FilmStew.com: QUOTEOFTHEDAY

"As if we're going to make pornography in Ireland, and then label it "Love and Savagery". And then send it to the porn capital of Canada. Very subtle. It's like bringing communion to the Pope. Are they out of their minds?"

05/08/2008

Kevin Tierney, producer (Love and Savagery), commenting on the temporary confiscation by Montreal customs officials of his provocatively titled latest effort directed by John N. Smith.

"We got hammered and decided we all wanted to be Javier Bardem."

05/01/2008

George Clooney, actor-director (Leatherheads), recalling a 2008 awards season evening spent at a Santa Monica hotel bar with Sean Penn, Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro and... Javier Bardem.

"It's like a Greek psychodrama. That's why it ends up in an overlooked-film festival. It's an honor for Roger to pick it up. I hope it's not for the reason we're both alumni."

04/28/2008

Ang Lee, writer-director and University of Illinois alumnus, speaking at an April 26th Ebertfest screening of his 2003 film Hulk.

"I was always a little disappointed that we could never give the original picture and its characters the full scope that I had originally envisioned. Due to budgetary restrictions, much of the action in the film had to be relegated to dialogue, and pretty much played for laughs. This time around we will be able to see the original characters with all the magic I had created."

04/22/2008

John Carl Buechler, writer-director-special effects man (Troll), commenting on his plans to remake his 1986 feature film about a teenage boy character named Harry Potter Jr. battling supernatural foes.

"I was always really embarassed by that role. When I got on the set, I was like, ‘This is humiliating. I’m the Latin guy who’s killing this white guy. How symbolically horrible is this?’ I was trying to have a bad hair day. I was trying to keep my head down through the whole entire scene."

04/11/2008

John Leguizamo, actor (The Take), recalling his brief appearance as the hoodlum who shoots Harrison Ford's character in Regarding Henry.

"Painting and filmmaking use many similar creative muscles. The actual experiences, however, are polar opposites. Making a movie is like being a sugar cube on an anthill. Painting is solitude. You don’t have to explain to anyone, not even yourself. Only when ideas present themselves do I understand my function: capture this thing and hold on for the ride."

04/07/2008

Alan Rudolph, writer-director (Choose Me), commenting on the parallels between his old career of filmmaking and his more recent pursuit of painting.

"My most bizarre moviegoing experience was going to a movie in the afternoon at a studio and watching a colleague fall asleep just a few minutes into it and listening to him snore loudly throughout it. I looked for his review on Friday and he loved the movie!"

04/02/2008

Claudia Puig, film critic (USA Today).

"I can only excuse what happened next because of the excitement of the occasion, the champagne and my youthful naiveté. I turned towards the great man. 'Mr. Fellini,' I began. And I peed all over his shoes."

03/31/2008

David Stratton, film critic and author (I Peed on Fellini), recalling his unfortunate urinal encounter at the 1966 Venice International Film Festival with filmmaker Federico Fellini.

"I felt he was probably the closest character to me that I've ever played… I think this probably asked more of me in terms of style and playing with forms of acting. It's probably the most pure piece of acting I've done."

03/25/2008

James McAvoy, actor (Atonement), commenting on his portrayal of a good guy Englishman thwarted by a bad seed sister.

"There's nothing therapeutic about movies, but what movies can do that's better than therapy is actually bury you in boredom for a subject that was once a trauma for you."

03/19/2008

Guy Maddin, writer-director(Brand Upon the Brain!), describing one of the fringe benefits of his chosen artistic profession.

"The truth is I was a little scared they would find me out, but from the first moment everyone was friendly with me. We knew there would be many repercussions. My phone won't stop ringing."

03/17/2008

Paolo Cabrisi, Italian TV personality, commenting on how - despite looking nothing like actor Nicolas Cage - he was able to prankishly fool soccer club Real Madrid into thinking he was him, and getting as a result the VIP treatment at a match between the club and AS Rome.

"It wasn't until I wrote my autobiography Cybill Disobedience that I realized that I was, in fact, more horrible than Jacy.""

03/11/2008

Cybill Shepherd, actress (The Last Picture Show), revealing at a recent retrospective of Peter Bogdanovich films in San Francisco how her views of her breakout role have changed.

"They have a marine layer like in San Francisco. In the morning, I would rehearse; that's all we could do. Then, when the sun came out, we knew we had only four or five hours to do it. A normal shooting day was four or five hours. It was a nightmare."

03/07/2008

Roland Emmerich, writer-director-producer (10,000 B.C.), recalling the challenges of filming on location in Namibia, one of several countries visited during production.

"I think what Julie would say is close Guantanamo and kill Bill C-10."

03/04/2008

Sarah Polley, writer-director (Away from Her), making reference to an unpopular new Canadian federal bill that would cancel tax credits for all films deemed "offensive," while accepting the Best Actress Genie Award on behalf of her star, Julie Christie.

""I only use Viagra when I am with more than one woman.""

02/27/2008

Jack Nicholson, actor (The Bucket List), revealing when and how he allows pharmaceuticals to be part of the carnal mix.