Quotes By Paul Thomas Anderson

Of course, I'm no dummy.

I write from my stomach.

Well I'd really love to work with Robert De Niro, because he's still the most talented actor out there.

How do I respond to criticism? Critically. I listen to all criticism critically.

My older sister was at the cusp of new wave, and I had older brothers from my father's first marriage who were rock 'n' roll guys, so I was exposed to a lot of popular culture.

I had never read Upton Sinclair. I didn't read 'The Jungle' in high school or anything like that. But it's pretty terrific writing.

To make a film, the final big collaborator that you have is the composer.

I've never been a fan of whimsical or confusing storytelling.

You have to be a brat in order to carve out your parameters, and you have to be a monster to anyone who gets in your way. But sometimes it's difficult to know when that's necessary and when you're just being a baby, throwing your rattle from the cage.

The films that I love are very straightforward stories, like really old-fashioned stuff.

As I have got older and become a father, there's less and less time for films.

But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better than you did it last time or to not repeat yourself.

So with 'There Will Be Blood,' I didn't even really feel like I was adapting a book. I was just desperate to find stuff to write.