'Hoosiers' in 60 seconds

During the production of the film “Hoosiers,” a small placard rested above screenwriter Angelo Pizzo’s desk, director David Anspaugh said. It read: “This is not a sports movie.”

Pizzo and Anspaugh, spoke at the IU Cinema on Thursday and presented the screening that night in honor of the classic film’s 25th anniversary.

After the screening, Anspaugh spoke about his three most memorable viewings of the film.

The first was watching its premiere in Indianapolis. Second was a screening at the largest theater in Moscow, before the end of the Cold War. More than 4,000 people watched his film that night and gave him a standing ovation.

“This ranks as number three,” Anspaugh said of the IU Cinema screening. He and Pizzo had originally planned to go to dinner during the movie but ended up staying for the duration.

Anspaugh and Pizzo spoke about the relationships they had with their actors and what it was like making their first feature film.

On screen writing and making it in the movie industry:

PIZZO: You can’t fall in love. You’ve got to cut really great stuff that’s close to your heart.
ANSPAUGH: I tried every day to do something to further my goal ... You have to be a warrior. You have to be relentless, and you can’t personalize rejection.
on dennis hopper, who plays shooter
ANSPAUGH: When actors come up with suggestions, there’s a lot of ego at stake. Dennis could come up with six ideas, you could say no to all of them and he wouldn’t be bothered by it.

On gene hackman, who plays coach Norman Dale:

ANSPAUGH: With Gene, we had head-knocking sessions and it was personal, real personal ...
He gave me my first panic attack. The walls were breathing, and I wasn’t ... This man, it’s like working with Satan ... I was like raw meat.
PIZZO: The truth is, David was scared to death.