The greater the intellect, the more ease in its misdirection.

The greater the intellect, the more ease in its misdirection.

David Mamet

The liberals in my neighbourhood wouldn't give away Brentwood to the Palestinians, but they want to give away Tel Aviv.

The liberals in my neighbourhood wouldn't give away Brentwood to the Palestinians, but they want to give away Tel Aviv.

My greatest fear is that the audience will beat me to the punch line.

My greatest fear is that the audience will beat me to the punch line.

All rhetorical questions are accusations.

All rhetorical questions are accusations.

As long as the protagonist wants something, the audience will want something.

As long as the protagonist wants something, the audience will want something.

I've always been fascinated by the picaresque.

I've always been fascinated by the picaresque.

I've always been more comfortable sinking while clutching a good theory than swimming with an ugly fact.

I've always been more comfortable sinking while clutching a good theory than swimming with an ugly fact.

Roll back the clock, and every possession of every great country started with a crime.

Roll back the clock, and every possession of every great country started with a crime.

People only speak to get something.

People only speak to get something.

To find beauty in the sad, hope in the midst of loss, and dignity in failure is great poetic art.

To find beauty in the sad, hope in the midst of loss, and dignity in failure is great poetic art.

Welcome to Chicago. This town stinks like a whorehouse at low tide.

Welcome to Chicago. This town stinks like a whorehouse at low tide.

Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance.

Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance.

It's hard to write a good play because it's hard to structure a plot. If you can think of it off the top of your head, so can the audience.

It's hard to write a good play because it's hard to structure a plot. If you can think of it off the top of your head, so can the audience.

It is not the constitutional prerogative of the Government to determine needs.

It is not the constitutional prerogative of the Government to determine needs.

We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.

We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.

Anyone ever lost in the wild knows that nature wants you dead.

Anyone ever lost in the wild knows that nature wants you dead.

Encounter: Doubt, Shame, Humiliation. It will finally be worth it. Acting is more about courage than anything else.

Encounter: Doubt, Shame, Humiliation. It will finally be worth it. Acting is more about courage than anything else.

A good film script should be able to do completely without dialogue.

A good film script should be able to do completely without dialogue.

The job of the artist, is to say, wait a second, everything that we have thought is wrong. Let's re-examine it.

The job of the artist, is to say, wait a second, everything that we have thought is wrong. Let's re-examine it.