Now, anybody can make a movie, and I don't see that many great movies, because I think there's only a limited amount of talent out there.

I got tired of my taxes paying for exciting little wars around the world. Then I discovered that when I died, my wife would probably have to sell our house to pay for the taxes in America.

To me, the stories that have always intrigued me are the stories of people leaving my movies and being affected by them. They walk home 20 blocks the wrong way. Or they lock themselves in their office. Or they find themselves weeping when in the shower after the film. And those intrigue me, because I know I've touched something inside them.

The whole point of animation to me is to tell a story, make a joke, express an idea. The technique itself doesn't really matter. Whatever works is the thing to use.

My problem is I'm like a junkie. I want a good movie fix, and I never get that fix.

I thought, how do you confuse violent Russian mobsters? Well, by being silly!

Literally overnight, I became an animator... and one that was well-known.