest place in that they'll torpedo their own film to prove an emotional point."

Richard Linklater, American Director

Film, Hollywood

45

"A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it."

"A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it."

Alfred Hitchcock, English Director

Film, Theatre, Worth

45

"In America, people rarely stay in the town where they grew up, rarely stay in close proximity to their parents throughout their lives. You rarely find parents in their old age being taken care of by their children."

"In America, people rarely stay in the town where they grew up, rarely stay in close proximity to their parents throughout their lives. You rarely find parents in their old age being taken care of by their children."

Robert Benton, American Director

Age, People, America, Being

45

"I mean I grew up in Ireland, so one would have to be consciously blinkered not to have reflected on the issue of political violence because that was the story since I was 19 years old or 20."

"I mean I grew up in Ireland, so one would have to be consciously blinkered not to have reflected on the issue of political violence because that was the story since I was 19 years old or 20."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

Experience, Ireland, Old, Violence, Years

45

"I think people who have faults are a lot more interesting than people who are perfect."

"I think people who have faults are a lot more interesting than people who are perfect."

Spike Lee, American Director

45

"Everybody gets a little dose of Shakespeare. He's the greatest playwright in the English language, but his politics are fairly square."

"Everybody gets a little dose of Shakespeare. He's the greatest playwright in the English language, but his politics are fairly square."

Alex Cox, British Director

Politics, English, Language, Shakespeare

45

"I think it's naive to pray for world peace if we're not going to change the form in which we live."

"I think it's naive to pray for world peace if we're not going to change the form in which we live."

Godfrey Reggio, American Director

Change, Peace, World

45

"When you find something where you can give people a message and still make it an exciting movie, you get very, very excited about something. You probably even work harder than you normally do."

"When you find something where you can give people a message and still make it an exciting movie, you get very, very excited about something. You probably even work harder than you normally do."

Roland Emmerich, German Director

45

"Language expresses people's thinking and it was by a Word that God created the world and preserves it."

"Language expresses people's thinking and it was by a Word that God created the world and preserves it."

Walter Lang, American Director

God, People, Language, Thinking

45

"One of the joys of going to the movies was that it was trashy, and we should never lose that."

"One of the joys of going to the movies was that it was trashy, and we should never lose that."

Oliver Stone, American Director

45

"Sorry, but there is no pleasure in finding new ways of saying the same stuff about projects which tanked."

"Sorry, but there is no pleasure in finding new ways of saying the same stuff about projects which tanked."

Alex Cox, British Director

Pleasure, Projects, Saying

45

"If a violent act towards a woman takes place, and the inspiration for that act is violence in cinema, the inspiration for that act would have come from somewhere else if movies didn't exist."

"If a violent act towards a woman takes place, and the inspiration for that act is violence in cinema, the inspiration for that act would have come from somewhere else if movies didn't exist."

Richard King, American Director

Inspirational, Movies, Inspiration, Act, Cinema

45

"So slowly in my mind formed the idea of melodrama, a form I found to perfection in American pictures. They were naive, they were that something completely different. They were completely Art-less."

"So slowly in my mind formed the idea of melodrama, a form I found to perfection in American pictures. They were naive, they were that something completely different. They were completely Art-less."

Douglas Sirk, German Director

Art, Idea, American, Mind

45

"One of the most amazing locations I've ever been is the top of the volcano in Tanzania, Africa. It's an actual volcano where you really have this lava every day."

"One of the most amazing locations I've ever been is the top of the volcano in Tanzania, Africa. It's an actual volcano where you really have this lava every day."

Jan de Bont, Dutch Director

45

"The worst tragedy for a poet is to be admired through being misunderstood."

"The worst tragedy for a poet is to be admired through being misunderstood."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

45

"So not only can you not imagine dying, you can't really imagine existence before you were born."

"So not only can you not imagine dying, you can't really imagine existence before you were born."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

Dying, Existence

45

"Anyway, I just haven't been able to find any humanity in any Republican candidate ever in my entire life."

"Anyway, I just haven't been able to find any humanity in any Republican candidate ever in my entire life."

Alan Rudolph, American Director

Life, Humanity, Republican

45

"The first Decline I did was out of sheer love and appreciation for the music. In 1977, it was more about bands, because punk was a new form of music. It was groundbreaking and political."

"The first Decline I did was out of sheer love and appreciation for the music. In 1977, it was more about bands, because punk was a new form of music. It was groundbreaking and political."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

Love, Music, Appreciation, First

45

"All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster's autobiography."

"All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster's autobiography."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Art, Autobiography

45

"Art produces ugly things which frequently become more beautiful with time. Fashion, on the other hand, produces beautiful things which always become ugly with time."

"Art produces ugly things which frequently become more beautiful with time. Fashion, on the other hand, produces beautiful things which always become ugly with time."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

Art, Time, Fashion, Ugly

45

"Hype is the awkward and desperate attempt to convince journalists that what you've made is worth the misery of having to review it."

"Hype is the awkward and desperate attempt to convince journalists that what you've made is worth the misery of having to review it."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Art, Misery, Worth

45

"But Madonna has a small amount of talent when it comes to movies."

"But Madonna has a small amount of talent when it comes to movies."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

45

"You know how you're always trying to get things to come out perfect in art because it's real difficult in life."

"You know how you're always trying to get things to come out perfect in art because it's real difficult in life."

Woody Allen, American Director

Lifestyle, Art, Perfection, Life, Creativity

45

"Everything about filmmaking tries to distract you from that first fine rapturous vision you have of the film."

"Everything about filmmaking tries to distract you from that first fine rapturous vision you have of the film."

Ted Kotcheff, Canadian Director

Vision, Film, First

45

"It's a pity that I can never really enjoy my movies because, after the mixing, your capacity as a spectator just disappears. I have to think about what I felt just before the mixing."

"It's a pity that I can never really enjoy my movies because, after the mixing, your capacity as a spectator just disappears. I have to think about what I felt just before the mixing."

Pedro Almodovar, Spanish Director

45

"HERO is a combination of my personal feeling and the commercialism."

"HERO is a combination of my personal feeling and the commercialism."

Zhang Yimou, Chinese Director

Movies, Commercialism, Feeling

45

"The danger is that if you have a bunch of ideas that you forget to use."

"The danger is that if you have a bunch of ideas that you forget to use."

Adrian Lyne, English Director

Creativity, Ideas, Danger, Forget

45

"A movie like House of the Dead with around $7 million budget or Alone in the Dark with around $16 million budget are much easier to make profit than the typical $50 million major motion picture."

"A movie like House of the Dead with around $7 million budget or Alone in the Dark with around $16 million budget are much easier to make profit than the typical $50 million major motion picture."

Uwe Boll, German Director

45

"I think decor says a lot about someone's social position, their taste, their sensibility, their work - and also about the aesthetic way I have chosen to tell their story."

"I think decor says a lot about someone's social position, their taste, their sensibility, their work - and also about the aesthetic way I have chosen to tell their story."

Pedro Almodovar, Spanish Director

Work, Sensibility, Taste

45

"The 1980s really ended for me in 1992 with the film Kika."

"The 1980s really ended for me in 1992 with the film Kika."

Pedro Almodovar, Spanish Director

45

"Good luck has its storms."

"Good luck has its storms."

George Lucas, American Director

45

"On a Chinese film you just give orders, no one questions you. Here, you have to convince people, you have to tell them why you want to do it a certain way, and they argue with you. Democracy."

"On a Chinese film you just give orders, no one questions you. Here, you have to convince people, you have to tell them why you want to do it a certain way, and they argue with you. Democracy."

Ang Lee, Chinese Director

People, Democracy, Film, Questions

45

"But I suppose film is distinctive because of its nature, of its being able to cut through time with editing."

"But I suppose film is distinctive because of its nature, of its being able to cut through time with editing."

Oliver Stone, American Director

Time, Nature, Being, Film

45

"Betrayal... is my favorite subject."

"Betrayal... is my favorite subject."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

Betrayal, Favorite

45

"If I could go back I might change Geronimo a bit. If I do, it will be made a longer version."

"If I could go back I might change Geronimo a bit. If I do, it will be made a longer version."

Walter Hill, American Director

45

"I think the act of condensing months or years of work down to a couple hours of entertainment is pretty wild and extremely rewarding."

"I think the act of condensing months or years of work down to a couple hours of entertainment is pretty wild and extremely rewarding."

Richard King, American Director

Work, Act, Entertainment, Months

44

"Film has to describe and show."

"Film has to describe and show."

Ralph Bakshi, American Director

44

"It's always great to discover a new star of tomorrow."

"It's always great to discover a new star of tomorrow."

Brian De Palma, American Director

Discovery, Tomorrow

44

"Michael Caine is a movie star, but he's also a great actor. I can't say that about every movie star. It's the concentration he has."

"Michael Caine is a movie star, but he's also a great actor. I can't say that about every movie star. It's the concentration he has."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

44

"These happy endings all express the weak and sly promise that the world is not rotten and out of joint but meaningful and ultimately in excellent condition."

"These happy endings all express the weak and sly promise that the world is not rotten and out of joint but meaningful and ultimately in excellent condition."

Douglas Sirk, German Director

Optimism, Promise, World

44

"I never thought of becoming a director. When I was twelve, the passage from silent film to the talkies had an impact on me - I still watch silent films."

"I never thought of becoming a director. When I was twelve, the passage from silent film to the talkies had an impact on me - I still watch silent films."

Alain Resnais, French Director

44

"We had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little, we went insane."

"We had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little, we went insane."

Francis Ford Coppola, American Director

44

"Under the big political umbrella, a man is just like a leaf in the ocean, with no control of his destiny and does not have any choice."

"Under the big political umbrella, a man is just like a leaf in the ocean, with no control of his destiny and does not have any choice."

Zhang Yimou, Chinese Director

Control, Choice, Destiny, Man

44

"Sexuality is a big issue, but there are others - how much you commit to a relationship, to social obligation, to honesty and being honest with yourself."

"Sexuality is a big issue, but there are others - how much you commit to a relationship, to social obligation, to honesty and being honest with yourself."

Ang Lee, Chinese Director

Honesty, Being, Obligation, Sexuality

44

"Traffic is about drugs. As detailed a portrait as I can muster about what is happening in the drug world, from top to bottom, from policy to how things move on the street."

"Traffic is about drugs. As detailed a portrait as I can muster about what is happening in the drug world, from top to bottom, from policy to how things move on the street."

Steven Soderbergh, American Director

Policy, Drugs, World

44

"The hardest part of directing is the choosing. Unlike an actor who can do a variety of work, it is a year of your life, you can't afford to get it wrong."

"The hardest part of directing is the choosing. Unlike an actor who can do a variety of work, it is a year of your life, you can't afford to get it wrong."

Tom Hooper, British Director

Life, Work, Actor, Variety

44

"This indication of audience interest is good for all horror movie makers at any budget level."

"This indication of audience interest is good for all horror movie makers at any budget level."

Richard King, American Director

Horror, Interest

44

"Everything Sholom Aleichem talks about in his plays and his short stories is about people, family, man's relationship with his God, the breaking down of tradition."

"Everything Sholom Aleichem talks about in his plays and his short stories is about people, family, man's relationship with his God, the breaking down of tradition."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

God, Family, People, Man

44

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