I Can't Really Envision A Time When

When I Was Growing Up In The Mid-'50s, The Roaring Twenties Were A Huge Part Of The Culture. There Were A Number Of Films And A Bunch Of Television Shows That Dealt With The Mythology Of The Underworld From That Period.

Because Of The Movies I Make, People Get Nervous. They Think Of Me As Difficult And Angry. I Am Difficult And Angry, But They Don't Expect A Sense Of Humor. And The Only Thing That Gets Me Through Is A Sense Of Humor.

An Interviewer Once Asked Me To Discuss My Collaboration With Elmer Bernstein, And Precisely Why I Chose To Work With Him. My First Thought Was: How Could I Not Work With Elmer, When I Had The Chance? Simply Put, He's The Best There Is-the Very Best.

The Only Thing I Really Wanted Was The Freedom To Be Able To Get What I Want On Film. I’ve Dealt With The Mpaa Since 1973, So I Know How To Renegotiate And Rework.

I Always Say That I've Been In A Bad Mood For Maybe 35 Years Now. I Try To Lighten It Up, But That's What Comes Out When You Get Me On Camera.