"Such a tremendous collection. It’s fascinating to see how Eric Rohmer translates his own short stories into these films. His work with Nestor Almendros is so beautiful and simple, and the films are such profound and witty examinations of self-deception. Because I’ve been greedy in choosing these, I haven’t allowed myself to choose The Adventures of Antoine Doinel."

"Such a tremendous collection. It’s fascinating to see how Eric Rohmer translates his own short stories into these films. His work with Nestor Almendros is so beautiful and simple, and the films are such profound and witty examinations of self-deception. Because I’ve been greedy in choosing these, I haven’t allowed myself to choose The Adventures of Antoine Doinel."

"Such a tremendous collection. It’s fascinating to see how Eric Rohmer translates his own short stories into these films. His work with Nestor Almendros is so beautiful and simple, and the films are such profound and witty examinations of self-deception. Because I’ve been greedy in choosing these, I haven’t allowed myself to choose The Adventures of Antoine Doinel."

"Such a tremendous collection. It’s fascinating to see how Eric Rohmer translates his own short stories into these films. His work with Nestor Almendros is so beautiful and simple, and the films are such profound and witty examinations of self-deception. Because I’ve been greedy in choosing these, I haven’t allowed myself to choose The Adventures of Antoine Doinel."

"Not a new book by any measure, but I rediscovered it this year. I can't get through it—not once—without crying real tears, and I take that as a cue that love is a force, not just a feeling. This is a beautiful book that will break your heart and give you hope at the same time."

"I shot a film with Emilio recently and I have always been an admirer of both him and his father, as well as of their relationship. This book is a beautiful portrait of a father and son, both successful artists in their own rights, who have enjoyed a wonderfully close relationship over the many years of their respective careers."

"Buster Keaton’s The General, from 1927, I think is still one of the great films of all time. They’ve just released a beautiful Blu-ray disc of that movie — so if you haven’t seen it, go get the Blu-ray and treat yourself to one of the most incredible filmmakers at the height of his power."

"I remember breaking into tears at the end of the movie, but not because it is overly sentimental or emotional. Because it helped me put my own life in perspective. Life can be boring and it can be exciting. Life can be filled with highs and lows and love and hate. That’s what makes it beautiful."

"In my opinion James Purdy is the most underrated writer in American literature, probably because he was gay. His books are heart wrenching, brutal and sometimes flat-out mean-spirited but they are also incredibly beautiful and endlessly poetic. I'm not all that fond of books that make me cry but in Purdy's case, I don't mind."

"This astonishingly beautiful work is worth reading if only for the prologue, “Knoxville, Summer of 1915,” which is so lyrically sensuous that Samuel Barber set it to music. I’ve read and reread everything ever written by Agee, and if I were told that I could keep only one of his books, then this would be it."