The most heroic thing you can do is tell someone that you love them.

What interests me about genre is that the public connects immediately with it, it has certain rules, certain codes the audience recognizes. I can use that to create something very big.

Used properly, cinema is the coolest thing in the world.

Beauty is subjective: Bette Davis wasn't beautiful, but she was more than beautiful.

I really believe the form of the film must be in the scenario; cinema is not just added value to the scripting. I believe in it as a totality.

It's truly gratifying to see my films reach beyond a familiar public, to get a chance to move new audiences. It's nuts. It's extraordinary.

When things aren't working out, screenwriters have a tendency to say, "Go do other things," but you shouldn't do other things. You need to stay at your desk and continue to try to write. You need to insist on it.