I think it's better to be overly ambitious and fail than to be underambitious and succeed in a mundane way. I have been very fortunate. I failed upward in my life!

I had a number of teachers who hated me. I didn't do well in school.

I was interested in the idea of succession - showing a father and a son both in their own time and drawing a contrast

I don't think there's any artist of any value who doesn't doubt what they're doing.

As long as I can make lots of money in other businesses, I'll continue to subsidize my own work.

Roger Corman exploited all of the young people who worked for him, but he really gave you responsibility and opportunity. So it was kind of a fair deal.

I gladly, I voluntarily gave up the kind of commercial film career I had going as soon as I had enough money to finance my own films.