You can't guarantee that you'll make a great movie, but you can make a greater effort than I made at trying to see that the basics are there.

It's nice that the independent scene is taken seriously, and has been.

Not to knock the people who've given me the opportunity; I appreciate all the opportunities I've gotten, but one of the things I think I really learned from the features I got to direct is that your job as a director is everything about the movie. It's to pick a story that's really worth making, and make sure that the basic components are there. You're not just a part of the team. You're really in charge, and the responsibility falls on you if all the components aren't there for a worthwhile film.

Even if people end up doing awful things, you can empathize with their motives when you know them. When you get to know the person, you can understand why they make those choices, even if they're bad. And oftentimes people do have good drives that are sympathetic and can even be seen as selfless and good-hearted.

The worst thing is to read bad reviews and go, "Yeah, I agree."

I think that acting is no fun unless it's hard. I'm not titillated by acting or being an actor unless I have to work hard.

If you surround me with darkness, suddenly, I am "somewhat fun."