--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The good thing about films is, you never…" description: "\"The good thing about films is, you never know how good they will be. If there was a formula, there would only be good films!\" — Udo Kier" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/udo-kier-4433_cinema_the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never_123828.jpg" --- # The good thing about films is, you never know how good… ![“The good thing about films is, you never know how good they will be. If there was a formula, there would only be good films!” quote by Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/udo-kier-4433_cinema_the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never_123828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/udo-kier-4433_cinema_the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never_123828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/udo-kier-4433_cinema_the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never_123828.jpg) > “The good thing about films is, you never know how good they will be. If there was a formula, there would only be good films!” [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker suggests that the unpredictability of film quality is valuable; a rigid formula would eliminate the surprise and diversity that make cinema interesting. **In simple terms:** Films stay exciting because they aren’t formulaic. Key Takeaway Creativity thrives on uncertainty. Themes cinema creativity unpredictability Mood playful reflective Type artistic observation When to use this quote - indie filmmaking - experimental storytelling - film festivals showcasing varied styles Key Concepts artistic freedom Practical Applications - avoid over‑reliance on genre tropes - encourage risk‑taking in script development Questions to Reflect On - What balance between formula and innovation yields the best films? - How does predictability affect viewer engagement? A Different Perspective Some audiences prefer familiar structures; formula can aid commercial success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Films Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-know-401065/) [Formula Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formula-good-1438385/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-films/) [Good Formula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-formula-1438386/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [I really think that I don't mind people sleeping during my films, because I know that some very good films might prepare you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-really-think-that-i-don-t-mind-people-sleeping-during-my-films-2/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I really think that I don't mind people sleeping during my films, because I know that some very good films might prepare you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-really-think-that-i-don-t-mind-people-sleeping-during-my-films/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [ It would be quite good to be a Formula 1 \[racecar\] driver. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-grint/it-would-be-quite-good-to-be-a-formula-1-racecar-driver/) [Rupert Grint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-grint/) > [Worrying about things beyond your control is a pretty good formula for illness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/worrying-about-things-beyond-your-control-is-a-pretty-good-formula/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [I've been in over a hundred films so I know what producers are like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-ve-been-in-over-a-hundred-films-so-i-know-what-producers-are-like/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [Films are all I know. I wouldn't know what to do with a day off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-gopal-varma/films-are-all-i-know-i-wouldn-t-know-what-to-do-with-a-day-off/) [Ram Gopal Varma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-gopal-varma/) > [I mean, I love action films, you know, good action films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-scott/i-mean-i-love-action-films-you-know-good-action-films/) [Adam Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-scott/) > [One has to guard against a formula that is good for everything, that can interpret reality in addition to the other arts, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-braque/one-has-to-guard-against-a-formula-that-is-good-for-everything-that/) [Georges Braque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-braque/) > [There's no right time to have kids and no perfect formula. The good news is there isn't a wrong way, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-massenet/there-s-no-right-time-to-have-kids-and-no-perfect-formula-the-good/) [Natalie Massenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-massenet/) > [When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-trust-the-makers-of-baby-formula-more-than-we-do-our-own/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't think there is any set formula to have a good relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/i-don-t-think-there-is-any-set-formula-to-have-a-good-relationship/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [When you're talking about proper competition, I think Formula E has good competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-massa/when-you-re-talking-about-proper-competition-i-think-formula-e-has/) [Felipe Massa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-massa/) > [There is no single formula for good sentence. An invisible integument that gives the sentence wholeness and musicality, sometimes. But other times, the formula…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-kushner/there-is-no-single-formula-for-good-sentence-an-invisible-integument/) [Rachel Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-kushner/) > [As an artist, all I want is to be a part of good films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-sethupathi/as-an-artist-all-i-want-is-to-be-a-part-of-good-films/) [Vijay Sethupathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-sethupathi/) > [My point was that it's hard to make good films, but I'm not under any illusion that you do all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/my-point-was-that-it-s-hard-to-make-good-films-but-i-m-not-under-any/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) ## More by Udo Kier > [I was fascinated by the story of FW Murnau, one of the most famous directors in Germany, where I come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-was-fascinated-by-the-story-of-fw-murnau-one-of-the-most-famous/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [The vampire or the bad guy, that's what people do remember. Lars von Trier, like Guy Maddin, their films are made for a group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/the-vampire-or-the-bad-guy-that-s-what-people-do-remember-lars-von/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [Good movies are difficult to make, and good trash is even harder to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/good-movies-are-difficult-to-make-and-good-trash-is-even-harder-to/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [My dream would be to play the villain in a James Bond movie, or opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. I like everything exaggerated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/my-dream-would-be-to-play-the-villain-in-a-james-bond-movie-or/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [I was in 'Iron Sky,' the first one, and I liked it very much. I liked the technology being used. The technology has such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-was-in-iron-sky-the-first-one-and-i-liked-it-very-much-i-liked-the/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [I'm a totally desert person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-m-a-totally-desert-person/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [The interesting part about 'Iron Sky' was crowdfunding. It was financed in a very special new way. Timo Vuorensola is an amazing, concentrated person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/the-interesting-part-about-iron-sky-was-crowdfunding-it-was-financed/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [I was brought up in Germany, born in 1944, and there was nothing to eat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-was-brought-up-in-germany-born-in-1944-and-there-was-nothing-to-eat/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [Gus van Sant I met at the Berlin film festival, and he came up to me. He had a little film in the festival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/gus-van-sant-i-met-at-the-berlin-film-festival-and-he-came-up-to-me/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [If everybody would love each other, there would be no war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/if-everybody-would-love-each-other-there-would-be-no-war/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [Lars von Trier, Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog: They all write, which is much better because it's their baby, and they know what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/lars-von-trier-wim-wenders-werner-herzog-they-all-write-which-is-much/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [If you have a smaller role, but if you work with a great director, they make it unforgettable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/if-you-have-a-smaller-role-but-if-you-work-with-a-great-director-they/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [I'm a very quiet person actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-m-a-very-quiet-person-actually/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [I have a lot of palm trees, because they say to me holidays and ocean. I grew up very poor and I had an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-have-a-lot-of-palm-trees-because-they-say-to-me-holidays-and-ocean/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [I never wanted to be an actor. I just wanted to learn languages and travel and see the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-never-wanted-to-be-an-actor-i-just-wanted-to-learn-languages-and/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) [Explore all 111 Udo Kier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) [Jessica Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-yu/) > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The good thing about films is, you never know how good they will be. If there was a formula, there would only be good films!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Udo Kier" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never-know-how-good-they-will-be-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never-know-how-good-they-will-be-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/udo-kier-4433_cinema_the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never_123828.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/udo-kier-4433_cinema_the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never_123828.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/udo-kier-4433_cinema_the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never_123828.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The good thing about films is, you never know how good they will be. If there was a formula, there would…” — Udo Kier", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Udo Kier", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The good thing about films is,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never-know-how-good-they-will-be-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/the-good-thing-about-films-is-you-never-know-how-good-they-will-be-if/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```