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Happy New Year From The Bear Jew

The Aughts
» 12 comments

Eli Roth has had quite a decade. From young director struggling to get his first feature in the can to hotshot horrormeister pushing to the edges of the genre to the bat-brandishing Bear Jew in Quentin Tarantino‘s epic Nazi revenge fantasy Inglourious Basterds, Roth has come a long way in a town that at times can be about as gentle as that dungeon in Hostel.

As we head into awards season — and what has already been a triumphant outing for the much-nominated BasterdsMediaite asked Eli to reflect on the last decade and the sweat, tears and, yes, blood it took to get here. Luckily for us, he was as forthcoming with his story as the Bear Jew is with his bat — and shared all the gory details.

ELI ROTH: My Decade

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  • BJL411

    ahh the good ole “Jew” word. Being raised in a Jewish home I grew up knowing the word “Jew” is as offensive as the N word. Yet today’s society ignores that. It makes me kringe everytime I see the ignorance of the term used. Now we get it in a title. Ahhh today’s media- Class has gone down the sh’t-hole when Cronkite died. No more Woodward and Bernstein reporters in our future either…

  • Rachel Sklar

    The Bear Jew was Eli Roth’s character in “Inglorious Basterds” – definitely not used in an attempt to offend our readers. Basterds is pretty mainstream, up for a bunch of awards and will probably get multiple Oscar noms. So I think it’s warranted here!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

    Your point is understood by anyone with functioning braincells. I think BJL should be offended by the word ‘Basterd’ more quickly than by the term ‘Jew.’ Saw the movie just a few nights ago – not as good as I’d heard, but still worth the time to watch it at least once. I enjoyed the Bear Jew character’s technique and can only believe the character would have played hell in Warsaw in ’43..

    http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091128231500AA9FibJ

  • ElizabethN

    “And they’re giving us money so they want to feel like their opinion matters more than ours. So frustrating.”

    I always felt like this would be a huge problem with any sort of contract for creativity.

    “she’s scared to tell us directly, probably because I argue every point into the ground.”

    …good for you. It’s your idea, your art, and it shouldn’t be subject to the whims of some executive.

    “I like having all these actors read my script and act the lines. It brings it to life.”

    The first time that happened to me, it was unreal. It’s a thrill beyond anything else, hearing your words and your ideas come to life.

    “He repeated his mantra, “Keep your eye on the donut, not the hole.”

    That is damn good advice.

    “A producer/editor friend, George Folsey, helped us work a deal at Big Time Editing facilities where we could cut for a deferred fee and points in the movie”

    You know, if I had faith in a script, I’d work for half the pay. If I acted, I’d act for nothing. Sometimes you have to work on blind faith. Sometimes the most important thing is getting that idea to become tangible. I respect that.

    “I’m almost 30 and I’m broke and charging groceries to my parents. Who’d want to date that?”

    Girls who aren’t shallow. I’m lucky enough to have a husband who works his ass off so I can be a writer.

    By the way, you’re lucky to have such a supportive father.

    “Let everyone know you’re here to bring back blood into horror movies. You are the guy horror’s been waiting for – you can revive the genre. You can do it.”

    I can’t imagine how amazing those words must have sounded.

    “They’re so cool, so down to middle Earth, and just so sweet.”

    As a Lord of the Rings fan… I appreciate this :)

    “I said fuckit, and with Quentin’s encouragement, wrote “Hostel” in ten days.”

    I wish I could write that fast. I suffer from an extreme lack of motivation.

    “I’ll never have a body of work if I sit around talking about making movies. I need to stop overthinking this. I need to shut out and focus. But this is all I do, all the time.”

    I feel the exact same way. Exactly. I have all these ideas, but every time I sit down to write, I overthink it. I’ve got to find a way to focus… I feel your pain.

    “I suddenly became the focal point for all the backlash against violence in movies.”

    I could go on a ten page rant. I am so sick and tired of people blaming violent/gory movies for kids’ deviant behavior. This is one of my pet topics, and I’ve done enough research to know that violent movies don’t encourage kids to be violent. It’s the environment they grow up in, their parents, their friends, the way they’re taught to express anger.

    “I finally got the call to go off to war and beat Nazis to death with a baseball bat.”

    Seeing you beat Nazis to death was actually therapeutic. I think every Jew has had that fantasy. You got to act it out for all of us. Though it was entirely fictional, I felt empowered watching you shoot Hitler in the face. It was a hell of an experience.

    “If there’s one thing I learned this decade it’s that every artist needs a mentor, someone to give that kick in the ass or light a fire under you when you’re hesitating. Someone you believe in and really respect who just simply says: You can do it. You’ll be great. I believe in you.”

    I couldn’t agree more.

  • Vegoia

    ‘Ahhh today’s media- Class has gone down the sh’t-hole when Cronkite died. No more Woodward and Bernstein reporters in our future either…’
    Mr BJL, Roth is no reporter so rest easy, he’s just a nice Jewish boy from a Boston suburb who is making good in Hollywood. Though I dont agree with his take on NYC in the 90′s, no one is perfect.

  • katyfml

    I really enjoyed reading this and I can’t wait for the book! Love you Eli!

  • Eddie

    Finally. Dong sandwiches being fed to dogs! Back to the genre I grew up with. I Spit On Your Grave. Sleepaway Camp. Eating Raoul (not really, but penis must have been fed to someone). Thank you for avoiding PG-13. It is the chlamydia of film ratings.

    For the record, I loved Hostel Dos and have been watching horror flicks since I was six and Halloween crippled me for nearly six months of my youth. My Mom is still pissed at the neighborhood kid who showed it to me on Beta-Max. Outta curiosity, I forget the actresses name from Welcome To the Dollhouse, but that scene was shocking and she is unreal. Brilliant. Have I just been missing her? Don’t know how you figure out her for that part, but, she has a way of making the audience feel pain.

    This article is excellent. For those who are horror film buffs or just want as good a glimpse as one can get into some hard work, take the time to read this. I think it shows a great work ethic as much as it does a great glimpse into Hollywood.

    Don’t know if Eli will ever read this but, you improvised the lines to Stuntman Mike in Death Proof? Snake? Christ. That’s proof of moxie I guess. He might have shanked you. Are you doing Thanksgiving Day? As a sidenote, when I went to see Grindhouse, folks starting walking out after Planet Terror. They though it was over. Err… The people left b/c the credits were rolling. This is because I am in an area filled with schmos. The bottom line is what it is I guess, but that’s total bullshit. Grindhouse was excellent. Plantet Terror had the most hysterical attempted violent crime I think I’ve ever seen. I the rake doesn’t deter plans for Thanksgiving. Or Zombie’s flick.

    It’s weird. Is a fan who started out with Cabin Fever allowed to have nachas? I am. It’s been really great watching your progress.

    Late.

    Since I know I’m officially getting old with all the remakes, I wouldn’t mind seeing an update of “I Spit On Your Grave.” Kill Bill meets Horror. I have also drawn inspiration knowing that if Tooth Fairy w/ The Rock has been made, there is chance I can throw away my business and make it in Hollywood. Cameron showed everyone unobtainium. Not cool.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Crystal-Culp/823345573 Crystal Culp

    Is it odd that that made me laugh as well as cry? Now I’m totally excited to read the rest!! And by the way, I would date that.

  • shaygurl22

    I was so glad to see this article. Apart from being an adorable actor (strange that I would choose THIS word for THE BEAR JEW,) you are an awesome director with a sick and twisted mind to rival mine =) I have yet to find one of those her in Chicago… Regardless, the whole “tortureporn” thing is bullsh*t, cannible holocaust was doing that long before you were…..not quite as gruesome though. All I wanted to say was thanxs and keep rolling out the gore……. Oh yea when I come to LA in May I owe ya a beer for keeping me up and paranoid about flesh eating viruses….. Not since I saw the 1st Dawn of the Dead have I had nightmare about that so thanks =)

  • The White Wolf

    I hadn’t seen that photo of Eli in his robe cheers-ing his Basterds poster… hilarious!

    I read the whole thing.

  • wtfruthinking

    wonder if Eli is going to mention anything about the son he has with porn star Brittney Skye ??? Somehow I doubt it…Why you hiding that fact Roth?

  • Vegoia

    He does like his porn stars that’s for sure.

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