Top Robert Altman Quotes - Quotesmemo.com

Robert Altman Biography

Robert Bernard Altman (/ˈɔːltmən/; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. A five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, Altman was considered a "maverick" in making films with a highly naturalistic but stylized and satirical aesthetic, unlike most Hollywood films. He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in American cinema.

Read about Robert Altman in Wikipedia

Random Authors

Robert Altman Quotes

Titanic I thought was the most dreadful piece of work I've ever seen in my entire life. Another film that I think is equally bad was American Beauty. So badly acted and directed. But people like that.

Acted, Life, People, Pieces, Thinking, Work

If George W. Bush is elected president, I'm leaving for France.

Bush, Elected, France, Leaving, President

People have asked me throughout the years which directors have influenced me. I don't know their names, because I was mostly influenced when I'd see a film and think, "Man, I want to be sure to never do anything like that. " So I never learned their names. It wasn't a matter of copying or emulating somebody I admired. It was getting rid of a lot of stuff.

Emulating, Like, Men, Mostly, Thinking, Years

Your own ego is the only trap that I think you can fall into.

Ego, Fall, Think, Thinking

There was not a lot of dialogue. The titles were just to keep you up. It's the visual stimulation that hits the audience. That's the reason for film. Otherwise, we might as well turn the light out and call it radio.

Call, Light, Radio, Reason, Stimulation, Titles

Why should I keep doing things that I've done before?

Done, Keep, Should, Should I, Things

Most of my films I call arena films. I deal with a confined area -- an arena -- and I try to cover every aspect of it.

Arena, Call, Confined, Deal, Film, Trying

If you have a child who is seven feet tall, you don't cut off his head or his legs. You buy him a bigger bed and hope he plays basketball.

Basketball, Child, Children, Cutting, Legs, Tall

I insist that they do what they became actors to do. I want them to create something and not just hit marks and say words. So they all love that because they're playing. It's called playacting. Their contributions are not only welcomed, but are accepted and used.

Actors, Want, Accepted, Welcomed, Playacting

That wasn't an ending. It was just a stopping point.

Ending, Film, Hollywood, Point, Stopping

All of my films deal with the same thing: striving, socially and culturally, to stay alive.

Alive, Film, Same, Strive, Striving, Thing

I make no apologies for Popeye. Behind M*A*S*H, it's my biggest hit. It got maligned by the critics because it wasn't Superman. It wasn't about special effects and it wasn't made for 14-year-old boys. The majority of films are made for 14-year-old boys; I don't know where they get the eight bucks to get in. It's hush money from the parents.

Apology, Boys, Bucks, Eight, Hush, Make

Filmmaking is a chance to live many lifetimes.

Inspirational, Motivational, Chance, Lifetimes, Live

Retirement? You're talking about death, right?

Death, Retirement, Right, Talking

I've never had a big hit movie. "MASH" was probably the biggest. I don't make those kind of films, and I never have. I wish each one of them would just do billions of dollars worth of ticket sales, but they never do and they never will.

Biggest, Dollars, Probably, Tickets, Wish

It's all just one film to me. Just different chapters.

Chapters, Different, Film, Inspiring, Movie

I was scared that no one would hire me. At that time, there was still a stigma attached to it. A big stigma. Actually, I think I was healthier after the operation than some people who have bypass surgery because I was completely cured. But when you mentioned "heart transplant," you got a very negative reaction. It triggered people's imaginations, and not in a good way.

Heart, Mentioned, People, Thinking, Transplant

The minute you have more than one voice, you have more possibilities opening up. You have all the molecules in all of those bodies and their make up interacting.

Minute, Molecules, Opening Up, Possibilities, Voice

You will never see'Altman's Great Film of the Seventies: The Director's Cut' because you have never seen a film of mine that wasn't the director's cut. I have never permitted it.

Cut, Cutting, Directors, Film, Permitted

I love fishing. You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. Your imagination is under there.

Fishing, Know, Lakes, Line, Sea

1