Essentially, I'm, most of all, a writer. So, what makes people tick interests me. Melvin Van Peebles More Quotes by Melvin Van Peebles More Quotes From Melvin Van Peebles When I got to Paris, they welcomed me and showed my films. It was August of 1960, and I didn't have a penny in my pocket. But they had done something very dangerous: They had given me encouragement. Melvin Van Peebles medangerousencouragementdone No one - black, white, or any different - walks away from a three-picture deal with a studio. That's every filmmaker's dream. But it wasn't mine. Melvin Van Peebles blackdifferentwhitedream When I was in the Air Force, if I walked into a restaurant, in about eight or nine minutes the M.P.'s would show up and drag me out because someone had called saying that someone was impersonating an officer. Melvin Van Peebles restaurantsayingsomeoneme I didn't even know I had a legacy. Melvin Van Peebles hadevenknowlegacy I do what I want to do. Melvin Van Peebles want The key to empowerment is no more complicated than what Jesse Jackson said, 'We are somebody.' But the 'We are somebody' I would like to be in the larger sense: not just the urban African-American but homo sapiens in general - We are somebody. Melvin Van Peebles morelikecomplicatedsaid Blacks had a huge role in settling the West, but you'd never know it from Western movies. Melvin Van Peebles moviesneverknowyou I said to my kids, 'Learn the business of America if you want to be an artist in America. The rest of that stuff, the art part, you could pick up in an hour and a half.' Melvin Van Peebles restyoubusinessart It wasn't really me who invented rap. I stole the idea from Aristide Bruant. Melvin Van Peebles reallywhomerap I'm too short to play basketball and too nervous to steal. Melvin Van Peebles shortnervousbasketballplay Don't ask me something if you don't want to know. Because I will tell you. Melvin Van Peebles willknowmeyou Why not have fun, man? If I feel like doing something, I just go ahead and do it. Melvin Van Peebles have-funfeelmanfun I intend to stay dangerous. Melvin Van Peebles intendstaydangerous If you look down a barrel of a gun... you don't forget it. Melvin Van Peebles lookyougunforget In trying to cross over to the mainstream, some people stopped writing what they witnessed. Melvin Van Peebles some-peoplewritingtryingpeople It must be horrible to do things that you don't like hoping to please other people, and they don't like it either, and you've got to eat it. Melvin Van Peebles eatthingsyoupeople I'm not a normal director. You can't look at me that way. What's kept me alive is my technical skill at doing other things. Melvin Van Peebles lookmeyouway With 'Sweetback,' I just put it together a little bit at a time. I didn't do it on anybody's grant. I did it like any other young executive - by cheating and stealing! Melvin Van Peebles liketogethertimecheating I've never been to film school. I had to leave this country to make a film. All they would let me do in Hollywood was be a messenger. Melvin Van Peebles nevermecountryschool My first feature, I made in France. There's a great respect for the author there - they don't change your stuff. Melvin Van Peebles yourgreatrespectchange
