Sam Esmail Quotes

The first set I remember was 'Ghostbusters.' It was a scene in which the street erupted. I remember even at seven years old thinking, 'Wow, if you direct a movie, you can break the streets of New York.'

'Taxi Driver' is a movie that changed my life and made me a serious actor. Scorsese and De Niro. I give credit for anything that I've ever done as an actor.

I mean, Scorsese's a genius, and that's one way of shooting.

If movies are set in New York, they really should be shot in New York.

I don't see a lot of movies that portray the East Village as well as I think they can.

One can't paint New York as it is, but rather as it is felt.

I love New York. It just reminds me of so many movies... I look up at buildings, and feel like Godzilla should be climbing up them or something.

But I was in awe of the painters; I mean I was new in New York, and I thought the painting that was going on here was just unbelievable.

My studio was on 9th Street between University and Broadway.

In general, we like to shoot Breaking Bad like a modern day Western, and Sergio Leone is one of my all-time favorite directors.

Every film deserves its own unique look.

You will find in the streets of New York every variety of architecture, just as you find in its libraries all the literatures of the world, and in its theatres all the music, and in its houses all the decorative arts.

There are so many things from movies that are remembered, that are just looks on people's faces or incredible vistas or beautiful pictures. That is a very important part of cinema.

Ashok Mehta was the man who brought contrast and lighting back to mainstream Hindi film cinematography.

For me, Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' defines New York. Both New York and Manhattan Island should be in black in white! I always hear the soundtrack of Gershwin in my head every time I go over the Queensboro Bridge, or come in from JFK because of it!

One of the great things about New York is this wonderful park we have.

When you're in New York City or Boston or something, you feel surrounded by cities and by culture.

I love the South Bank: every era of architecture is there, and you can stop, look, and listen.

Sam Peckinpah's movies probably say more about him than anybody's body of work says about that person. There are running themes in his films that I find eminently fascinating, disturbing, exhausting, and exhilarating.

Films take us into an entirely different world, and that's why we must ensure that our long shots do justice.

Spike Lee is one of my biggest influences. What I love about Spike, other than he's just a fun guy to hang around, is that Spike is fearless. As much as people talk about him being politically outspoken, let's not forget that he's one of the best screenwriters, ever, in addition to being a visual master.

Growing up so close to New York City, I always loved going to the city, but I'd be disappointed because songs about New York always made it seem so magical and perfect, and when I was younger, I just thought it was busy and dirty.

In all my films, I have tried a different look.

I ended up falling in love with the whole movie-making experience.

I think 'GoodFellas' is just a perfect film. From an efficiency of storytelling standpoint, from an entertainment standpoint, from a performance standpoint, from a use of music standpoint, from a cinematography and editing standpoint - to me, it's just a perfect movie.