A lot of directors don't know what they want to do. Every director I've seen that was a good director that I've admired knew exactly what he wanted to do. They didn't sit there and think about it.

I also thought of myself as the Sonny Barger of the film industry.

I mean, the old film critics just excoriated me.

Everybody's a filmmaker today.

You know, I find it very strange when movies that I made that were just excoriated - I mean that I was just vilified for - are now looked at as classics.

I was never conscious of my screenplays having any acts. It's all bullshit.

I've always been able to survive by writing, though.