It never occurred to me to be a film director, partly because I hadn't seen a single film by a female director, but I liked the idea of being a writer moving to Hollywood and being unhappy; that sounded romantic and fabulous to me. Mary Harron More Quotes by Mary Harron More Quotes From Mary Harron I just don't think I'm an ideological filmmaker in any way. I don't know how anyone could see anything I've done and see that. Mary Harron done way thinking I wonder if Bettie Page original gay cult had something to do with the ironies inherent in her image, as well as her innate fabulousness as an image. Mary Harron irony pages gay Bettie Page was the first person to do bondage as fashion, because for her it really was all about dressing up. Mary Harron dressing-up pages fashion One of the secrets of being a great photographic model, as it is for a great film actor, is that you let the camera in. It's an intimacy that the model or actor creates with the lens, that then transmits itself to the viewer. Mary Harron lenses cameras secret She [Bettie Page] was a traumatized person, but she did have an active sex life. Mary Harron pages active sex I was very ambitious at a young age. When I was six, I would tell everybody that I wanted to be an authoress. Mary Harron ambitious six age I grew up interested in the underside of Hollywood, which I think David Lynch does really well. Mary Harron hollywood doe thinking I remember being really interested in the sad parts of Los Angeles, of which there are many, and knowing we weren't up in the citadel on the hill, but we also weren't on the bottom. I was very interested in the poetry of failure as a child. Mary Harron being-real knowing children Growing up, I was lucky that my dad was never out of work. I was very fortunate in one way: that I never experienced real hardship, because my dad is this real dynamo. He was always working, so I had a sense of the ups and downs and endless disappointments, but at the same time I was never worried that we couldn't eat or pay the bills. Mary Harron growing-up dad disappointment I realized you can always make money; you just do a lot of things. Mary Harron i-realized making-money I think any big success is paralyzing. I have observed it in others. Mary Harron bigs thinking Frankly, you're always up and down. You're successful and then you're not. Mary Harron up-and-down successful I had long periods where I couldn't make things happen, and then periods of enormous good luck. I guess the trick is to keep going in the periods when you're not lucky, when your stars are not aligned. Mary Harron good-luck stars long If you have had some taste of success, it's extremely addicting. I think the withdrawal from that is what's most devastating. I don't think it's the success that kills people, it's the withdrawal. Mary Harron withdrawal people thinking I'm bored by films that revolve around a trick. I kind of know if a film is right for me; all the most important decisions are made intuitively. Mary Harron bored important decision There's absolutely no point in beating yourself up. Focus on going forward. Mary Harron beating-yourself-up no-point focus They say that depression is anger you turn on yourself, and I think women do that. Mary Harron turn-on turns thinking I see that women still have self-doubt, and at the same time I feel like I see all these fantastic young women, and they all have ambition and are so focused on their futures. I don't think that's an anomaly anymore. Mary Harron ambition self thinking Movies are a commitment. They take years of your life and they have big consequences. That's one of the bad things about movies - you're stuck with the aftermath. Mary Harron aftermath commitment years The good part of working in TV is it's like being a studio director in old Hollywood and approaching different genres. It's a chance to try out different styles. Mary Harron style trying directors