I like to think of film-making not just as an act of personal self-aggrandisement but rather as an act of public service.
Alexander PayneI read reviews of critics I respect and feel I can learn something from. Right now there are a lot of bottom-feeder critics who just have access to a computer and don't necessarily have an academic or cinema background that I can detect, so I tend to ignore that and stay with the same top-tier critics that I've come to respect. I like reading a good review - it doesn't have to be favorable, but a well-thought-out one - because I very much appreciate the relationship of directors and critics.
Alexander PayneI mean, look, I love movies, not just the ones I make... In fact, I don't like the movies I make very much.
Alexander Payne