Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheerisis an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization. She has directed feature films, including Wayne's World, her highest grossing film...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth2 December 1945
CityNew Orleans, LA
CountryUnited States of America
children parent different
Different parents have different standards for their children.
years three done
Arnold and Jamie Lee must have worked over the years with directors that did 50 takes, because I'd get like three takes or so and say, Ok, that's it, we're done.
comedy headache bigs
Big studio comedies are such a headache.
writing america treatment
Before you approach a production entity or even a potential producer, you should write up a treatment and register your show with the Writers Guild of America.
reality people calling
Many people have been able to get pitch meetings by just cold calling, especially the smaller networks and especially with the reality shows.
people dollars world
I really feel kind of guilty spending 80 million dollars. People are starving in the world.
drug decline print
Decline III, I funded myself, from the studio money. That, and I sold a lot of drugs. Kidding. Don't print that.
fun real trying
It is fun to try figure out the things that really are real and the things that aren't.
interesting human-nature found
What I found interesting is that it's human nature to have a family.
impossible film form
Now, it's almost impossible to go out and do a film about a new form of music.
appreciation aggravation political
The first Decline I did was out of sheer love and appreciation for the music. In 1977, it was more about bands, because punk was a new form of music. It was groundbreaking and political.
aggravation decline found
Nobody wanted to touch Decline III when they found out what it was about.
mother people wish
My mother was a barmaid and I was raised in a trailer park. I'm used to that language. I put it on the screen so that people could interpret it as they wish.
aggravation fleas flea-markets
I actually picked up copies of Decline I and II at a flea market once. I walked out without paying.