I don't watch anything. I work so much. If I see a film, it's usually that I'll go in after working 15 hours and slam in The Bridge on the River Kwai or something.

The era I love most is the Federal period, just after the Revolution and the formation of the United States. The birth of America as a nation coincided with the Romantic era and I've always been thoroughly into the Romantics and I've always been thoroughly into America, particularly at the time when it was a brand new idea, when it was something brand new in the world. It was a very exciting time in the world because of the birth of America

When I'm shooting, as much as writing, I see edited footage in my mind, so I work that way, and it's economical.

I think that gambling is a synthetic experience and that if you have any balls you gamble with your life. I have. So can everybody else.

Most films go out like skydivers who have had their chutes packed by a committee of blind schizophrenics.

I don't think the latest Star Wars pictures have any artistic intentions, but the original picture opened up epic science fiction.

I'm not very precious at all, which I think people find surprising.