rick_schwartz

That's true, I suppose everyone is a critic in some form or another. I don't really pay that much attention to critics - professional or otherwise - I'd imagine it would be pretty paralyzing. I root for everyone to make great content, film, tv, digital, etc. just purely as a fan. If someone doesn't like Lip Sync Battle they shouldn't watch it.

I do feel like attributing the death of culture to a 23 minute tv show is overstating things a bit.

The Departed is a remake of a great film. If you watch them side by side, you'll see it's hardly a shot by shot comparison. That being said, many films are inspired by other films - even Scorsese himself often cites major influences in his work. I love the original Infernal Affairs; just because a film is great, doesn't mean remaking it in another language is either easy or will work.

I personally loved the original Oldboy but didn't care for Spike Lee's version. They're all different and unique, filmmakers and actors bring their own voice along for the ride.

It was really fun and interesting to work with Robert Rodriguez and his team. He shoots all of his stuff at his own private studio in Austin Texas and has a great rapport with actors. Kind of a producer's dream. Super easy, very clever and creative, and took me out for the best barbecue I've ever had.

I guess my favorite moment was on Robert DeNiro's first day. Danny Trejo had been shooting for weeks at that point, and when Bob came on set, there was a respectful hush. I was going to introduce them but wasn't quite sure how, when DeNiro came running over to Danny and gave him a huge hug. They'd worked together years earlier on a great movie called Heat and had great respect for one another.

So cool to see a veteran actor like Danny, after all those years of character roles, finally stepping into the spotlight.

As a kid, I didn't even know that producing was a job. I dreamed about sports and girls, and not in that order.

It's a much more acceptable way to make a living now, working in a creative field. My parents are still disappointed I'm not a doctor. Or an accountant. Or anything they can understand and explain in 1 sentence.

I'm scared of clowns, and I'm extra scared of clowns with a posse. Why would a clown need a posse? Why not an entourage? Maybe just a few close friends? I'd consider them if they changed to Insane Mime Posse.