“Maybe it’s because—and what I do believe—in America, anything can happen. The great freedom of living in America, compared to many other countries—maybe this could happen; you could be home one day and be really just transported to another world, learn everything, and come back.
To me, it is American because of the values with friends, and how people
save each other and expose fraud—the person behind the curtain is really
bullshit that has no power. All those are very American subject matter, but I don’t know why they aren’t European really, either.”
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"If you love films and care about filmmakers, you'll have a hard time putting this book down. These lively conversations reveal just how much one generation of filmmakers influences the next - and how a single movie can change the course of a young person's life and career."
-Leonard Maltin, author of Leanord Martin's Movie Guide -
"A great and provocative read. Elder begins with a simple question and leads a wide variety of filmmakers down all sorts of unexpected paths. Why do we respond so passionately, even irrationally, to the movies that change our lives? The wonderful thing about being a critic or a lifelong movie lover is that life changes all the time in relation to the spells being cast on the screen. Elder's book honors that alchemic relationship many times over. It's addictive."
-Michael Phillips, film critic, Chicago Tribune