Home / Authors / David Zucker Biography

David Zucker

David Zucker Biography

Film director

David Zucker is an American film director known for his contributions to the comedy genre. Born on October 16, 1947, he is a member of the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker (ZAZ) comedy writing team, which is renowned for its reinterpretations of classic comedies, such as 'Airplane!' and the 'Spy' series.

David Zucker is an American film director known for his contributions to the comedy genre. Born on October 16, 1947, he is a member of the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker (ZAZ) comedy writing team, which is renowned for its reinterpretations of classic comedies, such as 'Airplane!' and the 'Spy' series.

Related Quotes

“It didn't happen every time for every movie. Ruthless People was a good movie, but we didn't get a good release or marketing. They completely blew the opening.”

People Happens Marketing Opening Release Ruthless Good Movie

Author:David Zucker

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

Important Realizing Dating Campaigns Release Ads Posters Release Date

Author:David Zucker

“Woody Allen has done some excellent serious movies, too, like Crimes And Misdemeanors. Very overlooked movie, I think, and really his best. And currently I like Big Fish!”

Thinking Done Bigs Crime Serious Fishes Excellent Movie Seriousness Overlooked Woody Big Fish Misdemeanors Crimes And Misdemeanors

Author:David Zucker

“Tim Burton is underrated. I loved Big Fish, loved that movie, think it's the best movie of the year, hands down. Really impressed with that.”

Thinking Years Hands Bigs Fishes Impressed Think Big Underrated Big Fish

Author:David Zucker

“It's useless to try and make rhyme or reason of it, because one guy thinks one thing and the other guy sees a whole other thing. So I try not to take them too seriously. Lately I have them screened so I only read the positive ones.”

Thinking Trying Reason Whole Guy One Thing Useless Rhyme Other Guys Rhyming

Author:David Zucker

“I've always thought those guys are really funny. And I love Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin and Mary.”

Love Guy Stupid Dumb Mary

Author:David Zucker

“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.”

Ifs Thinking Life Believe Would Be I Believe Justice I Believe In This Life Depressing God Life Very Depressing

Author:David Zucker

“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.”

Ifs Thinking Love Guy Known Steps Jokes Bills Comedian Airplane Aeroplanes Chevy

Author:David Zucker

“Our fathers were actually business partners in the same real-estate firm, and we got together and thought, How can we get a movie together and get distribution and create a new movie genre? We started by making satires of commercials.”

Real Together Father Business Partners Genre Firm Satire Estates Distribution Our Father Business Partners

Author:David Zucker

“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.”

Thinking Political Business Smart Satire Political Satire

Author:David Zucker

“Everything about it worked, and I don't mean just the movie, but in our experience, we realized there's also a component of luck involved in this business. We had absolutely the most competent people in the studio working on the release and ad campaign.”

People Mean Business Involved Luck Studios Campaigns Release Ads Components Competent

Author:David Zucker

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

Love Turns Cameras Adam And Off

Author:David Zucker

“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.”

Thinking Made Hours Laughing Serious Brother Tvs Grew Grew Up Inspired Movie Zero Marx Brothers

Author:David Zucker

“I think that came out of watching all those serious movies for all that time. If you watch a movie like Zero Hour, Sterling Hayden is pretty funny, and so are the guys in the cockpit.”

Ifs Thinking Guy Hours Watches Serious Movie Zero Sterling Cockpit

Author:David Zucker

“I think once we started directing separately - we each have different kinds of interests now, and the kinds of movies we want to do. I wouldn't hold your breath for that one.”

Thinking Want Kind Different Interest Breaths Movie Different Kinds

Author:David Zucker

“The only one that got through was Jimmy Walker, because he plays the gas station attendant. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, it's just that we were kind of purists at the time, and we didn't want any comedians.”

Want Kind Mean Play Time Comedian Gas Stations Jimmy Walkers Gas Stations

Author:David Zucker

“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.”

People Thinking Has Beens Time Three Actors Easy Audience Successful Concepts Increase Theater Being Successful Quarters Sophistication

Author:David Zucker

“I don't know if I'd want to do that anymore, because you always get bigger laughs on college campuses. So, when the film plays in front of a city audience, you've probably cut too loosely.”

Ifs Knows Want Play Film Cities Audience Laughing Cutting Fronts College Bigger Campus College Campus

Author:David Zucker

“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!'”

People Ifs Knows Today Remember Mets Come Up Ran Toms Dave Remember Me

Author:David Zucker

“Oh yeah, I believe in God. I think there's much more evidence that there is a God than that there isn't. I don't believe that Mother Theresa and Hitler go to the same place.”

Thinking Believe Mother I Believe Evidence Yeah Don't Believe I Believe In Believe In God I Believe In God Theresa Mother Theresa

Author:David Zucker

“Sometimes, if you really want to try something original, you step a little too far out of bounds. I mean, there's a market force that kind of unconsciously keeps you in line a little bit.”

Ifs Want Trying Kind Mean Littles Sometimes Force Bits Lines Steps Little Bit Originals Bounds

Author:David Zucker

“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.”

Thinking Ideas Would Be Tvs Scene Producers Good Ideas Tape

Author:David Zucker

“There would always be a vote. There were always conflicts and arguments for years and years - that's why we're not together anymore. But there was always a vote. It was always two out of three.”

Years Two Together Three Conflict Argument Vote

Author:David Zucker

“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.”

Ifs Difficult Watches Involved Directors Exciting Onions Trenches

Author:David Zucker

“I lose tons of stuff on the cutting room floor. For Scary Movie 3, for example, we had a lot of Matrix spoofs, a Hulk scene, and some of that stuff just doesn't hold up - it's too much plot, audiences just didn't want to hear about it.”

Want Stuff Loses Rooms Audience Too Much Cutting Example Scene Scary Plot Spoof

Author:David Zucker

About the Author

Born: October 16, 1947
Known for: Film director
Quotes: 25

Related Topics

Thinking Ifs Want Guy Movie People Audience Business Kind Love

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Similar Authors

Kristen StewartBrowse related quotes
Ang LeeBrowse related quotes
Louis C. K.Browse related quotes
Judd ApatowBrowse related quotes
Alex WinterBrowse related quotes
Taylor SwiftBrowse related quotes
Clint EastwoodBrowse related quotes
Staton RabinBrowse related quotes
Zach BraffBrowse related quotes
Robert PattinsonBrowse related quotes