10 Questions with Eli Roth

This week's "10 Questions" with Eli Roth is a special treat for all the horror fans out there. If you loved Cabin Fever, Hostel 1 & 2, and the trailer for Thanksgiving then you are a massive fan of Eli Roth the director, writer, and producer of all these modern day classics. I can't wait to see what he does next. Whatever it is, it will make a splash in the blood bath of the horror genre.

for more info on Eli Roth visit: IMDB
photo: Eli's myspace site

10 Questions with Eli Roth

1. You got Angelo Badalamenti to help on Cabin Fever. He was the reason I began scoring films in the first place. You must have been freaking out. How did you get him?

I met Angelo years ago when I was doing research for a project he was writing for Broadway with David Lynch. I kept in touch with Angelo over the years, and it turns out that not only did he grow up a block from my mother in Brooklyn, but they went to high school together and played in All City Orchestra together. He was a year older, but she remembered him. Angelo's an amazing, amazing composer and a wonderful human being. I just asked him and he said yes. He could not have been more generous.

2. You were in the 1999 Lloyd Kaufman film Terror Firmer as the character “Shocked Onlooker”. How did you prepare for such a demanding role?

I showed up to say hi to Lloyd Kaufman, and then he said "you're going to be in the scene." He then pointed the camera at me. It didn't require much prep, since I had no idea I was going to be filming that day.

3. Soledad Miranda or Lina Romay?

I mean, is there even a competition between the two? The answer's so obvious.

4. There was the David Cronenberg that directed Rabid and then there is the David Cronenberg that directed A History of Violence. Can I expect you to fade out the horror or stay strong like George Romero?

I'll do whatever I feel like doing. The careers I admire are the guys like Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson, Tarantino, Robert Rodiguez. Guys who can float in and out of any genre and make great movies.

5. Have you ever considered giving Iron Maiden’s mascot Eddie a cameo in one of your films?

That would rule. I was just listening to "Maiden Japan" in my car. Very loudly.


6. So have you pulled off the impossible and met David Bowie yet?

Never. I don't even know what I'd say to him. My brain would melt down. He's beyond genius.

7. I read your blog about Hostel II getting banned in New Zealand. My first reaction is to congratulate you, but I know you must be upset about it. Did you learn anything useful from that encounter that will help you with your future films and did Peter Jackson speak up for you?

Peter Jackson was such an unbelievable supporter of "Cabin Fever," that I didn't want to bother him about this. Plus it's not fair to ask him to speak up to his own government about a sensitive issue that has nothing to do with him. It's crazy that the New Zealand government thinks people over the age of 18 can't watch "Hostel Part II" because they think it will make them violent. It's really nuts. I think it has so much more with politicians grandstanding and trying to look like they're doing something good for the community, when the truth is that everyone who's seen the film knows that's actually very anti-violence and a dark criticism of the worst aspects of capitalism, and the politicians look like old, out of touch parents who are terrified of that "devil rock and roll music." The fans are pissed. They should vote people like that out of office.

8. You write, direct, and act in your films. How do you figure out your paycheck?

I also produce them. I look at how much money I think you can make the film for and make a good movie but without wasting anything. I then figure how much I'll take as a back end salary, and put what I think is proportionate and reasonable into the budget. On "Cabin Fever" my salary for writing, producing, and directing was something like $60,000, but it took a long time to pay out since we never had money and I paid myself last. On "Hostel" my directing salary was $10,000 since I just wanted to make the film, but I took larger ownership in the back end. On "Hostel Part II" I took a bigger salary, but have first dollar gross, which is the ultimate goal of any director. Final cut and first dollar. But I get these things because I keep my costs low so luckily my films have all been extremely profitable.

9. I can’t believe you did audio commentary on Blood Sucking Freaks, that would be a dream come true for me. What was your favorite part to discuss?

I had so many questions about that movie that I wanted answered, that when Lloyd Kaufman at Troma asked me to do it, I was more than happy to. My friend Gabe Friedman was the editor there and he suggested me for the job, so I went to the Troma offices and we just google searched all these people can cold called them for stories. I had a great conversation with Niles McMaster, who now lives in Wisconsin, as well as Dan Fauci, who at the time was a TV executive at Paramount. I've since met Dan in person and he's a really great guy, and we laughed about my phone interview with him. It was also pretty cool to meet Ernie Peysher, the dentist, and of course the director Joel Reed. I think Joel had some dispute with Troma and refused to have anything to do with the commentary, but was glad that it fell into the hands of someone who clearly cared about doing a good job. But I ran out of stuff to talk about after like half an hour so I just made up the rest as if it was a pompous film school dissertation. I read a great review from someone who took it seriously and ripped me apart saying "this moron thinks Scorsese stole TAXI DRIVER from BLOODSUCKING FREAKS!" It was awesome to see someone get that upset over a commentary.

10. Back in 2006 Hostel knocked The Chronicles of Narnia out of the #1 spot when it premiered. As far as Horror vs. Children’s Film, did you feel guilty or did you take pleasure in it?

Truthfully I was just so thrilled that audiences responded to the film. It was an amazing achievement and I hope every director gets to experience something like that at least once in their careers, because it's too incredible to describe. I never take any pleasure in the failure of others, because I know how hard it is to get a movie made and to get it out there into theaters. It's more difficult than anything I could have ever imagined, and so much of it has nothing to do with the movie itself, it's a lot of luck, politics, timing, the marketplace - a million factors. So for it to work out the way it did was beyond anyone's wildest dreams.