The truth is, writing and directing are two very different jobs. They're not even remotely the same job. It took me a while, as a director, to understand that.

Filmmaking is incredible introspective. It forces you to sort of examine yourself in new ways.

We've always been a band who's taken forever to do things. After writing 'Persona' I think we wrote about four songs in three years!

Ive found that if you just try to make the film you want, youll find the right audience. If you try to please everyone, youre going to make really boring films.

The more work you put in on your outline and getting the skeleton of your story right, the easier the process is later.

This is what I do for fun - brainstorm about monsters!

I do love writing but it is a lonely profession. You're lonely and optimistic at the same time.

The greatest villain of all time is The Joker - he always has been, and I don't know anyone who's not going to have Heath Ledger's performance burnt into their brains for the rest of their lives.

I happen to like things that are funny and dramatic at the same time. I don't see the difference.

Everything I've ever worked on has been hard to classify.

The most fun characters to work with are characters that are complicated.

Small men command the letter of the law. Great men serve its spirit. For the spirit of the law is justice... and justice is the spirit of God.

DEFINITION NOT FOUND IN THE DICTIONARY Not leaving: an act of trust and love, often deciphered by children

How do you like your blue-eyed boy Mr Death?

The spiritual life is a call to action. But it is a call to ... action without any selfish attachment to the results.

I'm starting to frighten myself, because I'm backsliding into my devil-may-care attitude. I'm sure it's going to catch up with me.

I read one chapter of a book and put it down. Thank God for Kindle.

I think thinking about becoming an adult, and having to face up to your problems and face up to your insecurities, is difficult for everybody.

Stories make you think and dream; books make you want to ask questions.

Let early education be a sort of amusement. You will then be better able to find out the natural bent.

The decline of education in North America and I suppose in Western Europe makes it harder to have a common body of references.