Brian De Palma

“Being a director is like being a thief. You steal from the best.”

“The things that are happening in the world are so crazy and unbelievable, it's hard to make a movie that's crazier and more unbelievable than the real world.”

“I don't see the world in sexual divisions.”

“To me, style is character.”

“Movies are a voyeuristic experience. You have to make the audience feel like they are peeking in on other people's lives.”

“I'm basically a suspense director. That's what I am.”

“Good ideas are hard to find. You have to steal them.”

“You have to have a very strong visual concept of your movie.”

“All my movies are about watching. The camera is a voyeur.”

“I'm always interested in the form of a story. How you tell a story, what you leave out.”

“Violence is a very cinematic thing.”

“If you really want to be a director, you have to be a director.”

“The point of view is the most important thing in a movie.”

“The camera lies all the time. It's all part of the illusion.”

“Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.”

“A movie is not a book. If you want to read a book, go read a book.”

“The audience is the ultimate critic.”

“Film is a visual medium. You have to show, not tell.”

“I grew up with Hitchcock. He's my cinematic father.”

“Making movies is a conspiracy.”