John Landis Quotes (17 Quotes)

We were just seeing how wacky you can be.

I'm following a real event and real people.

Looking back over the film reminds me of the extraordinary times we had, ... It was a great experience. The characters somehow resonated, and the musical talent is so incredible. This was also before CGI (computer-generated special effects), and we wrecked every one of those cars.

I think you can see in the movie how passionate, really passionate John and Danny were about the music. It's a unique situation where you have two guys who are exploiting their own celebrity of the moment to focus a spotlight on these great acts.

The pedigree's pretty high. For people who are really scary movie fans, this is nirvana. If you're in the mood to get scared, just watch this every week. It'll creep you out.

John and Danny were opening for Steve Martin's stand-up tour, which was the No. 1 tour in the world, ... The album they recorded - Briefcase Full of Blues, a great album - was the No. 1 blues album in the world. They were starring on the No. 1 TV show (Saturday Night Live), and John had just starred in the No. 1 movie (Animal House) - which I'd directed.

There were five films in that time that had budgets of over 25 million that were criticized before they even came out, ... Apocalypse Now, Heaven's Gate, Star Trek - The Motion Picture, 1941 and The Blues Brothers. They started calling us '1942.' But the interesting thing is that, with the exception of one (Heaven's Gate), all of those movies were very successful. When Animal House celebrated its 25th anniversary, many of the same critics who (dumped) on it originally were now calling it a classic.

I've been in Kyoto and Munich and Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires, and you see people dressed as Jake and Elwood. That's amazing they're like Mickey Mouse. They've just become part of the culture.

At the time, they were no longer hot, ... The big music of 1979 was the Bee Gees and ABBA, and these amazing talents were lingering. But where are the Bay City Rollers now

That I am proud of, ... When we made this movie in 1979, rhythm-and-blues acts in general were passe. What John and Danny did was use their celebrity (status) to focus on the big acts that inspired them. One of our intentions was to propagate interest in the music.

Who knew Peter Bogdanovich said that the only true test of anything is time. Well, it's 25 years later and here we are.

I've been all over the world, and to be in Milan and see guys dressed as Jake and Elwood is amazing. They really have become a part of the culture.

It's not that I don't want to, it's just that there's no money in it. By that I mean the way the video business works now, the artist and the record label send out a song to a bunch of different directors and say, 'What would you do with this' Then everyone has to come up with an idea and bid on it. For me, it's like, 'Hey, you want me to do it Then pay me. I'm not auditioning for you.'

Quite honestly, ... theres never been stunt driving before or after as spectacular or elaborate. Thats all real, no (computer trickery).

It's a whole new economic model . . . It's corporate, it's based on fear. They try to do what they think is safe. I would say half the movies I've made I could not make now with a major studio. They would not let me . . . I watched Chinatown the other day. What studio do you think would make that movie now with that plot and that ending

Directors, like actors, get typecast.

I grew up thinking of snow as a luxury you visit.