Ronald Reagan was this actor who was going to be president, and he was very charming. What he had was, he talked about America in ways that got people all caught up in it. He was creating this America - it could even be the mythical "America" - that we subscribe to.

Everybody's trying to hold onto some shred of dignity in the process of it all, and, at the same time, never talking about how they don't have the power. No one has the power. So, you know, producers - we always think, "Well, producers are very powerful," but producers don't really have the power.

I always think that there is the good and the bad of it all.

First of all, just to get Diner made would have been an achievement in that I got a chance to direct.

No one really has the power, and everybody's trying to get through the day, and everybody's nervous and desperate.

I don't know that you can do an absurdist film and just have everybody embrace it in terms of filling out cards. I just don't think it happens. So you have to prepare an audience.

As soon as digital editing came about, I immediately made the switch to digital.