With reporting by Josh Horowitz

When you've been a major director as long as Ridley Scott has -- the man is responsible for "Alien," "Blade Runner," "Black Hawk Down" and "Gladiator," among many others -- you earn the right to do a few things. One of them is to openly admit that you don't read reviews of your own movies, and then curse about the aforementioned critics.

To put it simply, Scott gives no effs what you think.

In a chat with MTV News ahead of the release of his latest movie, the biblical retelling "Exodus: Gods and Men," Scott had some strong words for would-be detractors.

"I mean, you get your head knocked off occasionally, and what you learn very quickly -- with the greatest respect, I never read press. Never," he said. "Once I got slaughtered after 'Blade Runner' by Pauline Kael, three pages of slaughter, I was so offended, I would never read any more press. You have to know what you've done. The key thing is you can be the only person, your own critic."

It's all simpler when you cut others out of the equation.

"I don't make films for other people, I make films for me," he said. "And so far, it's pretty good because I'm still here after 35 years. So there's a good expression, f---k you very much."

How's that for a mic drop?

"Exodus: Gods and Men" hits theaters December 12.