Joe Dante Quotes

I don't dare to think my paintings are great. I can't understand the arrogance of someone saying, 'I have created a big, important work.'

I'm only a stupid filmmaker.

I'm certainly the last person to give advice on, well, anything.

Catch me on a good day, I think half of my books aren't too bad. Catch me on a bad day, I think I've never written a good line.

There are so many people who are so much better qualified to write about politics than I am.

I am not overconfident.

I never answer, because I can't, which is my favorite among my own books.

I always say I've given 24 insufficient performances and I'm looking forward to the time in my life when I'll do something that I think is good. There's always stuff you can do better, stuff that maybe you didn't uncover enough. But if you do something that you truly believe is perfect, then that's got to be the last movie you do.

One of the big songwriting things for me has always been: always think what you do sucks. Because the second you stop believing that, you suck. And that's a fact.

I'm so critical of my own work that it's difficult for me to disassociate myself and watch it as an audience.

I'm not great at talking about myself.

I don't know if I'm so righteous.

It feels nice to be loved, but let me tell you there are 10 times more better looking, stylish and talented guys than me. So there's no solid reason for me to be proud! I don't think I have done anything extraordinary to change people's lives.

Perhaps I am not as wise as I like to think I am.

All artists have insecurity.

I don't presume to think I'm great at anything.

I'm not good at watching myself.

I don't want to be so confident in myself.

One of the most important things for me in terms of my working method is doubt. I get very insecure about my ideas. And I don't say 'insecure' in kind of a paranoid way. I mean just: 'Are they good enough?' 'Is this the right thing to do?' I really beat myself up over that.

I don't see myself as a visionary at all.

As an actor, it easy to be so self-critical, saying to yourself, 'Am I good enough? Am I good looking enough? Am I smart enough?'

I've done my best to work from a place of humility - always looking over your shoulder saying, 'Does this suck?' and I think that's a good way to work. The other way to work is where you start to think, 'I'm on fire, I'm amazing!' and I don't think that's the way to work.

I never come away from a film thinking I nailed it.

It's not possible to be perfect - you can always do something better. I'm never proud of what I've done. Sometimes, I'm not ashamed.

It is part of a poor spirit to undervalue himself and blush.