Penelope Spheeris

I live on this nice three acres in Hollywood.

— Penelope Spheeris

Different parents have different standards for their children.

— Penelope Spheeris

This generation has given up on growth. They're just hoping for survival.

— Penelope Spheeris

Rabid fans were literally jumping into the camera.

— Penelope Spheeris

What I found interesting is that it's human nature to have a family.

— Penelope Spheeris

I got IRS records to finance what I wanted to do.

— Penelope Spheeris

It is the idea that it's a movie in a movie. So I did it.

— Penelope Spheeris

Now, it's almost impossible to go out and do a film about a new form of music.

— Penelope Spheeris

I really feel kind of guilty spending 80 million dollars. People are starving in the world.

— Penelope Spheeris

I actually picked up copies of Decline I and II at a flea market once. I walked out without paying.

— Penelope Spheeris

I was always into music. I think everyone is when they're a teenager, as a way to drown out the world.

— Penelope Spheeris

Decline III, I funded myself, from the studio money. That, and I sold a lot of drugs. Kidding. Don't print that.

— Penelope Spheeris

When men have money and power they get turned on, sexually. They get horny as hell. Can't imagine why, though.

— Penelope Spheeris

In other countries, it's a common thing to have outcast children running around the streets in packs, and I don't think we're…

— Penelope Spheeris

My mother was a barmaid and I was raised in a trailer park. I'm used to that language. I put it on…

— Penelope Spheeris

It's really hard to imagine there ever being the kind of impact there was when punk rock happened in the late 70's.…

— Penelope Spheeris

The first Decline I did was out of sheer love and appreciation for the music. In 1977, it was more about bands,…

— Penelope Spheeris

For the most part, studio movies have huge budgets. They don't do anything under 30 to 40 million. When you have that…

— Penelope Spheeris

Me and Johnny Rotten have been talking about doing a movie of his book, No Irish, No Dogs, No Blacks. We have…

— Penelope Spheeris

I feel that a documentarian has an obligation to tell the truth as he or she interprets it. And what I mean…

— Penelope Spheeris

Nobody wanted to touch Decline III when they found out what it was about.

— Penelope Spheeris

There are thousands of directors in Hollywood.

— Penelope Spheeris

Big studio comedies are such a headache.

— Penelope Spheeris

I love punk rock, but I also love metal.

— Penelope Spheeris

Your best protection is to have an established agent make the contact.

— Penelope Spheeris

I can't believe I actually was in my own movie.

— Penelope Spheeris

Before you approach a production entity or even a potential producer, you should write up a treatment and register your show with…

— Penelope Spheeris

Many people have been able to get pitch meetings by just cold calling, especially the smaller networks and especially with the reality…

— Penelope Spheeris

If you are looking for a producer, try to contact established producers. Don't let the fear of theft paralyze you, or you…

— Penelope Spheeris

Those movies, Decline I and II and Suburbia, are dearly loved, but they never made any money. I didn't even have the…

— Penelope Spheeris

It is fun to try figure out the things that really are real and the things that aren't.

— Penelope Spheeris

Arnold and Jamie Lee must have worked over the years with directors that did 50 takes, because I'd get like three takes…

— Penelope Spheeris

If I could make a decent living doing documentaries, I would. I don't really care about [the other] stuff so much. But…

— Penelope Spheeris

I like to think about society as being a flock of birds: There seems to be a common consciousness in different time…

— Penelope Spheeris

When we did Wayne's World, it was 14 million dollars and they didn't bug us too much because they just thought it…

— Penelope Spheeris