Quentin Tarantino has faced a “roasting” from his celebrity pals in New York.
Eli Roth brought shock and awe to the podium of the Friar’s Club Roast, saying it was a roaster’s responsibility to be sick and distasteful.
The filmmaker didn’t disappoint, covering ground that would make Richard Pryor blush – and offering no apologies.
“Pretty much what people say about Hostel 2, I want them to say about my speech,” Eli said, referring to his 2007 horror flick.
Roth ripped into the Weinsteins – filmmakers Harvey and Bob – who were sitting on the dais and poked fun at Tarantino’s physical appearance. He also alluded to Quentin’s alleged foot fetish saying: “Quentin’s got a bigger collection of women’s shoes than Dachau.”
Joining Roth at the event were Sarah Silverman, Uma Thurman, Brett Ratner and roastmaster Samuel L Jackson, who referred to the pack as a “true collection of freaks”. Then he thanked Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, for designing Tarantino’s face, and kicked off the show.
Originally scheduled for October, the roast was postponed because of the death of Tarantino’s longtime film editor and close friend Sally Menke.
While nothing was off-limits, many jokes focused on Tarantino’s infatuation with Uma Thurman. After her relatively tame speech, she took off her shoes, poured some wine, and the two shared a toast, leading to a rousing applause.
Tarantino hit the stage nearly two hours into the show and immediately quipped that doing the “no comedian thing was funny”.
He then apologised for Jackson’s performance, saying it was due to “not writing his dialogue for him”.
