Quote

There was a time when I said, I'm going to go do a television thing, after doing all these theatrical films, and heard, Television? Why are you going to go back to television? It's an interesting place.

Barry Levinson

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Barry Levinson
Age: 82
Born: 1942
Born: April 6
Actor
Film Director
Film Producer
Screenwriter
Baltimore
Maryland
Back
Thing
Theatrical
Going
Films
Time
Television
Heard
Interesting
Place
Film

More quotes by Barry Levinson

Image
I think we are seeing a radical shift in the business in general. The studios are making much more of the real big extravaganzas and there are other kinds of films that are coming out. I think you are going to begin to see more diversification that we've seen in the past.
Barry Levinson
Image
I never really wanted to be an actor. And that was the beginning of it, I began to write things down and eventually became a writer on a television show.
Barry Levinson
Image
A lot of people have done things over the years and made fun of people in one way or another. When I was a kid, Vaughn Meader used to do John F. Kennedy. I don't know if that makes John F. Kennedy less credible. He would do the voice, he'd have some silly situations or whatever. I don't know if it made him less presidential because of it.
Barry Levinson
Image
I don't know that you can do an absurdist film and just have everybody embrace it in terms of filling out cards. I just don't think it happens. So you have to prepare an audience.
Barry Levinson
Image
I worked at a local television station and I got a chance to direct and do all those things - worked kiddie shows, Ranger House show with the hand puppets and things like that.
Barry Levinson
Image
I've had a lot of movies that didn't get great numbers on test screening, but a lot of times the film was able to survive, or the studio still stayed and supported it.
Barry Levinson
Image
I think test screening works at its best when the audience knows what it's getting.
Barry Levinson
Image
I got a chance to work with Mel Brooks on two of his films: Silent Movie and High Anxiety.
Barry Levinson
Image
I thought a great line in the What Just Happened movie said, We're just the mayonnaise.
Barry Levinson
Image
It's always hard to explain why an audience ultimately responds to a movie.
Barry Levinson
Image
When I began to think about the head of the family, the storyteller, the rise of television which became the new storyteller, the break-up of the American family as an idea and then Avalon came.
Barry Levinson
Image
You don't always have to have the ending, but you want to have a satisfactory conclusion.
Barry Levinson
Image
The interesting thing about movies, it's not always - y'know, you have to have structure etc and all those things, but an audience responds, in many ways, we walk away and certain things stay in our heads that are memorable.
Barry Levinson
Image
It's such a funny thing. Hollywood is terrible unless you happen to be a celebrity who's a Republican. So Ronald Reagan can be a Hollywood celebrity, and he's a Republican, and then he can become the president, and that's okay. Fred Thomson, well, that's okay. But the rest we need to demonize. There's no consistency.
Barry Levinson
Image
All I try to do is create an atmosphere that seems comfortable enough, that it removes tension and everyone feels free. If they feel free then behaviour happens, small moments happen and that's what ultimately works the best for me.
Barry Levinson
Image
I'm fascinated by documentaries, to begin with. Because of the nature of television, as opposed to theatrical, documentaries can be in this long form and take you on a journey.
Barry Levinson
Image
I think it's a promising time which will show a lot of diversification that we've seen in the past.
Barry Levinson
Image
You have a movie and it proves itself and then certain things happen.
Barry Levinson
Image
I think when Sarah Palin opened her mouth and started talking, the more she talked, the less appealing she became.
Barry Levinson
Image
I think certain movies work and that is part of the magic of it all. We can't truly define why something succeeds.
Barry Levinson