"In 1950s Baltimore, my parents were pretty open. They read The New York Times and listened to Woody Guthrie records, so you can imagine what kind of a household that was. They were immigrants from Scotland, and their taste included a lot of American folk music like, Woody and Pete Seeger, both of whom made children’s albums, so that’s what I would hear. Later, I heard their other songs, which obviously had a political slant and a story to tell and a point of view. That was something to realize at a young age: that a song could do that."

"I think this is a work of genius. It manages to be utterly hilarious, completely tender and touching, and biting and satirical at the same time. It actually taught me a lot about America. As I saw it shortly after I moved here, I realized that if these type of situations and characters were being parodied then they must actually exist. When the DVD came out, I bought it and I’m still reeling from the number “This Bulging River”. I think the only people I’ve ever geeked out about in an embarrassing way are the people responsible for this film."

"I think there’s something anarchic about it, which appealed to me as a kid, and appeals to me now. It’s Terry Gilliam, a phenomenal imagination, some brilliant performances. I think there’s something, obviously, very enticing and compelling about the story of a little boy swept up into a foreign land, having an extraordinary experience. I think that journey is kind of at the root of a lot of sci-fi narratives, and it’s easy to see the appeal. That kind of vicarious journey that you get to go on, but not actually experience, like the jaws of the dragon. It’s a thrill."

"One of the things I like about Scorsese so much is – and we had a little bit of that in I, Tonya – I love the sweeping shots. I love the way he shoots. The way the camera gets pushed in, zoomed in. I think visually is how I respond to him a lot. And he’s also a very musically-oriented guy. But the thing about Taxi Driver is, everything is done from Travis’s point of view. It’s all shot through these windows, these sort of glossy, dirty taxi windows. Everything is meant to highlight his isolation and how lonely he is."