Dear God, Thank You For My Life.

When I Was 21 Years Old, I Had A Job Playing Santa Claus In A Shopping Centre In Sacramento. I Was Rail Thin, So It's Not Like I Was A Traditional Santa Claus Even Then. I Had A Square Stomach; That Was The Shape Of The Sofa Cushion That I Had Stuffed Into My Pants.

Directing Is A Constant Test Of Your Communicative Powers. You're Constantly Trying To Explain People Your Vision Of What You Want And Steer These Tiny Little Details Into A Cohesive Thing.

Mass-market Movies Have Become About One Thing. They Kind Of Declare Themselves Right Off The Bat. . . . But When I Go To See (a Film), I Want To Be Surprised. I Want To See Something I Never Expected. And When You Get That, It Should Be Celebrated.

Saying No To Something Is Actually Much More Powerful Than Saying Yes.

The Filmmakers Aren't Running The Studios Anymore. Sometimes People Who Like Films Are Making Them, But By And Large, They Have To Go Report Quarterly Earnings And All That Stuff. The Competition Is So Huge That It's Very Hard To Get People To Show Up To See Any Movie In The Theater, Much Less An Original One That Isn't A Version Of Something Else They Saw.