“The editing room is the perfect place to examine everything. Everything is channeled down into that strip of film, from the writing to how it’s staged, to the director and the actors. And you have the chance to run it back and forth a lot of times, and ask questions of it – Why do I like this? Why don’t I like this?”
Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988)
“His movies are far beyond worth seeing. To me, they are some of the best movies ever made. Sometimes, like the opening scene and much of Coming Home, they almost resemble documentaries. Sometimes, for instance in the cases of Harold and Maude and Being There, they are quite surreal. There is a great range, and they contain great performances by some of the best actors of their time. They are authentic and original and very moving.”
- Wes Anderson on the films of the late Hal Ashby, born 82 years ago today.
“I definitely hadn’t planned on meeting Wes Anderson and being cast in his movie. When I found myself fortunate enough to be a part of Rushmore, my mother, hoping it could help me for the work ahead, suggested I watch three films: Dog Day Afternoon, The Graduate, and Harold and Maude.
I put in Harold and Maude first.
Holyshitfuckcrazyshit.”
- Jason Schwartzman
