Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 42/67

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Quotes by Director

"Relationships in general make people a bit nervous. It's about trust. Do I trust you enough to go there?"

"Relationships in general make people a bit nervous. It's about trust. Do I trust you enough to go there?"

Neil LaBute, American Director

Trust, People, Relationships

34

"I'm sure some people will say, 'Why do this?' And my response is, 'Why wouldn't you?' The film business in general is using a model that is outdated and, worse than that, inefficient."

"I'm sure some people will say, 'Why do this?' And my response is, 'Why wouldn't you?' The film business in general is using a model that is outdated and, worse than that, inefficient."

Steven Soderbergh, American Director

Business, People, Film, Will

34

"Me and Johnny Rotten have been talking about doing a movie of his book, No Irish, No Dogs, No Blacks. We have a script, so hopefully that's going to happen at some point in our careers."

"Me and Johnny Rotten have been talking about doing a movie of his book, No Irish, No Dogs, No Blacks. We have a script, so hopefully that's going to happen at some point in our careers."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

Career, Careers, Dogs, Irish, Talking

34

"You need, as a historian, essential triangulation from your subject and the only way you get that triangulation is through time."

"You need, as a historian, essential triangulation from your subject and the only way you get that triangulation is through time."

Ken Burns, American Director

34

"To do that I try and keep myself in pretty good shape physically and I try to lead my life in such a way that I'll be able to be as strong at the end of the movie as I am in the beginning."

"To do that I try and keep myself in pretty good shape physically and I try to lead my life in such a way that I'll be able to be as strong at the end of the movie as I am in the beginning."

John Frankenheimer, American Director

Life, Beginning, End, Pretty

34

"There is something universal in the theme of a man trying to save his family in the midst of the most terrible circumstances. It is not limited to Sierra Leone. This story could apply to any number of places where ordinary people have been caught up in political events beyond their control."

"There is something universal in the theme of a man trying to save his family in the midst of the most terrible circumstances. It is not limited to Sierra Leone. This story could apply to any number of places where ordinary people have been caught up in political events beyond their control."

Edward Zwick, American Director

Family, People, Control, Circumstances

34

"The history of the white man in India really jumped up and bit me in the neck."

"The history of the white man in India really jumped up and bit me in the neck."

Roland Joffe, English Director

34

"It was the beginning of film for television. So we had all of these great opportunities. Northwestern was probably the only major film school of its kind at the time that was graduating anybody important."

"It was the beginning of film for television. So we had all of these great opportunities. Northwestern was probably the only major film school of its kind at the time that was graduating anybody important."

Richard Donner, American Director

Time, Beginning, Film, School

34

"I prefer to think that God is not dead, just drunk."

"I prefer to think that God is not dead, just drunk."

John Huston, American Director

34

"Probably having fallen in love with music and movies at a young age and then first learning about writing by kind of following the path of writers like Dave Marsh and Lester Bangs and being a rock journalist."

"Probably having fallen in love with music and movies at a young age and then first learning about writing by kind of following the path of writers like Dave Marsh and Lester Bangs and being a rock journalist."

Cameron Crowe, American Director

Age, Love, Movies, Music

34

"Beware the ends of the earth and the exotic: the drama is on your doorstep wherever the slums; are, wherever there is malnutrition, wherever there is exploitation and cruelty."

"Beware the ends of the earth and the exotic: the drama is on your doorstep wherever the slums; are, wherever there is malnutrition, wherever there is exploitation and cruelty."

John Grierson, British Director

Society, Cruelty, Drama, Earth, Exploitation

34

"I started out to be a painter and was born into the theater."

"I started out to be a painter and was born into the theater."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

34

"I've been very lucky in my long life. On three continents, in diverse cultures, through happy moments, not-so-happy moments, and moments as marvelous as this one, I've had the privilege of working with the cinema's greatest masters."

"I've been very lucky in my long life. On three continents, in diverse cultures, through happy moments, not-so-happy moments, and moments as marvelous as this one, I've had the privilege of working with the cinema's greatest masters."

Dino De Laurentiis, Italian Director

Life, Cinema, Moments, Privilege

34

"It's a risk casting anyone against type or what they're known to do. But there's one thing better than having a great actor, which is having a great actor who's never done what you're asking him to do. He's hungry to get out of the trailer every day and hungry to test himself."

"It's a risk casting anyone against type or what they're known to do. But there's one thing better than having a great actor, which is having a great actor who's never done what you're asking him to do. He's hungry to get out of the trailer every day and hungry to test himself."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Actor, Day, Risk

34

"Time has changed and now is the age of spending."

"Time has changed and now is the age of spending."

Zhang Yimou, Chinese Director

34

"The great nations have always acted like gangsters, and the small nations like prostitutes."

"The great nations have always acted like gangsters, and the small nations like prostitutes."

Stanley Kubrick, American Director

Nation, Nations

34

"I never thought I was doing the same thing as directors like John Carpenter, George Romero, and sometimes even Hitchcock, even though I've been sometimes compared to those other guys. We're after different game."

"I never thought I was doing the same thing as directors like John Carpenter, George Romero, and sometimes even Hitchcock, even though I've been sometimes compared to those other guys. We're after different game."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

34

"I know there were many good policemen who died doing their duty. Some of the cops were even friends of ours. But a cop can go both ways."

"I know there were many good policemen who died doing their duty. Some of the cops were even friends of ours. But a cop can go both ways."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

Friendship, Duty, Friends

34

"I think I've done pretty well. I've had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards, so I don't have any complaints."

"I think I've done pretty well. I've had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards, so I don't have any complaints."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

Movies, Awards, Complaints, Pretty

34

"Oh, the relationship with actors and managers and agents and things is a terrible problem sometimes."

"Oh, the relationship with actors and managers and agents and things is a terrible problem sometimes."

John Schlesinger, British Director

Actor, Actors, Managers

34

"Music has always been an important thing to me in my life and understand I've worked in the music business."

"Music has always been an important thing to me in my life and understand I've worked in the music business."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

Business, Life, Music

34

"There's evidence of a social decline in direct proportion to technology and the industrialization of the motion picture industry."

"There's evidence of a social decline in direct proportion to technology and the industrialization of the motion picture industry."

Mark Rydell, American Director

34

"So, it didn't do well. But now when I talk to kids who are first seeing it, they're surprised to hear the movie failed at the box office. Sometimes that's what happens."

"So, it didn't do well. But now when I talk to kids who are first seeing it, they're surprised to hear the movie failed at the box office. Sometimes that's what happens."

David Zucker, American Director

Movies, First, Kids, Now, Office

34

"Also, I plan to screw something up on every movie I do so that I can learn from my mistakes and become a better director with each project."

"Also, I plan to screw something up on every movie I do so that I can learn from my mistakes and become a better director with each project."

Richard King, American Director

Mistake, Mistakes, Project

34

"The personality problem is so tough when you're not able to pay people. It's bad enough when you can pay people, but, when you have people working for free, often their motivation is diminished considerably."

"The personality problem is so tough when you're not able to pay people. It's bad enough when you can pay people, but, when you have people working for free, often their motivation is diminished considerably."

John Badham, British Director

Motivational, Motivation, People, Personality

34

"You're seeing me develop, not only as a filmmaker if you've seen my earlier films, but you're seeing me kind of learn how to be a human, how my philosophy has evolved."

"You're seeing me develop, not only as a filmmaker if you've seen my earlier films, but you're seeing me kind of learn how to be a human, how my philosophy has evolved."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

34

"Everyone is encouraged to see their lives, the world through the eyes of the rich."

"Everyone is encouraged to see their lives, the world through the eyes of the rich."

Richard Linklater, American Director

Society, Eyes, World

34

"I'm first and foremost interested in the story, the characters."

"I'm first and foremost interested in the story, the characters."

David Lean, British Director

34

"Well, I started thinking about what you were saying about how your movies need to make a profit. Now, what is the one thing, if you put it in a movie, it'll be successful?"

"Well, I started thinking about what you were saying about how your movies need to make a profit. Now, what is the one thing, if you put it in a movie, it'll be successful?"

Ed Wood, American Director

Movies, Successful, Now, Profit

34

"A movie that costs only $1.6 million doesn't have to be a cultural event to turn a profit."

"A movie that costs only $1.6 million doesn't have to be a cultural event to turn a profit."

Steven Soderbergh, American Director

34

"We have an uncanny ability to make birds do what we want them to do. In Blood Simple there's a shot from the bumper of a car and it's going up this road and a huge flock of birds takes off at the perfect moment."

"We have an uncanny ability to make birds do what we want them to do. In Blood Simple there's a shot from the bumper of a car and it's going up this road and a huge flock of birds takes off at the perfect moment."

Joel Coen, American Director

Car, Ability, Birds, Blood

34

"The secret to film is that it's an illusion."

"The secret to film is that it's an illusion."

George Lucas, American Director

34

"Every time I go to a movie, it's magic, no matter what the movie's about."

"Every time I go to a movie, it's magic, no matter what the movie's about."

Steven Spielberg, American Director

34

"The real trouble with film school is that the people teaching are so far out of the industry that they don't give the students an idea of what's happening."

"The real trouble with film school is that the people teaching are so far out of the industry that they don't give the students an idea of what's happening."

Brian De Palma, American Director

People, Idea, Film, School

34

"At the time I came along, Hollywood's idea of teen movies meant there had to be a lot of nudity, usually involving boys in pursuit of sex, and pretty gross overall. Either that or a horror movie. And the last thing Hollywood wanted in their teen movies was teenagers!"

"At the time I came along, Hollywood's idea of teen movies meant there had to be a lot of nudity, usually involving boys in pursuit of sex, and pretty gross overall. Either that or a horror movie. And the last thing Hollywood wanted in their teen movies was teenagers!"

John Hughes, American Director

Movies, Teen, Time, Sex

34

"Anybody who informs on other people is doing something disturbing and even disgusting."

"Anybody who informs on other people is doing something disturbing and even disgusting."

Elia Kazan, American Director

34

"When I came to England at the very beginning of commercial television it was easy for me because I was only doing one or two shows a week at most. It was really a holiday."

"When I came to England at the very beginning of commercial television it was easy for me because I was only doing one or two shows a week at most. It was really a holiday."

Richard Lester, English Director

Beginning, England, Holiday, Television

34

"We also have a tendency to root for the fugitive. We're always on the side of the animal being chased."

"We also have a tendency to root for the fugitive. We're always on the side of the animal being chased."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

34

"I don't think of it as a competition - which might surprise you, given the way movies are reported constantly."

"I don't think of it as a competition - which might surprise you, given the way movies are reported constantly."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Movies, Competition

34

"Do you know what directors go through? It's just hell. Like, why do I work so hard - to think I'm only going to see this movie five times and then never see it again 'cause I'm so sick of it? What is it worth, honestly?"

"Do you know what directors go through? It's just hell. Like, why do I work so hard - to think I'm only going to see this movie five times and then never see it again 'cause I'm so sick of it? What is it worth, honestly?"

Michael Bay, American Director

Work, Hell, Worth

34

"Movies are not scripts - movies are films; they're not books, they're not the theatre."

"Movies are not scripts - movies are films; they're not books, they're not the theatre."

Nicolas Roeg, English Director

Movies, Books, Theatre

34

"It was progressively more difficult to find work in the theatre, as well."

"It was progressively more difficult to find work in the theatre, as well."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

34

"I'm at Miramax now, where I've actually been treated like a Prince."

"I'm at Miramax now, where I've actually been treated like a Prince."

Ted Demme, American Director

34

"I remember feeling that technology was like trying to draw with your foot. In a ski boot. It was the most indirect way to work imaginable, but the potential had us all excited. I started in stop motion."

"I remember feeling that technology was like trying to draw with your foot. In a ski boot. It was the most indirect way to work imaginable, but the potential had us all excited. I started in stop motion."

Chris Wedge, American Director

Technology, Work, Feeling, Potential

34

"Sometimes you have to lie. One often has to distort a thing to catch its true spirit."

"Sometimes you have to lie. One often has to distort a thing to catch its true spirit."

Robert J. Flaherty, American Director

34

"Everybody knows that the industrialized nations are the worst offenders."

"Everybody knows that the industrialized nations are the worst offenders."

Roland Emmerich, German Director

Nation, Nations

34

"Unfortunately my career began in Hollywood, doing a negative pickup for Universal pictures."

"Unfortunately my career began in Hollywood, doing a negative pickup for Universal pictures."

Alex Cox, British Director

Negative, Career, Hollywood

34

"Eventually, in '84, we made a film for a little over a million dollars - with American actors that was shot in English - that was shown in Finland A little action film called Born American."

"Eventually, in '84, we made a film for a little over a million dollars - with American actors that was shot in English - that was shown in Finland A little action film called Born American."

Renny Harlin, Finnish Director

Action, Actors, American, English

34

"The very reasons sometimes that you make a film are the reasons for its failure."

"The very reasons sometimes that you make a film are the reasons for its failure."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

34

"Because I found myself telling the story of his family to people without the visual aids that I was able to employ by filming them eventually. But I very much knew exactly what I was going to do."

"Because I found myself telling the story of his family to people without the visual aids that I was able to employ by filming them eventually. But I very much knew exactly what I was going to do."

Terry Zwigoff, American Director

34

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