I am always looking for that nuance, that moment of truth, and you can't really do that fast.

I've never been a fan of whimsical or confusing storytelling.

Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.

I'm completely aware of the fact that I'm a control freak.

There’s a lot for screenwriters to steal from songwriters, in terms of getting to the point.

I have a feeling, one of those gut feelings, that I'll make pretty good movies the rest of my life.

My writing has a lot to do with who I am, and what my life is like, and my relationships to people.

To make a film, the final big collaborator that you have is the composer.

How do I respond to criticism? Critically. I listen to all criticism critically.

I'll rebel against powers and principalities, all the time. Always, I will.

Screenwriting is like ironing. You move forward a little bit and go back and smooth things out.

You're constantly changing man. But the film's not changing. The film stays the same. That's the beautiful aspect of it.

A film needs more than you can give it in a lifetime.

The most terrifying fact about the universe not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent

The very meaninglessness of life forces man to create his own meaning. If it can be written or thought, it can be filmed.

I don't like doing interviews. There is always the problem of being misquoted or, what's even worse, of being quoted exactly.

No philosophy based on an incorrect view of the nature of man is likely to produce social good.

The dead know only one thing, it is better to be alive

There are few things more fundamentally encouraging and stimulating than seeing someone else die.