Michael Lehmann Quotes

I hate sequels.

When faced with the inevitable fatigue that comes with the recycling of speeches and the recycling of thoughts in a rather small stream of vortex, I am urged to not be ashamed of recycling.

The only time I have a good hunch the audience is going to be there is when I make the sequel to 'Jurassic Park' or I make another Indiana Jones movie. I know I've got a good shot at getting an audience on opening night. Everything else that is striking out into new territory is a crap shoot.

Maybe Oliver Stone doesn't lend himself well to remakes or sequels, because he does them so well the first time.

As we all know, sequels can be tricky.

I've always avoided sequels, unless I felt there was something fresh.

If you don't have the confidence in baking, commit to making the recipe three times. The first two, do it exactly the way I've told you to make it. Twice. The first time you'll screw it up. The second time it will come out pretty good, and then the third time, make your adjustments.

History repeats itself. Historians repeat each other.

In fine, nothing is said now that has not been said before.

I think I've always been slightly addicted to not repeating myself. When you're doing something the first time around, it's often the best time. I think 'Blank Project' is about carrying on. Its that thing where you're making something because you have to, but you don't know how or why.

I don't really like groups that make the same statement over and over again. It's good, but kind of predictable.

And who cares, five years down the road, what most movies made or didn't make? If it's good, it stands up.

History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.

I feel like I'm wasting time if I repeat myself.

I've always felt that really good prequels should be original movies.

At the end of the day it's got to be a good movie, it's got to be a funny movie, and it's got to make people think, 'Hey, I couldn't have spent my time any better.'

Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility.

But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better than you did it last time or to not repeat yourself.

Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough.

One of the things that's great about doing a show over and over again... is that you have to find ways to make it spontaneous, as though everything is happening for the first time... to continue to mine the material and find new things.

You really only understand whether a song's good or not when you properly play it out in public for the first time.

Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.

I hate to repeat lines, to say the same damned thing. I try to rewrite cliches and make what I say sound fresh.

I hate sequels. They're never as good as the first book.

'The Sixth Sense' is fine the second time around, but honestly, the first time around, it's dazzling.