Quotes by Harvey Weinstein

"I... grew up in politics and I used to work for the Democratic Party."

"I never make a movie for awards consideration. I will use the hope of getting an Academy Award a) to honor the people who work so hard and also b) it's the greatest Good Housekeeping seal in the world. It's the greatest brand. It's as good as Louis Vuitton and Dior in the world of moviemaking. It's the Super Bowl."

"I'm probably the only person who goes to work and says 'Wow, it's really nice here and sweet,' even in the competitive movie business."

"If an Internet company steals content, they shut it down. And let me tell you, Apple France, Yahoo France or Google France, none of them have gone out of business."

"I learned what I really love is making films, not the film business. I want to be on the set, meeting with writers, I want that freedom. I love it now."

"They keep the old business. We keep the ongoing business."

"I've had such a great track record in making a huge profit when the movies are smaller."

"You know, my movies are important on an economic basis, on an artistic basis."

"My movies are important on an economic basis, on an artistic basis."

"I remember when I took Quentin Tarantino with me to a very private screening of the documentary 'Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,' which shows some of the legal irregularities of his case. I was involved by the film, and it was an amazing experience to see people weep at the end of it."

"I think I took my eye off the ball. From about 2005, 2006, 2007, I was out of it. I thought I could oversee movies and have it done for me, so to speak."

"It's hard to think of yourself as a brand, especially when I have four daughters who kick my butt early in the morning every day before I go to work."

"I must admit, even though I'm the product of two Jewish parents, I think the Irish temper got in there somewhere, so I'm going to check Mom's genealogy."

"We've been able to access deals that under our former relationship with Disney - with tax advantages and strategic partners - that we just weren't able to do."

"I wanted to do something inspirational for my children."

"Last year, when 'Black Swan,' 'True Grit' and 'King's Speech' all grossed over $100 million, it gave studios and independent financiers the confidence to make daring movies and not do the same old you-know-what."

"We didn't care if we were well-liked as long as the movies were good. We served the movie - that was our master at Miramax. In our second incarnation, the movie is still the master but we're getting the same results in more subtle ways."

"I'd never made a teen comedy in my life."

"There is nothing like the way people feel after they've seen 'The Intouchables.' They feel amazing. The word of mouth on this film is incredible. It's intelligent-feeling good. You're not insulted by the low-browness or stupidity of some of the humor. It's so smart and terrific."

"Audiences want to see intelligent movies."

"As a young man, I went to Paris and soaked up many hours of film knowledge from Robert Hakim in my efforts to become a producer."

"George Clooney's 'Ides of March' could be the most under-appreciated movie of the year. In 20 years they're gonna go back and say, 'Oh, that was American politics in that time period.' I follow politics, I love it, and that movie is so authentic."

"Every time I do a movie like 'Finding Neverland' or 'Chocolat' or 'Shakespeare' in Love,' we deal with the creative process, but there's humor and fun along the way. I always love that kind of movie."

"There are two things that come very easily to me: rooting for New York sports teams and making mistakes."

"Over the years with movies, I've given directors notes."

"All my movies got screwed up because of my personality."

"It's the golden age of French cinema again but it's because Sarkozy had the guts to push through copyright law."

"I've been involved with violent movies, and then I've also said at a certain point, 'I can't take it anymore. Please cut it.' You know, you've got to respect the filmmaker, and it's a really tough issue."

"I just finished my homework fast, I was bored to death. There wasn't 500 channels so there was a thing for a librarian to teach a kid like me about reading. I started reading early and I read all the time, because I love it."

"The great thing that guys like Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and the Google guys have in common is they treat their technology like it's art, and I suppose in the hands of virtuosos like them, it is."

"I hope to continue my friendship with France and its filmmakers for many years to come."

"All my life, I have loved and been inspired by French cinema, and as a studio head it has been my pride and joy to have the ability to bring movies to audiences around the world."

"When people ask me what makes movies great, it's the material."

"When we talk about Oscars, it's almost as a symbol of excellence, and the American public and the worldwide public accept that symbol. So, a movie like 'The Artist' that costs $14 million, has to go out and compete with movies that cost $140 million. How does David deal with Goliath?"

"I want to deal with somebody who comes from another country to the United States and has a family that comes. I don't care if it's a black family from Jamaica or a Hispanic family from Mexico. These issues need to be dealt with, but they need to be dealt with in the entertaining way."

"If we don't get gun-control laws in this country, we are full of beans. To have the National Rifle Association rule the United States is pathetic. And I agree with Mayor Michael Bloomberg: It's time to put up or shut up about gun control for both parties."