I learn a lot as a director from acting in other people's films and just in general. I want to try and be as involved in the art of filmmaking as possible. I feel that the only way to really do that is to take on as many roles as possible, whether it be as an actor, an editor, a director, a cinematographer. Basically, I like to help and be involved, so anything anybody asks me to do, my first reaction is to say "Yes. "
I spent 30 years of my life not being wanted at all for films.
The [film] industry, from the franchise on, has dramatically changed, not just with us, but with social networking. The social working has changed dramatically, especially in the way you promote films. It's instant.
I've made a lot of stupid action films in my life but I like stupid action films and am kind of proud of them.
I feel like most horror films are made for teenagers about teenagers. I've done a couple of those horror films. There's nothing wrong with that but the older I get the more I starve for more adult material.
I never really planned on making action films. It just kind of happened.
Jerry Bruckheimer says that he makes films that he would want to see, and it seems that that coincides with what a lot of people want to see.
I come from a background of independent films.
For me, if I had all the money in the world, and I could finance my own films, I would do whatever.
I had always been affected by films, as well, of course - and great films.
I'm not an actor who approaches films doing a lot of research. I do zero research, unless it's a film where I'm playing a mock version of someone who already existed. Then, you've got to do a lot of research.
I just want to make sure I'm contributing good films to movie history rather than being famous just to be famous.
The only time I'm totally happy is when I'm watching films or making them.
But no one should have the right to manipulate my films in the first place.
One of the reasons why I fought for my roles is that I think there are so many things about them that are just human, but people like to label them as weird or bad or wrong because they're scared of them. I don't consider them bad - they're girls. They're going to make mistakes, but the films show the repercussions and show that they're going to learn. A lot of people are made to feel bad for being sad, so on top of already being unhappy, you're gonna hate yourself for it.
I don't want to make pompous, serious films.
One of the things that will never get explained in the films is how Ben was able to retain his identity, because it happened somewhere between the third and fourth movies. I set up that this is a discipline that he learned from Yoda; Yoda told him how to do that.
I would never want to do something just for the sake of being independent or for the sake of doing big films. I'm always surprised by the material I'm attracted to. And that's how I like it. I like to be surprised.
I like stories that begin with characters. I like to be engaged and moved by the characters in the story. I want to be moved. I want to leave the cinema and think about what I've seen. My sensibility is quite eclectic and it doesn't matter if they are small or large films, I just want to make good films.
For me, filmmaking combines everything. That's the reason I've made cinema my life's work. In films, painting and literature, theatre and music come together. But a film is still a film.