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Quentin Tarantino Takes Neighbor/True Blood Creator To Court Over Unruly Parrots

by Frances Martel | 10:55 am, March 12th, 2011

» 13 comments

If it wasn’t real life, it’d sound like a plot device from a Tarantino film: director Quentin Tarantino is suing his neighbor for the “blood-curdling” company he keeps, and no, he’s not talking about vampires. Turns out that True Blood creator Alan Ball keeps “pterodactyl-like” parrots that are so heinous in nature as to merit the services of the American judicial system.

According to The Independent, the birds are kept outside, within Tarantino’s earshot:

The birds, it seems, belong to Mr Ball and his partner Peter Macdissi, and each day they are parked in an outdoor aviary in their garden where they are free to make the sounds that all macaws like to make. Charming for their owners, maddening for Tarantino who says the tropical cacophony has to stop.

Meanwhile, Reuters adds that Tarantino alleges the birds have “seriously disrupted ability to work as a writer in his home” and that he was unable to resolve the matter personally with Ball. While neither source specifies the precise nature of the lawsuit, one would imagine Tarantino is seeking an injuction to get those parrots away from his house, though damages– if he has a good enough lawyer– could also certainly be in order. If there ever was an argument for tort reform, it’s probably lawsuits like this (that taxpayers get to foot the bill on!).

frivolous litigation, neighborly spats, parrots, Quentin Tarantino, this is why America hates lawyers, tort reform

Cancon2

I am with Quentin, those birds are yaking noisemakers. I can understand if the thngs are screaming all day long, I would be all Kill Ball about now too.
Judge Mental

The “precise nature of the lawsuit” is likely nuisance, which is an interference with a person’s interest in the use and enjoyment of his land. It’s a perfectly valid claim. I don’t know where Frances gets the idea that taxpayers will be required to “foot the bill” for this litigation, or that this lawsuit somehow supports an argument for tort reform. Neither proposition is correct.
Big Eddie

Send Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson to Ball’s front door to ask about Marcellus Wallace .
http://cbcf.groupsite.com Miss Capri

Oh, just great, another worst case story the anti-exotic pet people can use in their agenda to take away human rights, just great, just what we need. *Rolling eyes*
Jelperman

This is funny, considering that Tarantino is so derivative and has been parroting other filmmakers for years.
OxyCon

You’d think blood curdling shrieks would help a writer who makes slash and gash movies.
playswithknives

if i left my cockatoo Elwood out all day, i’m sure my neighbors would want a piece of me too. that crazy bird can make your ears ring.
The_Reasonable_Lib

Inglourious Basterds was almost as much of a masterpiece as Pulp Fiction. Just putting that out there.
chicgoods

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Pablo

The_Reasonable_Lib said:
Inglourious Basterds was almost as much of a masterpiece as Pulp Fiction. Just putting that out there.

Not. Even. Close. I was really looking forward to it, but I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece. Kill Bill was better than Inglorious Basterds. And neither compare to Reservoir Dogs, let alone Pulp Fiction.
Montecore

The_Reasonable_Lib said:
Inglourious Basterds was almost as much of a masterpiece as Pulp Fiction. Just putting that out there.

Inglorious Basterds was alright and I couldn’t sit through Reservoir Dogs. Just watching the scenes for pulp fiction caused my stomach to turn. I kept wondering if Samuel Jackson was going to drown in all of that gel!
Dem4Ever

Tarantino was spotted pricing shot guns at the local sporting good store the other day. I think fowl will be showing up on the menu really soon.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Brittany-Weiner/2203909 Brittany Weiner

New York Law School takes a legally educated guess at who is likely to win this case: http://www.lasisblog.com/2011/03/21/quentin-tarantino%e2%80%99s-new-project-%e2%80%9ckill-ball%e2%80%9d/