Jon Turteltaub on Nicolas Cage:

"Nic is extraordinary. He loves doing things, well, "differently". Oddly enough, the straight-laced Ben Gates IS different for Nic. What is so impressive about Nic is not just that he's so brave, takes huge risks, and brings so many imaginative details to his characters... but that he's such a gentleman and such a pro. He is NEVER late to the set. He is ALWAYS memorized. He is ALWAYS polite and responsible. Those things matter."

On whether he prefers to shoot in Hi-Def or celluloid:

"The issue comes up a lot in television, but is now making its way into features. I've shot on both. There are definite advantages to hi-def for a director. I love being able to roll for 20 minutes straight -- not having to cut between takes, letting actors experiment, going back to pick up a line. But the equipment is still a bit "bulky". Having to carry the "DIT tent" and always needing electrical power can be cumbersome. Film is faster. As for the "look", hi-def is often as good, sometimes better, depending on the situation, but overall, film is still the best."

On whether he likes doing commentaries:

"I'm a director, I LOVE talking about my movies! What's difficult about commentaries is that as a filmmaker I'd far prefer to talk about the nuts and bolts stuff as though the people watching were all film students desperate to learn from my obvious genius. But the reality is, people usually just want to hear funny behind-the-scenes stories and gossip."

Turteltaub on the cancellation of Jericho:

"Understandable, but still frustrating and sad. However, I'm shooting a pilot for a new CBS series right now... a horror show. It's very unique and will either change television or go the way of other interesting shows... get canceled. I'm also working on my next film for Disney which is an updated live-action version of The Sorcerer's Apprentice."

On what he thinks fans could have done to save the show with letter campaigns:

"I'd rather the fans sent the money to charity. Amazing how emotional we get about our entertainment but how hard it is to get people mobilized to cure cancer."

On the challenge of having a lead character that doesn't kill anyone:

"This was VERY important to me when going into the first National Treasure movie. I kept saying that we need to make an action film where the hero doesn't carry a gun. It's not that guns aren't cool in movies. They are. But we need to start moving away from that and showing that NOT having a gun can be even cooler. The problem is that it's really tough to write action scenes. The gun is always the easy way out. Without it, the filmmakers have to be much smarter when plotting escapes and break-ins."

Tutreltaub and his memories of working with John Candy on Cool Runnings:

"John was the nicest funny person I've ever known. He was the only comedian I've ever met who readily and heartily laughed at other people's jokes. He took me to a hockey game in Calgary and the poor guy had to stop and sign hundreds of autographs as he walked through the stadium. He was incapable of saying 'no' to people."

His own thoughts on conspiracy theories:

"I'm more a champion of de-bunking conspiracies and taking as much stupidity out of our culture as possible. For instance, it's such a disrespectful and foolish waste of time to discuss the truth of the Apollo program. We landed on the moon! We did it! It's an amazing achievement and we should celebrate it! And for the record, there's no Bigfoot, astrology is dumb, and Elvis is dead."

Jon Turteltaub on the theories and myths he believed in or was drawn to as a kid:

"The biggie is the Kennedy Assassination. That's the one that is probably the Holy Grail of conspiracy theories. In fact, I think it's where the term came from. There's something extremely fascinating about unlocking a mystery and solving a puzzle. Sometimes, the treasure at the end of a hunt is simply 'the truth'. That's what conspiracy theories give us - a treasure hunt for the truth. That said, I actually think most of them are pretty ridiculous."