If you're going to get into social criticism with absurdity and satire, you can't be politically correct when you do that.

I just love the process of working with other actors.

Poe had this curious kind of alchemical courage, where he took all the terrible things and terrors that happened in his life, all this shame and fear and pain, and turned them into great works of art. He was a complex, brilliant person who was just wired too tight.

I never wanted to come off as self-important.

The film is not a success until it makes money. It's only good when there's a dollar figure attached to the box office.

Justice always has context.

The situation in the film is like me going out to Venice Beach and talking to a homeless guy on the boardwalk, and 13 years later he's the president.