Conducting, I tried it once off the cuff, and quickly realized there were subtle aspects that I was missing. There is a lot more to it that I was able to grasp simply by watching conductors.

Big Sur is at the end of the continent. It attracts really crazy people.

Death is always around the corner, but often our society gives it inordinate help.

I dont find myself lobbying for projects. Filmmakers almost always come to me.

A carefree quality is a whole aspect of life that I will never understand. I don't think I have ever been carefree and can't see the pleasure of it.

I'm one of those people who is actually inspired by a deadline. I might not sleep for many days on end, it may not be good for my health, but it definitely helps.

Music is the subliminal connecting adhesive in film, or at least in narrative feature films.

I have always loved Scottish music - all sorts of Celtic, Gaelic music.

In mainstream romantic comedies, I'm usually tearing my hair out. It's just a devastatingly difficult genre for me.

I like business and personal life to be distinct.

John Barry was the first film composer I was aware of. As a teenager I owned several of his Bond soundtracks.

People are always complaining that life's not fair, but that simply isn't true. Life is extraordinarily fair. It's just not centered on you.

Life is a miracle. We, all of us are creator beings. We are the joyful choice makers.

Happiness is ours for the taking and take it we must without any apologies. We deserve to be happy, loved, and respected......nothing less.

I heard wordOf bellied sailcloth, Creak of oars, And gold in Eastland.Then I smelledA smell remembered:Salt of sprayAnd black-pitched boat's keel.

Friendship is ageless. It is the spirit we should like and care for, not the shell that encases it.

The thing about real life is, when you do something stupid, it normally costs you.

I'm what a normal, healthy, ideal American should be like.

Twitter is so stupid. I mean, it sucks! It's not a good way to communicate and it's really difficult to use it for any functional thing.

By a twist of fate rather than anything approaching journalistic enterprise, I did the last major interview with Johnny Carson.