We were raised in an Italian-American household, although we didn't speak Italian in the house. We were very proud of being Italian, and had Italian music, ate Italian food.

I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely associated. The very earliest people who made film were magicians.

When I was about 9, I had polio, and people were very frightened for their children, so you tended to be isolated. I was paralyzed for a while, so I watched television.

An essential element of any art is risk. If you don't take a risk then how are you going to make something really beautiful, that hasn't been seen before?

I used to love going into local hardware stores, to look at little things they made locally. Nowadays it's harder, though you can still do it in Vietnam.

I had an older brother who was very interested in literature, so I had an early exposure to literature, and and theater. My father sometimes would work in musical comedies.

There's nothing creative about living within your means.

Anything you build on a large scale or with intense passion invites chaos.

You don't have to specialize - do everything that you love and then, at some time, the future will come together for you in some form.

If the movie works, nobody notices the mistakes... If the movie doesn't work, the only thing people notice are mistakes.

I liked to work in a shop down in the basement and invent things and build gadgets.

Don't want to do a thing, Ran, do we, from now and on till evermore.

Fool me once, shame on youfool me twice, shame on mefool me thrice, I'm gonna get the frying pan!

The really intelligent are as abnormal as the defective. The great masses of men are rather mediocre, and those above and below are exceptions.

It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.

Home, nowadays, is a place where part of the family waits till the rest of the family brings the car back

I feel these days like a very large flamingo. No matter what way I turn, there is always a very large bill.

I love to sing with great singers.

When you hear a good traditional gospel song it makes you wanna go buy a three piece suit

I hang around under the radar. Nobody is bothering me for interviews.

I am made, crudely, for success.