The truth of a thing is in the feel of it, not in the think of it.

I, uh, don't think it's quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up, sir.

How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas: 'The lady is smiling because she is hiding a secret from her lover.' This would shackle the viewer to reality, and I don't want this to happen to 2001.

Chess teaches you to control the initial excitement you feel when you see something that looks good and it trains you to think objectively when you're in trouble

Everything has already been done. every story has been told every scene has been shot. it’s our job to do it one better.

A filmmaker has almost the same freedom as a novelist has when he buys himself some paper.

I haven't had one sexual thought since the court martial.