"During the 1960s I spent my time going to Hollywood movies, following the spirit of the Cahiers du cinéma. Written on the Wind is an explosion of cinematic style and of melodramatic excess. It stands for my love of Sirk but also for the extraordinary genius of all those 1950s directors whose careers came to an end before their time. And Sirk also leads forward to the great R. W. Fassbinder, especially to Ali: Fear Eats the Soul."

"I’m a big fan of rap music and that group kind of revolutionized that style of music. And the acting was great. It was such a great film. I thought it was awesome , though, that these people — most biopics are of people who have passed away — these people are [pushing 50] and they already have a movie made about them. That’s so cool! Ice Cube and Dr. Dre — that’s so cool — they’ve really reached, like, awesome status."

"Ms. Aretha is one of my main go to’s for inspiration. Her piano playing, gospel, soul style is something that you literally have to be DEAD not to feel and she always brings me light and strength even through her most vulnerable performances. 'Ain't No Way' is one of my favorite songs in the world. You can tell that song was one of the realest moments in her life. That is music at its best. Capturing an honest moment!"

"I saw that more recently in life. Hal Ashby shoots very simply. He kind of takes a step back and shoots stuff as it happens. Things are never about the shot, you know? It’s always about the joke. It’s never about how the camera moves. That’s a very interesting style. Superbad is very Last Detail-ish. We wrote Superbad before we saw Last Detail, but after we saw it, it helped clarify what we were going for, I think."

"Breaking the Waves was a big influence on me when I was studying cinema. It gave me the feeling that it was possible to make a film with just energy, with just a chair and a window. The roughness of the style—it’s like listening to a punk song. And I really loved the way that the female character is portrayed. There is something very disturbing and strong about the tension between sexual energy and spiritual searching."

"It has every human emotion and condition in it, cowardice and bravery, fear, love, hate, desperation. It’s a movie about how at the end of the day, who will be there for you. I just love that. It’s also done in real time, and the acting style was different in those days, but when you’re watching those movies in that period you have to accept that and get the core of it. It’s a terrific movie."

"There’s a sultriness about Notorious that puts it over the top for me: the lighting, the compositions, the way the camera walks you through the plot by emphasizing the incredible acting. Even after all this time, and after repeat viewings, this ensemble continues to reveal new bits of cinematic love. The understated score adds something unique as well, but really, that pivotal push-in to the wine cellar key is what it’s all about. Bold, elegant style."