The first monster you have to scare the audience with is yourself.

But I made him the Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security because that added an element of political espionage.

Horror films don't create fear. They release it.

If you're in a theater, people are texting, all around you. You have the little glowing screens everywhere. Think of how annoying that can be.

I came from a very strict background. [So if you want to make a scary movie] if you were raised as a fundamentalist, just pull all the skeletons out of your closet.

The first monster that an audience has to be scared of is the filmmaker. They have to feel in the presence of someone not confined by the normal rules of propriety and decency.

I think the important thing about staying creative and staying sharp and original is not to look back too much.