Celebrities Joel Schumacher, Birthday: 29 August 1939, New York City, New York, USA

...it is show business and it's more business now than it is show because all the studios now are ow...Show more »

...it is show business and it's more business now than it is show because all the studios now are owned by huge conglomerates and corporations, unlike the old Hollywood where everybody knew each other by their first names. Show less «

The basis of St. Elmo's Fire (1985) is there's a group of people. Everyone had their group and you a...Show more »

The basis of St. Elmo's Fire (1985) is there's a group of people. Everyone had their group and you always think you're going to be best friends forever. But life comes in. So, can you be best friends forever? It touches on universal themes. Show less «

The only good advice you can give anyone is the witness of what you have learned in your own life. I...Show more »

The only good advice you can give anyone is the witness of what you have learned in your own life. If I were living with someone and confused about whether I should be staying with them, it usually means I should be leaving. Because when you're really happy, you don't sit around thinking, 'Should I leave?' Show less «

"Val did me two great favors. When I wanted him to be Batman, he said yes. Then he created a situati...Show more »

"Val did me two great favors. When I wanted him to be Batman, he said yes. Then he created a situation which allowed me not to have him play Batman again. They were both happy, happy instances, for which I will always be grateful." -- Premiere magazine (April 1997), in an article on Val Kilmer. Show less «

On directing "8mm": "It was fun to get it. No, nobody wanted to touch it. I don't think they could g...Show more »

On directing "8mm": "It was fun to get it. No, nobody wanted to touch it. I don't think they could get anyone stupid enough to direct it, other than me. A lot of people were afraid of it. A lot of people don't want to go to a place like that as a director. They want everyone to love them." Show less «

8MM (1999) would never get made today. I think it's a really bold, really controversial film - as ar...Show more »

8MM (1999) would never get made today. I think it's a really bold, really controversial film - as are a lot of my films. Show less «

Sometimes I'm asked if there's homophobia in Hollywood. There's homophobia everywhere on Planet Eart...Show more »

Sometimes I'm asked if there's homophobia in Hollywood. There's homophobia everywhere on Planet Earth, just like there's racism and sexism and anti-Semitism, and such stupidity isn't checked at the gate at the movie studio. But the difference in show business is, if you can make money for people they don't care what you do. They don't care if you screw yaks in the middle of the street. They'll even buy you a yak. They'll give you their yaks. Show less «

(1997) "I felt I disappointed a lot of older fans by being too conscious of the family aspect.... No...Show more »

(1997) "I felt I disappointed a lot of older fans by being too conscious of the family aspect.... Now, I owe the hardcore fans the Batman movie they would love me to give them." Show less «

The question I always get is, 'How do you know these young people are going to be stars?' You don't....Show more »

The question I always get is, 'How do you know these young people are going to be stars?' You don't. You just know there is no one like them. If Julia Roberts walked into your office at 20 and you didn't hire her, you shouldn't be in the movie business. Show less «

Akiva Goldsman was blamed a lot for this sort of lightness and humor and fun and games of "Batman & ...Show more »

Akiva Goldsman was blamed a lot for this sort of lightness and humor and fun and games of "Batman & Robin" but that's not fair. I take full responsibility. I mean Akiva did write the script but I shot it and worked with Akiva, so you know, if you love a movie, there are hundreds of people who made it lovable for you. If you don't like it, blame the director. That what our name's there for. Show less «

Probably no country has spent as much money as my country on drug wars and I'm not sure who's winnin...Show more »

Probably no country has spent as much money as my country on drug wars and I'm not sure who's winning except for the drug dealers. Show less «

Well, here's the problem. If you accept a lot of money to do a film in Hollywood and you have a huge...Show more »

Well, here's the problem. If you accept a lot of money to do a film in Hollywood and you have a huge budget, they're going to expect a lot of asses in seats, as you would if you had to write a cheque for a lot of money. You want your money back; it's a business. If you work on a small budget with stars who are willing to cut prices and do interesting work with you, they'll take a risk on a smaller budget because they figure, "Well, maybe with video and DVD we'll make our money back." Show less «

I think people always think success in show business gives them the right to be moral political arbi...Show more »

I think people always think success in show business gives them the right to be moral political arbiters. I'm not in that camp. I think you can privately do whatever you want, but I'm always suspicious of how much ego is involved. I think the government will survive no matter what Ed Norton thinks of it. Show less «

(on Batman & Robin (1997)) "If there's anyone that let's say loved Batman Forever and went into ...Show more »

(on Batman & Robin (1997)) "If there's anyone that let's say loved Batman Forever and went into Batman & Robin with great anticipation, if I disappointed them in anyway, then I really want to apologize, cause it wasn't my intention. My intention was just to entertain them". Show less «

(on meeting Julia Roberts in a 1993 interview for "Premiere") When Julia walked into my house in the...Show more »

(on meeting Julia Roberts in a 1993 interview for "Premiere") When Julia walked into my house in these cut-off jeans, no make-up, barefoot, her hair piled up on her head, I did know one thing: I knew I had never met anyone like her. I thought, "How did I live without knowing this girl." Show less «

[on the young characters in St. Elmo's Fire (1985) compared to today's young people] In St. Elmo's F...Show more »

[on the young characters in St. Elmo's Fire (1985) compared to today's young people] In St. Elmo's Fire (1985), they were expected to have huge careers and become very accomplished. It was the year of Reaganomics. I think many kids are still expected of that, but they grow up much sooner, and they're bombarded by the Internet, the blogs, the Facebook, the media, the celebration of badly behaved famous figures - bad behavior has become expected. And these are kids with bad parenting. Show less «

The surreal images in some of my films have been blamed on my drug days, I've heard that from certai...Show more »

The surreal images in some of my films have been blamed on my drug days, I've heard that from certain sources. I don't know ... it's pretty far behind me now and that was quite a while ago. That was my path and when you come to terms with being a drug addict and an alcoholic, you realise that it's all about you. Show less «

I am one of Lars von Trier's fans and like the Dogma movement

Yes, but you'd be surprised how many people didn't know who Philip Seymour Hoffman was. Only if you ...Show more »

Yes, but you'd be surprised how many people didn't know who Philip Seymour Hoffman was. Only if you said, "the fat guy in Boogie Nights" would people know who you were talking about because they didn't know his name then. Show less «

Joel Schumacher

Joel Schumacher's FILMOGRAPHY

Feedback about this page?