Being a kid growing up with Kurosawa films and watching Sergio Leone movies just made me love what it could do to you, and how it could influence you – make you dream.
I started studying mythology, just on my own. Joseph Campbell, mysticism.
I like making movies.
Even the Westerns that I grew up with, the Sergio Leone’s and all that, there was always a sort of anti-hero, a guy reluctant to shame even, to pick up the gun again because he wants to help other people, and he does, he uses his skills for that.
I’ve become friends with Michael Mann and Oliver Stone; I’ve seen those guys work and that was great to see.
I believe in God, absolutely.
Some men don’t gel when it comes to work – you have different work ethics, different opinions, different points of views, different methods of filmmaking – and we didn’t gel.
I’m a product of older filmmakers I guess, the past where you get to make movies and scenes are what they are.
I became a director just for the love of movies, because of the power of cinema.
I just think you can’t shut your life off to just, you know, one thing. You gotta be open-minded. Explore things. Feed your artist.
I only pay to take my son to the movies, because most of the time I only watch European movies, independent movies, or screen them privately. But I like to go to movies with my son because it’s still fun; it reminds me of why I make movies.
Sometimes violence in a very real way is much faster and more impactful because it feels real and you’re watching it happen and you’re watching your star do these things, so it’s not like he’s doing superhero moves.