Overheard at AFF

The Austin Film Festival, which wraps up this evening, is crawling with writers, directors, producers, handlers, film fanatics and drunks. With that assortment of characters, you are bound to overhear a few bon mots here and there. Below are a few of our favorites. Some were said on panels into microphones, some were shared with us in hushed tones, and some wafted across the air in our general eavesdropping direction. And, no, we are not stalking Shane Black, he is just imminently quotable.

Christopher McQuarrie: "Every movie set needs a cocksucker. By which I mean, a director."

Jessica Bendinger: Yes, they're re-branding themselves. Lifetime TV is going to be "super hip" any second now.

Shane Black: (About LA) "It's the greatest, five-square-mile-radius ground swell of pure fear."

Shane Black: "Hollywood is just so fuckin' cynical. How many times have you seen a couple guys walk out of a movie and say, 'Pf! That isn't gonna make a dime!' Wow, you work in Hollywood and you said something negative? That must've been hard."

Peter Hyams: "There are writers that aim high, and writers that aim low, and if you're one of the latter, I hope you get rickets."