"Based on a true story" is a come-on, the aesthetic equivalent of "no loan request refused." For, at best, the creator has fashioned a film based on his understanding of, interpretation of, and reduction of the report of an actual occurrence. David Mamet More Quotes by David Mamet More Quotes From David Mamet How can I be secure? Through amassing wealth beyond all measure? No. And what's beyond measure? That's a sickness. That's a trap. There is no measure. Only greed. David Mamet wealth sickness greed Storytelling is like sex. We all do it naturally. Some of us are better at it than others. David Mamet storytelling sex Show business is and has always been a depraved carnival. David Mamet show-business carnivals shows I'm not the guy to ask about politics. I'm a gag writer. David Mamet gags asks guy Worry is interest paid in advance on a debt that never comes due. David Mamet debt interest worry Put. That coffee. Down. Coffee's for closers only. David Mamet coffee Mixed martial arts was invented by Brazilians, whose families had been trained by the Japanese. Those Brazilians came to the U.S., where their invention was bought out, gussied up and presented to the world, which found it good. David Mamet invention world art If you're writing an opinion piece, it's your job to write your opinion. If, on the other hand, you wrote a novel, as Virginia Woolf tells us, it would be inappropriate if you let your novel be influenced by your political opinions. David Mamet political-opinions writing jobs The secret knowledge is there's nobody home but us chickens. The Constitution was written by a bunch of regular guys who tried to get together and thrash out a contract under which they could get together that would keep people together. David Mamet guy home people I've been training in Jiu-jitsu for about six years and I'm very fortunate to live in that world. All the fighters hang out and have lunch together just about every day and trade stories. And I've always been fascinated how in the world of Jiu-jitsu in L.A. everybody in the fight world - cops, special forces, bouncers, stuntmen - connected across different lines. David Mamet lunch fighting years I look back upon my Liberal political beliefs with a sort of wonder - as another exercise in self-involvement - rewarding myself for some superiority I could not logically describe. David Mamet back myself look political I'm afraid of only two things: being lazy and being cowardly. I get up early in the morning and go to work. I love to write. David Mamet lazy work morning love