Penelope Spheeris

“Decline III, I funded myself, from the studio money. That, and I sold a lot of drugs. Kidding. Don't print that.”

“I can't believe I actually was in my own movie.”

“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.”

“Rabid fans were literally jumping into the camera.”

“It is the idea that it's a movie in a movie. So I did it.”

“In other countries, it's a common thing to have outcast children running around the streets in packs, and I don't think we're so far away from it here.”

“Those movies, Decline I and II and Suburbia, are dearly loved, but they never made any money. I didn't even have the rights for some of them.”

“If you are looking for a producer, try to contact established producers. Don't let the fear of theft paralyze you, or you will never get anywhere with it.”

“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.”

“It's really hard to imagine there ever being the kind of impact there was when punk rock happened in the late 70's. I wish there would be one big change like that again, but I don't know if that'll ever happen.”

“When men have money and power they get turned on, sexually. They get horny as hell. Can't imagine why, though.”

“Nobody wanted to touch Decline III when they found out what it was about.”

“When we did Wayne's World, it was 14 million dollars and they didn't bug us too much because they just thought it was some little movie that nobody was ever going to see. We showed them.”

“I actually picked up copies of Decline I and II at a flea market once. I walked out without paying.”

“I live on this nice three acres in Hollywood.”

“Your best protection is to have an established agent make the contact.”

“I was always into music. I think everyone is when they're a teenager, as a way to drown out the world.”

“This generation has given up on growth. They're just hoping for survival.”

“It is fun to try figure out the things that really are real and the things that aren't.”

“Me and Johnny Rotten have been talking about doing a movie of his book, No Irish, No Dogs, No Blacks. We have a script, so hopefully that's going to happen at some point in our careers.”