Guy Pearce is very precise and clear about understanding the rhythm and the music of a scene.

That was one of the reasons why I wanted to tell the story of Colin Price. I saw someone in this fictionalized political character that was trying to do something important for his city. He meant well, but then you see that the human flaws had really derailed his past. It seems to be happening more and more in our country. I wanted to hold a mirror up to that.

When I was eight, I would look at the cover of the 'Ghost Rider' comic book in my little home in Long Beach, California, and I couldn't get my head around how something that scary could also be good. To me it was my first philosophical awakening - 'How is this possible, this duality?'

I don't want a perfect character, I want a character who has, as strange as it sounds, some humanity, some flaws, some needs.

I'm an enormous admirer of Christopher Lee. He's somebody, along with Vincent Price, who I celebrate, and I wanted my movies to show that celebration and that honoring of these great film stars that were unafraid to go into horror and Grand Guignol and the macabre.

I came out of independent film, that's my roots. I used my independent film as a laboratory, and used what I could discover in that laboratory.

Those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action.