I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group a suicide bomber is the antichrist and to one he's a hero.
— Eli Roth
For a long time, I had a crazy girl dating habit.
Lucio Fulci is such a massively underrated director. Everyone knows him as the Godfather of Gore.
You know, the best thing you can say about a horror film is, 'Don't see it.'
One of the great joys of life, now that you can afford a nice suit, is getting one for free. That's why I like to do press tours - I always say making movies is just an excuse to get free clothing.
A comedy can actually get funnier and funnier. Even though you know the joke, you enjoy it so much, it's the facial expression, you laugh. The laugh doesn't wear off. It could be with you for thirty years.
When you're making a television show, it's about the story and arc of the show rather than any particular episode or director.
It's very flattering to feel like you actually helped create a sub-genre.
My phobias worsen as I get older. I'm scared of flying, driving. I'm terrified of sharks. I'm a germaphobe. But I try to face my fears; I do. Well, most of them.
When I was 22, I had this horrible psoriasis outbreak. It was all over my legs, I couldn't walk because my legs were cracked and bleeding. Weird things like that can happen to your body.
I think in life we get very caught up in the minutia and, unfortunately, it generally takes some sort of tragedy in your life to put things in perspective.
What I've always thought I would do is make a bunch of movies and then stop to teach for awhile. And then just teach at film schools - you know, teach children.
I love movies that are just straight-up exploitation, but the ones that endure and the ones that last are the ones where the filmmakers put in that extra level of thought; after 25 years you put them on in front of an audience, and they'll respond to it and enjoy it.
Movie stars need to retain some of that mystique if you are a big movie star.
There's something very scary about exposing yourself on camera, knowing that you're going to be put on thousands of screens around the world for everyone to judge, but there's also something very thrilling and exciting about it.
Some disaster movies look like you're watching someone else play video games. They're fun but it's not real.
I love historical movies. I want to make a violent medieval epic.
I have a strong art-history background.
Possession and exorcism is something that's in every religion and every culture. It's a real primal fear: Is the body a vessel for our spirits? What happens if something else takes over it? Where does the spirit go?
I saw 'Alien' when I was 8 years old. To me, it was like a combination of Jaws and Star Wars, and that's the movie that made me want to be a director.
If someone gets up and walks out of the movie, it means it's really affected them.
I have no tattoos. There's nothing I've even been that into to get a tattoo of it.
The one negative to horror is that it's always law of diminishing returns. When you go in the funhouse, the ride is never scary the second time. You will never have that pure experience as when you first watch it.
I think horror should never be safe, whether it's violent or non violent.
As a kid, I was the neighbourhood baby-sitter - very responsible, always in charge.
The scariest people are usually the sweetest.
'Troll 2' is one of the rare sequels where you don't have to waste time watching the first one, since the films have absolutely nothing to do with one another.
Natural disasters are terrifying - that loss of control, this feeling that something is just going to randomly end your life for absolutely no reason is terrifying. But, what scares me is the human reaction to it and how people behave when the rules of civility and society are obliterated.
I think you should make movies as long as the story dictates.
I'm not interested in going after a part. I think if someone wants me for a part and approaches me then I'll take it on a case-by-case basis and see what that part is.
You know, the dirty secret in the Director's Guild is that the average life expectancy of Director's Guild members is 57 years old. The stress level is so high and directors are generally really out of shape, cause they sit in the chair and they eat craft service.
I look at careers like Ben Stiller and think that's a great career to have where you're doing movies that you write and direct, and also act in films, although he's primarily an actor.
Chile could work as a double for L.A.; it's very production-friendly and there's terrific talent down there.
The best movies now are called 'thrillers.' Because if you use the word 'horror,' people's associations are straight-to-video crap.
When people direct insults at me, I can take it.
'Beatrice Cenci' was an amazing film. If it were released today it'd win Best Picture. It's so well done, it's so contemporary, and the filmmaking is so smart.
I think filmmakers, in general... There are some awesome, really great filmmakers - but on the whole, filmmakers, actors, I think they are the biggest bunch of whiny, over-paid babies on the planet.
When someone throws up while watching one of your movies, it's like a standing ovation.
I have the infinite galaxy from '2001' as my screensaver - so if I space out while I'm writing and it goes to screensaver, I can just stare off into the stars.
The film, 'Aftershock,' for me is really about how the minor problems in life that we think are so major ultimately mean nothing when a tragedy happens, when a real problem happens.
Twitter is wonderful. You can kill rumours instantly.
I have control issues. For sure, no question.
I can think of endless horrible things to do to people!
Life is a series of avoiding horrible situations until ultimately you're dead. That's how I feel about things.
Believe it or not, but I was a camp councilor for three years. I love kids.
People want to be disturbed when they go see a horror movie.
As a director, you have to know what actors are doing. You're the one telling them what to do. The actors' job is to come prepared to the set, but sometimes, if they're beginning actors or people who are non-actors, you have to teach them how to act.
What's important for me is staying healthy.
Everyone is so terrified of being labeled a racist.
If you are having fun on the set, you are not getting things done.
