John Cassavetes Quotes

All the films I do, I write the scripts, I direct.

When you direct a movie, you're basically looking at a story, the way you want to look at it. You bring that director's vision, and I'm totally open for that.

Directing is creating a whole. You're able to combine different elements and create a film that is unique and true to your vision.

I really respect the Coen brothers as directors and as creative individuals and with the way that they handle the industry and the business side of things.

Peter Chelsom and Edgar Wright are totally different directors and worlds apart, but both really accomplished directors who are certain of how they want to make a film.

I honestly never wanted to direct. It was only when I started to work on 'Alexander the Great' that I realized I had to direct. I saw something so specifically in my mind, I could not leave it to someone else.

When you produce and direct, your movies are different to you. They're not just something you act in.

The thing is, as a film director, you're essentially alone: You have to tell a story primarily through pictures, and only you know the film you see in your head.

I like directing. It takes a lot out of you, but I'd like to do it again - I just have to find a story I want to tell.

All the director wants is their idea of the movie to be believed in.

The director is the only person who knows what the film is about.

You know as a director what you want, but the film is smarter than you, the film says no, the film says there's something more here.

You have to be insane to direct.

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

When you look at a movie, you look at a director's thought process.

Writing and directing your own film, for me, has been the best experience of my life.

I love writing. I think writing and directing go hand in hand.

There are many aspects to directing that have a romantic place in people's minds.

Quentin Tarantino is a genius. I want to do every single film with him.

I don't like directing that much to want a career as a director for hire. I like to have as much creative control as possible.

So many features at Sundance seemed to be powered more on the director's need to be a director than any particular story.

I'd love to do a Michel Gondry film. That would be ideal! I'd love to do an Almodovar film; you know, I think he's very, very talented. I don't care that people say he's pretentious. So what? He's a good director; he can be pretentious.

I would always get a lot of work as a writer, but that wasn't what I wanted to be. For me, I was only doing half of what I really wanted to do - write and direct.

It's such a strange combination that I'd be unhappy to make anything like that without Landis directing.

I feel like directing is an innate talent.