I had seen movies before that that had made me laugh but I had never seen anything even remotely close to as funny as Richard Pryor was just standing there talking.

What I don't like is when I see stuff that I know has had a lot of improv done or is playing around where there's no purpose to the scene other than to just be funny. What you don't want is funny scene funny scene funny scene and now here's the epiphany scene and then the movie's over.

When I first envisioned 'Funny Games' in the mid-1990s it was my intention to have an American audience watch the movie. It is a reaction to a certain American cinema its violence its naivety the way American cinema toys with human beings. In many American films violence is made consumable.

But I think Kiss Kiss Bang Bang really got that thing where if a movie reads really funny and then has some dramatic or violent or sinister stuff in it you can't forget that primarily it has to be even funnier than you read it or that other stuff doesn't work.

Europe is scooters. Europe is five young people on one bench sharing a chocolate bar. Their idea of entertainment and fun is so much different than ours which is exactly why a movie about them would be funny.

Movies these days have made killers into funny people. What's that all about? I've got kids and family and friends and I don't like bad things. I don't think they're funny and it's irresponsible to make movies that don't show you how that's not good.

No writing musicals is the hardest thing in the world. And it was really funny because I remember when the South Park movie came out there were some critics that said 'Well it's obvious that in order to get it to be 90 minutes they filled some time with music.'

People used to be funny about approaching me but now they seem to think I'm as sane as anyone who's done what I've done in movies can be.

At the end of the day it's got to be a good movie it's got to be a funny movie and it's got to make people think 'Hey I couldn't have spent my time any better.'

It's a funny thing: You want so badly for people to see what you do - you're proud of it - and I like the effect that movies have on people. But the attention can also make me uncomfortable.

I had to act in a school play when I was about ten years old. I really didn't want to do it. But everyone had to do it so I didn't have a choice. A talent agent came and watched it and later gave me some work. It's funny because I'd always known that I wanted a movie career. I just didn't think that I would be in the movies.

I don't like comedy. I like funny things. I don't like comedy. Like comedy movies are just 'Oh Jesus.'

I'm a pretty funny guy and I would love to do a comedy with a bunch of funny guys - movie-star guys where they could help me through it.

Funny things happen to you in movies for silly reasons.

'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' is a good one because it not only turned out I think to be a really funny movie but it was also a delight to shoot. We were in the South of France working with Glenne Headly and Michael Caine and Frank Oz the director - who were just fun.

I'm not a real movie star. I've still got the same wife I started out with twenty-eight years ago.

You make a movie for 9k for the freedom it allows you.

I like movies that pop that have a little bit of candy on that freedom to have a little bit of extra fun but are rooted in real behaviour. Rooted in cause and effect never violating reality.

Working with David Cronenberg or Darren Aronofsky or even Steven Soderbergh isn't really like a typical Hollywood movie. These are true artists and have a certain amount of freedom when they work and they're more like independent filmmakers making their way through big studios.

American movies and music deliver themes of freedom innocence and power that appeal to others - partly because America itself was put together out of a multiplicity of national traditions.

Don't give me any money don't give me any people but give freedom and I'll give you a movie that looks gigantic.

I really care about this stuff I care about movies and you just have to be strong and don't be stupid freedom of choice is a big responsibility and I'm lucky enough not to have to just take any movie to pay the rent so there's no need to be greedy.

I had a job at a movie theater for like a year and a half and then a job at a health food store for like two years. Those were the only two jobs I ever had.

You start making movies and people start seeing when you go to places and all of a sudden you are getting clothes for free and all of a sudden you are getting food for free.