One of the worst things you can do is have a limited budget and try to do some big looking film. That's when you end up with very bad work.

In order to create art today, you have to compromise your art somewhat and be a businessman.

As a producer, I probably am a little stronger than most, since I was a director originally.

Martin Scorsese was one of the few who had not been an assistant. Most of the guys had been an assistant and worked their way up. But I had seen an underground picture he had made in New York, a black-and-white film. I had done a picture for American International, about a Southern woman bandit, the Ma Barker story, and it was very successful, and I had left to start my own company, and they wanted me to make another one.

I look for the ability to work. Directing is hard work. They don't teach you that in film school. Critics are not aware of it, but it is hard, physical work.

In science-fiction films the monster should always be bigger than the leading lady.

The safest genre is the horror film. But the most unsafe - the most dangerous - is comedy. Because even if your horror film isn't very good, you'll get a few screams and you're okay. With a comedy, if they don't laugh, you're dead.