David Lindsay-Abaire Quotes

I think comedy has a range, with multiple peaks in different areas. It's like trying to compare Beethoven and the Beatles. Sometimes I hear from people, 'I think you try too hard in your comedy.' And that's what I worry about.

I feel reviewers are tougher on comedies in general. They don't take them seriously, and the ones that get great reviews are not necessarily the ones that I like.

I get terrible reviews, but there are people who like to see me in the movies, I guess.

The idea that I am cynical because I'm writing the books that I write is a bit like someone saying, 'What, you've done a second album? Oh, I see, cashing in on your first album, are you?' But I'm a musician! It's sort of what I do.

What I've got to do now is let them judge me for who I am as an actor and not for my notoriety.

Most of my movies get about a third raves, a third vicious attacks, and a third in-between.

Anyone who thinks they can write the perfect comedy that everyone will love is a fool. I can only write what I think is funny and hope that there is a likeminded audience out there.

Applause is interesting, but I'm a monster with or without it. Something is either well written or it isn't. 'White Rabbit' is not well written, and no amount of applause or royalties can convince me it is. I could have done a better job with those lyrics. They didn't say what I wanted.

I criticize by creation - not by finding fault.

A stand-up comic is judged by every line. Singers get applause at the end of their song no matter how bad they are.

The 'New York Times' reviews of my work have been evenly divided - favourable and unfavourable.

I made about 28 movies, and I think about five of them were good.

There is always an audience for different individuals, but critics sometimes stop the audience finding the show and the show finding the audience.

Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry.

I've never had a movie that got great reviews. I've had movies that got different levels of good and bad reviews, but you can more or less count on plenty of bad reviews.

Music is art, and once you become an artist, you need to learn how to accept criticism.

My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or 1957. It was totally destroyed by the critics of the day, who called it an absolute load of rubbish.

The so-called intellectuals don't like my films.

As for how criticism of Keats' poetry relates to criticism of my own work, I'll leave that for others to decide.

Every time you start a project, you're hopeful that the critics receive it warmly.

It's a fantastic review. Sixty percent of the American reviews are sensational, 20% are mixed, not so good.

Most people respond to my paintings quite generously, but there have been cases where I think people - a few critics in particular - were actually moved by the work but were disturbed by the feelings it evoked, so they attacked it. Some people find the realm of my work quite uncomfortable.

Every time I make a picture the critics' estimate of American public taste goes down ten percent.

Criticism pretty much follows anything anyone ever does. So, anytime anyone ever writes a song, plays a show, or does whatever they do, there's going to be a certain amount of criticism because that's kind of what happens.

You should not do everything in your power to make reviewers cranky before - right before they see your movie.