Making films is much more difficult than people imagine, and so the experience of actually directing them is not one I've ever relished.

My films ought to be judged on whether they're entertaining or good as films, but not on the political view necessarily. I'm trying to be morally responsible and no more. I don't have an agenda I'm trying to push.

What I really want to do is produce. There isn’t much patience with a slow developing story line anymore.

And I taught acting for years, and without knowing it that was the real thing that started bending me toward directing.

[Stanley] Kubrick was a fascinating, larger than life guy who had been a friend for many years prior to our working together on that film. I found the best part of working with him to be the long conversations we had between set-ups.

I have one life. I am a certain age. I'm married to one person. I have a certain number of children. I won't have another life other than that, but I do have many lives through the films.

Obviously its a good feeling to know that something you've done has lasted.