Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 24/67

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Quotes by Director

"What I think happens today is that a lot of filmmakers look at other films that are retro pieces, like L.A. Confidential, and say, oh, that's period. We didn't want to do the stereotypical stuff."

"What I think happens today is that a lot of filmmakers look at other films that are retro pieces, like L.A. Confidential, and say, oh, that's period. We didn't want to do the stereotypical stuff."

Ted Demme, American Director

Movies, Today, Want

14

"With Cold Sassy Tree having its first production, I saw no necessity to do anything other than produce it with the correct setting."

"With Cold Sassy Tree having its first production, I saw no necessity to do anything other than produce it with the correct setting."

Bruce Beresford, Australian Director

Setting, First, Necessity, Production

14

"Making your first feature film is actually impossible."

"Making your first feature film is actually impossible."

Yahoo Serious, Australian Director

14

"I wouldn't not want to be a director and write as I wouldn't not to want to be a writer and direct movies."

"I wouldn't not want to be a director and write as I wouldn't not to want to be a writer and direct movies."

Walter Hill, American Director

Movies, Want, Writer

14

"My first job on 2001 was to make all of the HAL readouts: the 16 screens that surround HAL's eyes."

"My first job on 2001 was to make all of the HAL readouts: the 16 screens that surround HAL's eyes."

Douglas Trumbull, American Director

Film, Eyes, First, Job

14

"When you're in the muck you can only see muck. If you somehow manage to float above it, you still see the muck but you see it from a different perspective. And you see other things too. That's the consolation of philosophy."

"When you're in the muck you can only see muck. If you somehow manage to float above it, you still see the muck but you see it from a different perspective. And you see other things too. That's the consolation of philosophy."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

Perspective, Philosophy

14

"What the Dalai Lama had to resolve was whether to stay in Tibet or leave. He wanted to stay, but staying would have meant the total destruction of Tibet, because he would have died and that would have ripped the heart out of his people."

"What the Dalai Lama had to resolve was whether to stay in Tibet or leave. He wanted to stay, but staying would have meant the total destruction of Tibet, because he would have died and that would have ripped the heart out of his people."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

People, Heart, Destruction

14

"History's just been made for sale to an inside deal."

"History's just been made for sale to an inside deal."

Ken Burns, American Director

14

"If there's anything I hate more than being taken seriously, it's being taken too seriously."

"If there's anything I hate more than being taken seriously, it's being taken too seriously."

Billy Wilder, American Director

14

"In fact, it was the women in our house who were in the saddle. If men are the gods, women are not only the presidents but all the ministers of the government."

"In fact, it was the women in our house who were in the saddle. If men are the gods, women are not only the presidents but all the ministers of the government."

Pedro Almodovar, Spanish Director

Government, Men, Women, Gods

14

"We're talking to New Line. They've got a couple projects they're interested in me doing and I'm having meetings at MGM. There's a lot of available projects."

"We're talking to New Line. They've got a couple projects they're interested in me doing and I'm having meetings at MGM. There's a lot of available projects."

David R. Ellis, American Director

Project, Meetings, Projects, Talking

14

"I decided that, somehow, I had to get out of there and go to Hollywood. I had never been to America."

"I decided that, somehow, I had to get out of there and go to Hollywood. I had never been to America."

Renny Harlin, Finnish Director

Experience, America, Hollywood

14

"We've been remarkably lucky in that we've been free to make the movies we've wanted to make the way we've wanted to make them. They've all been made for a price."

"We've been remarkably lucky in that we've been free to make the movies we've wanted to make the way we've wanted to make them. They've all been made for a price."

Joel Coen, American Director

14

"Each character represented a trait that resides in me."

"Each character represented a trait that resides in me."

Chuck Jones, American Director

14

"Well, if you're talking about the current climate, there's a lack of content in American film because I think people are deeply confused about their emotions, and they don't regret certain aspects of their own foreign policy."

"Well, if you're talking about the current climate, there's a lack of content in American film because I think people are deeply confused about their emotions, and they don't regret certain aspects of their own foreign policy."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

People, Policy, American, Climate

14

"All stereotypes turn out to be true. This is a horrifying thing about life. All those things you fought against as a youth: you begin to realize they're stereotypes because they're true."

"All stereotypes turn out to be true. This is a horrifying thing about life. All those things you fought against as a youth: you begin to realize they're stereotypes because they're true."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

14

"I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performances."

"I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performances."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

Acting, Sentimentality, Trying

14

"I believe in luck: how else can you explain the success of those you dislike?"

"I believe in luck: how else can you explain the success of those you dislike?"

Jean Cocteau, French Director

14

"Ever since Two Daughters I've been composing my own music."

"Ever since Two Daughters I've been composing my own music."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

Music, Daughters

14

"I can't do a film after having debated it. I am unable to do a film while discussing it with my team. I issue directives. I do not achieve it otherwise."

"I can't do a film after having debated it. I am unable to do a film while discussing it with my team. I issue directives. I do not achieve it otherwise."

Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese Director

14

"If you don't like my movies, don't watch them."

"If you don't like my movies, don't watch them."

Dario Argento, Italian Director

14

"I really took filmmaking very seriously... It was an honor and then a crutch also, because at a young age, I was like, I guess I'm a serious filmmaker. I never set out to be a serious filmmaker. I just set out to make movies."

"I really took filmmaking very seriously... It was an honor and then a crutch also, because at a young age, I was like, I guess I'm a serious filmmaker. I never set out to be a serious filmmaker. I just set out to make movies."

John Singleton, American Director

Movies, Age, Honor

14

"I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

"I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

Woody Allen, American Director

14

"Censorship is advertising paid by the government."

"Censorship is advertising paid by the government."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Government, Advertising, Censorship

14

"Usually, I don't want to sit down and listen to the director gas on about his movie. I just can't actually imagine myself sitting down and having that much to say."

"Usually, I don't want to sit down and listen to the director gas on about his movie. I just can't actually imagine myself sitting down and having that much to say."

Joel Coen, American Director

14

"If I can say one thing for my pictures, it is a certain craftsmanship. A thought which has gone into every angle. There is nothing there without an optical reason."

"If I can say one thing for my pictures, it is a certain craftsmanship. A thought which has gone into every angle. There is nothing there without an optical reason."

Douglas Sirk, German Director

Thought, Nothing, Reason

14

"Very often the Group actor is a critic when he's acting and an actor when he's criticizing."

"Very often the Group actor is a critic when he's acting and an actor when he's criticizing."

Elia Kazan, American Director

14

"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

14

"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion of life."

"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion of life."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Life, Beginning, End, Passion

14

"Good luck has its storms."

"Good luck has its storms."

George Lucas, American Director

14

"I look at modern life and I see people not taking responsibility for their lives. The temptation to blame, to find external causes to one's own issues is something that is particularly modern. I know that personally I find that sense of responsibility interesting."

"I look at modern life and I see people not taking responsibility for their lives. The temptation to blame, to find external causes to one's own issues is something that is particularly modern. I know that personally I find that sense of responsibility interesting."

Edward Zwick, American Director

Life, People, Blame, Causes

14

"Because there is so little room for expression otherwise, a lot of people love cinema because they find it a way of expressing themselves."

"Because there is so little room for expression otherwise, a lot of people love cinema because they find it a way of expressing themselves."

Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iranian Director

Love, People, Cinema, Expression

14

"I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam I looked into the soul of the boy next to me."

"I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam I looked into the soul of the boy next to me."

Woody Allen, American Director

Education, Cheating, Curiosity, Knowledge

14

"If you don't fill your days with love, you are wasting your life."

"If you don't fill your days with love, you are wasting your life."

James Broughton, American Director

14

"What I learned most was how to tell a story in 15 seconds or 30 seconds or 60 seconds - to have some kind of goal of what to try to do and make it happen in that time."

"What I learned most was how to tell a story in 15 seconds or 30 seconds or 60 seconds - to have some kind of goal of what to try to do and make it happen in that time."

Renny Harlin, Finnish Director

14

"One of the characteristics of the dream is that nothing surprises us in it. With no regret, we agree to live in it with strangers, completely cut off from our habits and friends."

"One of the characteristics of the dream is that nothing surprises us in it. With no regret, we agree to live in it with strangers, completely cut off from our habits and friends."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

Friendship, Dream, Friends, Habits, Nothing

14

"I wanted to make a movie about the arbitrary nature of love."

"I wanted to make a movie about the arbitrary nature of love."

Adrian Lyne, English Director

14

"In this movie they took them up in space. They're floating around and doing zero gravity stuff. Well, they had to do it all on wires. All the wires had to be painted black against this black background. If you didn't light it properly you could see the wires. Drove them crazy!"

"In this movie they took them up in space. They're floating around and doing zero gravity stuff. Well, they had to do it all on wires. All the wires had to be painted black against this black background. If you didn't light it properly you could see the wires. Drove them crazy!"

John Badham, British Director

Film, Gravity, Light, Space

14

"I was always fascinated by engineering. Maybe it was an attempt maybe to get my father's respect or interest, or maybe it was just a genetic love of technology, but I was always trying to build things."

"I was always fascinated by engineering. Maybe it was an attempt maybe to get my father's respect or interest, or maybe it was just a genetic love of technology, but I was always trying to build things."

James Cameron, American Director

Love, Technology, Father, Engineering

14

"The conception of background music is changing. You use less and less of it these days."

"The conception of background music is changing. You use less and less of it these days."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

14

"Money is everywhere but so is poetry. What we lack are the poets."

"Money is everywhere but so is poetry. What we lack are the poets."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Money, Poetry, Poets

14

"Now I'm back home, living in London, running my theater. I just want to enjoy all that."

"Now I'm back home, living in London, running my theater. I just want to enjoy all that."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Home, Living, London, Now

14

"It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people. The good ones slept better while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more."

"It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people. The good ones slept better while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more."

Woody Allen, American Director

People, Waking, World

14

"France is a place where the money falls apart in your hands but you can't tear the toilet paper."

"France is a place where the money falls apart in your hands but you can't tear the toilet paper."

Billy Wilder, American Director

14

"I was always attracted by the European way of life, but I am deeply Swedish."

"I was always attracted by the European way of life, but I am deeply Swedish."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

14

"I felt that as long as we were being honest, and that we didn't bend the truth to accomplish another goal, to be entertaining or to be a happy ending, I was confident that we'd be able to tell the story the way it happened."

"I felt that as long as we were being honest, and that we didn't bend the truth to accomplish another goal, to be entertaining or to be a happy ending, I was confident that we'd be able to tell the story the way it happened."

Ted Demme, American Director

Truth, Goal, Being, Ending

14

"There's an old joke - um... two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of 'em says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know; and such small portions." Well, that's essentially how I feel about life - full of loneliness, and misery, and suffering, and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly."

"There's an old joke - um... two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of 'em says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know; and such small portions." Well, that's essentially how I feel about life - full of loneliness, and misery, and suffering, and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly."

Woody Allen, American Director

Philosophy, Loneliness, Suffering, Misery, Happiness

14

"Why if I had half a chance, I could make an entire movie using this stock footage. The story opens on these mysterious explosions. Nobody knows what's causing them, but it's upsetting all the buffalo. So, the military are called in to solve the mystery."

"Why if I had half a chance, I could make an entire movie using this stock footage. The story opens on these mysterious explosions. Nobody knows what's causing them, but it's upsetting all the buffalo. So, the military are called in to solve the mystery."

Ed Wood, American Director

Chance, Military, Mystery

14

"I think what makes a good action film is a story that gets you involved. Just action, by itself, is not going to work."

"I think what makes a good action film is a story that gets you involved. Just action, by itself, is not going to work."

Jan de Bont, Dutch Director

Work, Action, Film

14

"You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it's really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas."

"You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it's really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas."

Stanley Kubrick, American Director

Heart, Idea, Ideas, Chess

13

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