I don't really know a lot of famous people. I've met a lot of famous people. If I ran into Tom Hanks today, I would have to remind him who I was and he would then remember me. But he wouldn't come up to me and say, 'Hi Dave!'

I think up until the point when we started in the business, which was in the early '70s, most of the humor was political. The smart humor was political satire.

We’re producing a movie now, ‘The Onion’ Movie, and it’s very difficult for me to be on the set. If I’m not right in the trenches, it’s very difficult for me to watch another director, because I’m not involved and it’s not exciting.

I would love to work with Adam Sandler. Because then all I’d have to do is just turn the camera on and off.

Chevy Chase and Bill Murray – we thought those guys were funny. We love Bill Murray, but we didn’t think they were right for Airplane! because it would step on the joke if there was a known comedian.

I don’t think there has been any increase in sophistication in the audience. When people are aware of a concept that’s easy to understand, and there’s an actor who will attract them to the theater and it’s a movie that’s funny three-quarters of the time, it will be successful.

Our producer Jon Davison thought it would be a good idea to put in additional TV scenes. So, they sent me a tape of these additional TV scenes, and I watched them, and I didn’t think they were that great. I didn’t think it was worth putting them in.

I think we grew up thinking that the funniest things on TV were the old, serious movies. I always liked the Marx Brothers, but the thing that always made us laugh were movies like Zero Hour. That’s what inspired us.

We didn’t realize it at the time, but the release date, the ad campaign and the poster are so important.

I believe in justice, maybe not in this life, but there has to be justice. And if there isn’t a God, I think it would be very depressing. I’d prefer to believe there is.