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 PayneMarketing has supplanted story as the primary force behind the worthiness of making a film, and that's a very sad thing. It's film only as a function of consumerism rather than as an important component of our culture, and that's everywhere around the world.
Alexander PayneI like actors who, when you see them on screen, you sense a person, not just an actor.
Alexander PayneI make comedies and I always try... I don't try but I allow to have at least 5% of the jokes or have some jokes that I know will be understood by only about 5% of the audience. It's that guy in the corner who gets it and laughs. But he has to have his jokes too. That's part of my audience. Part of my audience is the people who will only get certain things.
Alexander Payne