When people ask me what makes movies great it's the material.

My movies are important on an economic basis on an artistic basis.

Last year when 'Black Swan ' 'True Grit' and 'King's Speech' all grossed over $100 million it gave studios and independent financiers the confidence to make daring movies and not do the same old you-know-what.

When we talk about Oscars it's almost as a symbol of excellence and the American public and the worldwide public accept that symbol. So a movie like 'The Artist' that costs $14 million has to go out and compete with movies that cost $140 million. How does David deal with Goliath?

We didn't care if we were well-liked as long as the movies were good. We served the movie - that was our master at Miramax. In our second incarnation the movie is still the master but we're getting the same results in more subtle ways.

I've been involved with violent movies and then I've also said at a certain point 'I can't take it anymore. Please cut it.' You know you've got to respect the filmmaker and it's a really tough issue.

I think I took my eye off the ball. From about 2005 2006 2007 I was out of it. I thought I could oversee movies and have it done for me so to speak.

I hadn't made a big-budget film and in Hollywood there's a sort of man and boys situation. You're a man you make $80 million movies! As if it's harder to make an $80 million movie. Well I guess businesswise it is because you have more executives to argue with.

I've made over 20 movies and 5 of them are good.

It's just as hard... staying happily married as it is doing movies.