Brian De Palma

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And I always had this idea for making a movie about a femme fatale, because I like these characters. They're a lot of fun, they're sexy, they're manipulative, they're dangerous.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Movies
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So I like to try to go back and develop pure visual storytelling. Because to me, it's one of the most exciting aspects of making movies and almost a lost art at this point.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Movies
Image of Brian De Palma
That's what noir feels like to me. It feels like some kind of recurring dream, with very strong archetypes operating. You know, the guilty girl being pursued, falling, all kinds of stuff that we see in our dreams all the time.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Dreams
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Godard is incredibly brilliant, the things he says. Apparently here in France, the most interesting thing when a new film of his is going to come out are his press conferences, because he's so brilliant.
- Brian De Palma
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You really are as hot as your last movie. And it goes away really quickly.
- Brian De Palma
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The biggest mistake in student films is that they are usually cast so badly, with friends and people the directors know. Actually you can cover a lot of bad direction with good acting.
- Brian De Palma
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However, I spent most of my time in a Quaker school.
- Brian De Palma
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I've dropped myself into straightforward character pieces in order to explore that form and reap its values. But you are sort of restricted visually when your first requirement is to tell a fairly straightforward story.
- Brian De Palma
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You know it's always amazed me - I think the most startling thing that's happened in the last couple of decades is that there is no sort of objective reporting anymore.
- Brian De Palma
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I don't see scarey films. I certainly wouldn't go see my films.
- Brian De Palma
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Well, I just think through your career you go through different phases, and I just got sort of uninspired by the whole studio process of making and releasing films.
- Brian De Palma
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I mean, I don't mind promoting a movie, or talking to the press if it's going to be used in some way.
- Brian De Palma
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Yeah, I had an idea to make a very scary movie, based on a kind of serial murderer that preys on tourists.
- Brian De Palma
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I've been obsessed with this kind of visual storytelling for quite a while, and I try to create material that allows me to explore it.
- Brian De Palma
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Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff, you've got to be in the moment, and you've got to be able to be in control enough to capture what's happening.
- Brian De Palma
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It's always great when you discover someone.
- Brian De Palma
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It's always great to discover a new star of tomorrow.
- Brian De Palma
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I'm always looking for a kind of new musical entity to sort of move into a motion picture venue.
- Brian De Palma
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You know, I listen to contemporary music all the time.
- Brian De Palma
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However, ironically, I was baptized Presbyterian, and went to a Quaker school for twelve years.
- Brian De Palma
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You know, when people want to get any information, research information, it will all exist on these Web sites.
- Brian De Palma
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And we've become very doubtful of our information sources, because they're all controlled by these huge multilateral corporations.
- Brian De Palma
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I've been sort of traveling around the country for ten years talking about independent features.
- Brian De Palma
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I hadn't done just a straight-out comedy in a long time, just letting an ensemble do really good character acting, having them carry the movie as in my earlier pictures.
- Brian De Palma
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The real trouble with film school is that the people teaching are so far out of the industry that they don't give the students an idea of what's happening.
- Brian De Palma
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I guess what's most surprised me in most of the reviews is that they don't seem to get the noir story in the dream sequence, so they analyze it like a straight noir movie.
- Brian De Palma
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I do like directing other people's material.
- Brian De Palma
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When you make a movie outside the system and it's successful critically or a moderate financial success, you usually have to go back into the system and make a big hit.
- Brian De Palma
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But, number one, I think traditional noir doesn't work in contemporary storytelling because we don't live in that world anymore.
- Brian De Palma
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The camera lies all the time; lies 24 times/second.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Lying
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I sometimes go for the strongest, most vivid colour on the palette, which in the case of movies is violence.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Vivid
Image of Brian De Palma
So I like to try to go back and develop pure visual storytelling. Because to me, it's one of the most exciting aspects of making movies and almost a lost art at this point
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Art
Image of Brian De Palma
You've got to remind yourself all the time that you're being measured against the fashions of the day, and if your work truly has any kind of staying power, well, people will be talking about it in 20, 30 years.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Fashion
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I have swum against the stream all my life. It's not something I feel uncomfortable with. Is it difficult? Is it unpleasant? You bet.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Difficult
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The biggest mistake in student films is that they are usually cast so badly, with friends and people the directors know. Actually you can cover a lot of bad direction with good acting
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Inspirational
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I love working with women. I think they're beautiful. I like to photograph them. I like the way they interact. When I was in high school I used to hang out with the girls. When I went to graduate school, I was in an all girls school. So it's something I'm very familiar with and quite fascinated by.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Beautiful
Image of Brian De Palma
That's what noir feels like to me. It feels like some kind of recurring dream, with very strong archetypes operating. You know, the guilty girl being pursued, falling, all kinds of stuff that we see in our dreams all the time
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Girl
Image of Brian De Palma
do i have political views? you bet! i think the best way to express them is in your work, and then get the hell off the stage
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Thinking
Image of Brian De Palma
It's always great to discover a new star of tomorrow
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Stars
Image of Brian De Palma
I don't see scary films. I certainly wouldn't go see my films.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Halloween
Image of Brian De Palma
And we've become very doubtful of our information sources, because they're all controlled by these huge multilateral corporations
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Corporations
Image of Brian De Palma
You know, I listen to contemporary music all the time
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Listen To Your Heart
Image of Brian De Palma
I mean, I don't mind promoting a movie, or talking to the press if it's going to be used in some way
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Mean
Image of Brian De Palma
You never can predict things. I knew the movie Peducted would get a reaction, because it's showing a different vision of our soldiers in Iraq. All we ever get told is that they're valued and we support them, and as they're represented on television, they're true-blue and honorable. Which is true, for the most part.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Support
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Everybody doesn't have to have a daughter who's a goodie-two-shoes.
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Daughter
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Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff, you've got to be in the moment, and you've got to be able to be in control enough to capture what's happening
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Shooting
Image of Brian De Palma
Godard is incredibly brilliant, the things he says. Apparently here in France, the most interesting thing when a new film of his is going to come out are his press conferences, because he's so brilliant
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Interesting
Image of Brian De Palma
When you make a movie outside the system and it's successful critically or a moderate financial success, you usually have to go back into the system and make a big hit
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Successful
Image of Brian De Palma
But, number one, I think traditional noir doesn't work in contemporary storytelling because we don't live in that world anymore
- Brian De Palma
Collection: Thinking
Image of Brian De Palma
However, ironically, I was baptized Presbyterian, and went to a Quaker school for twelve years
- Brian De Palma
Collection: School