None of the arts are any good unless you really are great at them.

It's hard for me to know. I'll think, 'I really brought off my ideas, it's great,' and no one sparks to it

I'm a big believer in supporting the action on film with the appropriate music. It covers a multitude of sins. It's gotten me out of a lot of jams, over the years. So, music for me is a very big thing in films and I use it unashamedly.

Change is almost always negative. Things degenerate.

I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead - not sick, not wounded - dead.

Show business is dog eat dog. It's worse than dog eat dog. It's dog doesn't return dog's phone calls.

If the [actors] are working, and I have a dinner engagement, I don't do 20 takes. I do five takes and go home. I want to go to dinner.